I can’t believe my last post was all about the spring break vacation I took with CB. So much has happened since then!
First off, soon after CB and my return from Disney it was time to celebrate CG’s 18th birthday. EIGHTEEN! How on earth did that happen? It was just yesterday that I updated my birth blog with the birth story. And now she’s 18. We celebrated with my parents, who were on their way home from their own vacation at Disney. Knowing how much my girl loves a good steak for dinner, we took her to our favorite steak place.
A few days later we celebrated Denis’s birthday – but much more low-key. No fancy steak dinner for him. *lol*
May was momentous because CB got his braces off, which he was very happy about. In other CB news, in June he and I began spending a lot of time together in the car, since I told him THE TIME WAS NOW to finally work towards getting his driver’s license. And the reason for that is that in June, CG officially finished high school. Yep, my girl done graduated! Graduation was held outside at their football stadium, and my parents came down from Virginia for it. After graduation, CG decided to go to VA with my parents for a few days to relax and get her summer started. Her graduation was a signal that it was time for CB to get his license before his senior year began because she would NOT be driving him to school anymore. 
June was also the month we celebrated my 52nd birthday. It was also a relatively low-key day (have you ever noticed that the older you get, unless it’s a milestone birthday like 60, 70, etc.), you don’t do much to celebrate?).
The major event that took place in July was a fun one for me. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR! Well, not brand new, but new-to-me. I knew this was the summer that I had to finally get my own car since I knew CB would be getting his license so that he could drive himself to school his senior year. I had a countdown to find something this summer.
In July I test drove a really nice 2020 Nissan Rogue SV, which I really liked. It was priced incredibly well considering used cars are rising in price right now due to the computer chip shortage causing new car production to be severely delayed. However, when I went to negotiate the price over email, the dealership refused to waive a $1600 warranty that I did not want, nor need. I told them I’d walk, and they said okay. So I walked. I then saw a 2018 Nissan Rogue SV with much less mileage than the 2020 vehicle at a different dealership for almost the exact same price. I called immediately and said, “I want.” A week later I picked up the SUV in Greenville and it is SUCH A NICE CAR. Even my brand new 2005 Hyundai Elantra was a beater driving off the lot compared to this SUV. Isn’t she gorgeous?
She comes with all the bells and whistles I never had. Push button start, backup camera, blind spot monitor, cruise control, touchscreen entertainment, Android Auto. My Hyundai had power windows and A/C. That’s it. I had to install a nice after-market stereo myself in order to have good music in the car. My hope is to drive this SUV for many, many years to come. My other hope is to get the Nissan paid off in 3 years so that I can go back to being free from car payments. Oof.
And then it was August. The past twenty days have gone by in a flash.
Boy finally got his driver’s license and the car he bought for himself last year was finally his. He’s still not used to the idea that he doesn’t have to ask permission to go to Game Stop, or Dairy Queen, or WalMart. Last night he asked, “Can we go to GameStop?” I said, “Uh, YOU can go. I don’t need to.” It’ll be a lightbulb moment for him when he finally realizes that I was right: with a license comes freedom.
CG also snagged a last-minute, full-ride scholarship to the local community college she began attending this week. It was a last minute offer, but one deeply appreciated. It’s a scholar’s program that will allow her to complete 2 years’ worth of college core classes in 12-16 months, emphasis on the 12. She has the ability to then automatically transfer to Winthrop University, the school from which she intends to get her Bachelor’s in Art Education. And since she’s now in a 12-month scholar program, it’ll mean she enters Winthrop as a junior NEXT FALL. Very exciting stuff. Her first few days of classes were a blur, but she said she thinks she’ll really like it. She is living at home during her college “career.” We’ve told the kids since the beginning that we will put money into a 529 plan for each of them, but that it would not cover all of their tuition. Thankfully, CG has a plan in place that will allow her to graduate debt-free thanks to state tuition scholarships and her 529, plus the decision to save by living at home versus paying for room/board.
Next up for her is getting back into the workforce. She hasn’t worked since December 2019 because her first job was seasonal and then COVID didn’t allow it to open back up in 2020. Then once it did open up, she decided she did not want to work there anymore, and she spent her summer avoiding any notion of working and saving up some money. But last night I sat her down at her computer and all but forced her to apply to a job for which I know she’ll get hired. Girl’s gotta work and pay for her own car insurance premium again!
Also this past week, CB started his high school senior year. I think the thing he was most nervous about was driving by himself to school! His literal FIRST solo drive was driving to school on Monday morning. His first week of classes have also gone well, and I think his senior year will be a great one. Next up for him is finding a job, since I’ve told him his car insurance premium is so high that I also need him to help pay for it each month.
And that’s where we are. It has been a good spring and summer with so many landmark changes in our family. September should bring a mild slowdown, but you never know.
