Life's little ups and downs

Our Honda CRV has been a fabulous car. It is like the energizer bunny. Keeps going and going and going. We have had it for 12 years and we have had few if any problems. I was thrilled then we we bought our Odyssey when our daughter was an infant. Other than needing a new battery every two years it has been a great minivan. Fast forward eight years and the wear and tear is beginning to show. I know, some people lease or get a new car every couple of years. But I grew up with parents that squeezed every mile they could out of their cars. Maybe it's just that the cost of repairs has gone up astronomically. Last year the van needed about $900 in repairs for a throttle malfunction. Today as I left to pick up the kids from school in the drizzle, the automatic window motor went. (IE. the thing that makes the window go UP when you press the button on your door. Window....down...) Not a big deal unless you live in the subtropics in wet season. Down to the dealership we flew. Estimate $250-300. If only!! We walked out with a $700 plus bill. Also found, a leak in one of the motor mounts. It reminds me of a comment made by a coworker long ago when she received a repair estimate... '$xxxxx.xx for a piece of tin!!!' This is just a part of life but it's really hard when you take one step forward to then take two steps back. We're going to have to proffer a lot more chocolate!!!