DD18 and her friends went out dressed for the different decades - she had a skirt and satin jacket for the 60’s, another had a goofy sweater and jeans from the 80’s, etc. It was very cute and they stopped midway through their trick or treating to warm up in the house and take a photo shoot. We had a great time helping them take photos with all of their cameras, then they went out for a while longer. It was fun to watch them shop for costumes at thrift stores and still want to be kids. Now DD18 just headed up to bed at 8:30 - she’s wiped out after homecoming weekend followed by Halloween!
Sorry to hear about the demise of your 2003 auto @dadotwoboys. My 2001 (143K miles) seems to be running well. I bought it new way back when and have done the oil & other fluid changes myself, so the engine & hopefully the transmission are still in good shape. As long as it keeps running reliably, I’ll be loyal to it.
We gave our 2002 to S15 and DW got a new car this year. If I’d kept that 2002, I’ll bet it would have lasted another 10 years easily. But my son is kind of lazy to get the maintenance done, so I predict he’ll kill it within a couple of years. 
We had to get rid of our 1997 in February. Now all our cars are from this millennium!
Wow. Some cars! We are lucky when ours have lasted over 10 years.
We are waiting to hear if DD got into National Honor Society. Personally, it’s not a big deal to me - I told my story of being shut out in the NHS thread in the parents forum. But, to her, it’s a big deal so we sit and wait. At her HS there is - no joke - a 12 page application and a faculty committee that sifts through them. I’m hoping we hear before Thanksgiving since the induction ceremony is the first week of December.
Both our 2000 SUV and 2003 mini were totalled this year after minor accidents. The actual damages weren’t that expensive to repair but because both cars were so old with lots of mileage the repairs exceeded the value. Luckily both cars were slated to be replaced anyway so getting the payout was a nice little windfall. And the SUV’s damage was so minor we were able to donate it to the local school which has an automotive program so we can also take the deduction for that. We replaced the SUV with a used car for DD and I got a new car for myself.
Not sure about NHS process but DD did get into the Math Honor Society and the Journalism Honor Society this year.
D18 is taking the PSAT today. Her school had fall break for the first date, so today is the day. Her school typically has 8-12 NMSF each year. D says her classmates who have the best shot at it are the most nervous. There’s so much money on the line, it must be very stressful for these kids.
Glad to see there are other folks out here that drive there cars into dust. Truth is, we still have a 2005 Prius and a 2007 SUV. All cars were in the same mileage ranges (100k to 115k). So, it’s probably best that we now have a lower mileage car from this decade in the family fleet.
NHS seems to run so differently from school to school. S’18 was inducted in Freshman year as were many, many of his classmates. The subject area honor societies and Beta are harder to get into and happen later in their academic career.
@ShrimpBurrito, best of luck to your D!
We also drive our cars for as long as possible. One of mine has over 200K miles on it!
NHS at D’s school is a very involved process, with essays and a long app and also a committee that reviews everything. D’s induction ceremony was last month.
@ShrimpBurrito Wishing your son luck - now you can join the rest of us that arer counting the days until the scores are released!
We are also members of the Old Car Society. A 2004 Honda and 2007 Sienna - both of which are very young and low mileage for their make and model. DD now drives the Honda to school and we share the van (much easier than we anticipated). The Honda is not “her car” - she doesn’t have a car. She has the use of one … so far we don’t need a third car.
I was surprised at how many kids at her school have their own cars; I guess a lot of parents upgrade and hand down their old ones. Don’t get me started on the 16 year old who got a 2017 Jeep for her birthday. We thought about getting a new car and handing down the Honda, but we kept thinking “A new car? Or a year’s tuition?” It’s a no brainer right now.
Two of my kids have those hand-me-down cars. Well, they aren’t “theirs,” but they are able to drive the cars, knowing that certain responsibilities come with that privilege. We have five kids, at three different schools, and I desperately need the driving help! My two driving teens will cart the younger ones around, pick up dinner, and get themselves where they need to be. So far, so good.
Anyone looking at Junior Visit/Open House Days for the Spring? Seems like a few colleges are starting to announce them.
Both my kids got cars a few months after they got licenses. In DS’s case, he had a 35 minute commute to school and although we had a carpool for the first two years, it became tremendously easier for him to be able to drive himself to school and home from various athletic practices and after-school commitments. He also carpooled with his best high school buddy.
In DD’s case, she is not at her base school so I have to provide transportation. Her commute is 20 minutes on a good day, 40 minutes on a bad one. Without a bus I was making 2 round trips every day, sometimes 3 depending on her practice schedule. And since she is not at her base school most of her school friends live 15-25 minutes away.
Neither kid got new or expensive cars. Both had over 100K miles on them and each pays for their own gas.
D took the PSAT today and said it was “easier than the SAT” that she took a few weeks ago. That’s good, as her SAT score would have her on the bubble for NMSF. So…D will likely apply to USC (California). It’s a good fit for her, and we like their NMF half tuition scholarships. I’m wondering if I should go ahead and book a flight for us to visit during spring break, as flights now are direct and VERY cheap. If I wait until Dec when we get her PSAT scores, I risk having to pay a lot more for the flight. If I book now, and D does not score well on the PSAT, we will be traveling a long way to visit a school that’s a financial high reach. Thoughts?
Funny! we are also members of the old car society! Sadly our 2000 SUV didn’t move any more. Our 2006 van had bumper to bumper but insurance said it costs more to repair, so they gave us check. Now monthly payments for two more vehicles, on top of DD’s car payment:(
Our 1990, which we got with almost 100K miles in 1998, is still going. We used it to bring S16 to MD from NY as a 5 month old and brought S18 home from the hospital in it. Our “new” car is a 2006 with 125K.
D17 and D18 share a car (big SUV with about 106k miles on it). D18 will have her license in 10 days (god willing), and I anticipate some epic squabbles about who gets the car. Neither kid is good with compromise, and D17 has enjoyed a superior position with regards to driving for the past two years and will have to give that up.
One car, two sets of keys. Let the games begin. :-S
I’ve told them that anyone being left behind will result in confiscation of the keys for a week. Sometimes this parenting gig is a drag…
@MotherOfDragons We told our S19 that, when he gets his license, I’m going to slap a taxi sign on the top of the mini-van so he can schlep our D21 around to all of her rehearsals. I can’t wait!!
Our timing is perfect … older DD goes to college right when younger DD should be getting her license. I hope that car keeps chugging for several more years!
We will have to cough up another car somewhere around her junior year in college because, God willing, she will be doing nursing clinicals and might need one.