The Car and Our Homeschool

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Betsy has been with me since I was 18 years old.  She was there when Vic and I eloped.  She was there when I needed to get to the hospital to deliver my first daughter.  She’s been there in each state I’ve lived in since I first left home in 2003. She's been our homeschool bus since we began on this journey. I mean, my car has become a sentimental part of my life, and if I am honest I will be sad when her time comes to an end.

Earlier this month, Betsy was down.  So the girls and I were without transportation.  We adjusted to the change, but I was reminded just how important Betsy is to our family and our homeschool.  When my car was down, we were limited to the activities we were able to participate in especially since my husband now works quite a distance away.  The option to take him is almost not an option anymore.  This new revelation was a sad realization especially since we love joining other homeschooling families on field trips several times each month. You should know that field trips is one of my favorite parts of homeschooling.  The entire month of September was without field trips which in the beginning of our carless month made the girls a bit sad (and me too) since we actually had a few fun outings planned such as the tie dye and ice cream social.

On a nature walk at a local park

Betsy is back up and running.  Her time down was due to the fact that she is getting older and those original parts are starting to give way.  I was happy when the mechanic that repaired her said, “Your car has a good soul.  She wants to keep going for you.”  I try my best to take care of my car with regular maintenance.  When I got her back, it was just in time for her regular oil change at the Walmart Auto Care Center with Quaker State ® Advanced Durability Motor Oil .  They took good care of her like always.  I think I’ve been taking her there for at least the past ten years. 

The Auto Care Center is located in the back of most Walmart stores.

The Pit Crew Oil Change makes maintenance affordable, and the Quaker State ® Advanced Durability Motor Oil helps keep her engine running smoothly which means a lot since she is nearly up to 190,000 miles.

Betsy getting her oil filter changed.

Doing math while waiting for Betsy

Now that we are back up in running, I am already making plans for October’s field trips as of now we have plans to visit our mayor’s office, take a tour of a grocery store while learning about budgeting, and visit an apple orchard.  I am sure the girls are thrilled to be able to go on these field trips because they made the selections back in August.  I am also happy to resume taking my daughter back to her dance class.  Thankfully during this time, the owner of the studio faithfully picked her up each week to make sure she didn’t miss her class.  Now, I can take her and hopefully get both of my girls signed up for the theatre classes that have mentioned wanting to take.

Library day!

My car plays a big role in our daily lives.  It allows me to enrich my daughters’ education by taking them on field trips.  It allows us to be able to build relationships with other people by getting us to our park meetups, to our friends’ houses, and the weekly art classes our church hosts.  It allows my daughters to pursue their passions by getting us to their weekly classes including dance and formerly gymnastics. Our gymnast is pursuing new passions.  It allows me to pursue my passion to write by getting me to my weekly solo writing dates at the local coffee shop. It serves as transportation for my family when I take our other car to to vendor events to sell my jewelry designs.  

Midweek movie with my girls!

Even though Betsy looks a little rough on the outside, I am grateful that she keeps ticking and is reliable to get us where we need and want to go.

Do you have a sentimental relationship with your car?  How does it help you pursue your passions?