Tesla Review

So...something we did in September that I haven't mentioned yet was get a Tesla Model Y. We weren’t really planning to buy one just yet, but the EV tax credit ended September 30, so we wanted to go ahead take advantage of that while we could. Switching to an electric vehicle has quite the learning curve, some hidden costs, and whole lot of coolness. 

In order to charge the Tesla, we had to install a charging port in our garage, which required installing a 220 outlet. That was a chore, but Philip is very handy and was able to get it done. He did consult an electrician, but he was advised to save us some money and do it himself because they talked it through and he felt like Philip could do it. Not having the electrician do it saved about $500, but it wasn’t without issues, as just about any home project brings. 

I will preface the rest of this by saying, our previous vehicles were/are a 2017 (we traded in) and a 2018, so I'm not that versed in new vehicle features. Some of these may be pretty standard things that I have been oblivious to and aren't all that novel to you. But compared to my Jeep, this thing is like the Batmobile 😂.

At the very core, driving a Tesla is the same--you press the gas pedal and you steer the wheel. However, there is no gear shifter or speedometer or gauges on the dash. Everything is operated on the computer screen in the middle of the dash. You slide an icon forward or backward to go, and you tap the P to park. There is a brake pedal, but it's only necessary if you need to stop quickly. Otherwise, backing off of the gas pedal automatically engages the brake. If you like getting whiplash, you should've ridden with me the first couple of days that we had it, while I got used to that feature 😂. 

That screen has real time updates, so it shows cars and big trucks passing you, but sometimes it gets glitchy and it looks like the passing vehicles are about to crash into you. It's best not to watch the screen while driving or you may hyperventilate 😂.

Another oddity is the key, or rather, lack of one. We were given two credit card shaped “keys” that power it via the MagSafe charger, but we primarily use our phones. The Tesla app allows us to access the car, and each of our settings are saved to our profiles, so whenever I get in, the interior lights turn pink, and the driver seat and mirrors are adjusted to where I set them, automatically. 

I don’t love all of the controls being on the screen. I couldn’t figure out how to open the glove box or turn off the a/c at first. Admittedly, all of the information about how to do things is readily available on the interwebs, but researching how to do things isn’t how I live my life. I rely on my husband to learn the things and then tell me the pertinent details 😂. He’s very good at it 🥰. He also tells me I should utilize the voice controls, and then I don't have to find where things are, and he's probably right 😂.

I do like being able to control the climate in the back of car with a flick of my finger. The boys will tell you the best part of the back seat is the built in screen, which streams all of their favorite YouTube shows. Once Quinn can spell, he’ll be able to work it, but in the meantime, it’s nice being able to do it from the front. They only get that luxury on long trips with all four of us. They get mad when I refuse to turn it on for a trip to Walmart 🙄.  They lived without a screen in the car before, they’ll survive. 

The front and back seats are equipped with heating and cooling, a feature they can’t yet enjoy because of their car seats. I’m sure this isn’t exclusive to Tesla, but this is quite an upgrade from our stick shift, 2017 Jeep Wrangler, which required a physical key be inserted into the ignition to start. We always joked we had to get our keys out like an animal 🤪.

I really wish there were half degrees on the climate controls. Seventy-two is too cold and seventy-three is too warm. I need a 72.5 degree setting to satisfy me. First world problems, I know. 

I was at Book Club a few months ago when someone mentioned that their vehicle yelled at them if they got too close to the white line while driving. I had no experience with that because both of our vehicles were made before that technology was available (well, probably. I don't actually know that, but let's assume). Not only does Tesla yell at you, it will drive FOR you. It engages steering control if it registers danger. Cruise control will brake and slow you down if someone is in front of you, but if you pass them, it will speed back up to where you set it. It even has full self driving, but I am not a fan. We had a 30 day free trial, and it’s cool, in theory, but it leaves lots to be desired. Like, not hydroplaning, or maybe slowing down while taking an exit, or being able to recognize construction zones. 

I like that it dings at you to get your attention when the light turns green, but I don't like how it beep-beep-beeps all dramatically if it thinks you're coming up on a vehicle in front of you too quickly. It is also dramatic when I try to parallel park, like, just let me curb it in peace, damn it 😂. I tried to open the door one day when I was dropping Ashy off at school, and it wouldn't let me because a car was coming behind me. I'm sure you can manually override that, but again, I don't know how 🤪.

Being able to see the oncoming vehicles is thanks to the plethora of cameras all around it.  They allow sentry mode, which records while you're parked. If someone dings our doors, we'll have proof, which is nice. If someone bends over to check their tires while they're parked beside us, we get a nice recording of that as well. Ask me how I know 😂. 

The navigation leaves a little to be desired. It doesn't acknowledge that Kroger has a parking lot, and it can't get to the alley behind our house. I also hate the console, which is just a bottomless pit. Our water bottles are too big for the cup holders, so they have to sit down in there, so I had to find some containers to be able to hold the other things we need to keep in there to still be able to sit the cups. I know they make adaptors for cup holders, but I feel like they would stick up too tall and be in the way of the screen. 

Allegedly, the trunk will open on its own, if you're patient enough. I'm not, so the only time it ever engaged for me was when I didn't want it to while I was washing the car 🫠.  That was the incident that sent me looking for a car wash mode, the first thing I learned about the Tesla on my own 😂. It has one and I'll try to remember to use it next time. 

I like the pre-heat mode that I can control from my phone, and I like being able to choose what I want turned on. I don't like a heated steering wheel because of my sweaty hands, so I like being able to opt out of that. It has a Keep mode, which does what you expect, and a Dog mode, too. I feel like that's what inspired those notes I've seen on the internet that people leave so others don't break their windows to "save" their dogs. 

Since there is no engine, it has tons of storage, with both a trunk and a frunk (front trunk). The frunk has a drain plug, so it can be used as a cooler. That's one of the features that lets me know it was designed by a team of men. I imagine tailgating isn't a typical consideration for most women automotive design engineers. Others include the fart noises that come standard, and that you can tell it to open the butthole, and the charging port will open 🙄. 

There are some cool features for the kids, like how it does a light show to music, there's a built in doodle pad on the screen, and the Tesla technology, called Grok, will tell the kids stories and roast people, if you ask. Apparently, there's an unhinged mode that's NSFW, but I haven't tried it yet. We asked it to roast Sophie and told her (our voice is named Ava) that Sophie is a Dalmatian and she can't jump very well, and she said Sophie has the athleticism of a sack of potatoes, which is pretty accurate 😂.

I don't care at all about speed, so I can't quote you the stats of how fast it goes from zero to sixty, but I know it's pretty impressive for a not sports car. Pulling out in front of people is slightly less dangerous because I can get up to speed with traffic super quick. 

There are many things to love about it, and a few not to, but I'm very happy with it overall. Our electric bill hasn't skyrocketed, but the outrageous tax bill at the DMV was an unpleasant surprise, cost wise. Hopefully it continues to be a good investment!

Trunk

Frunk

Taken during the five seconds that it was clean. I can't believe how dirty it gets! 

   

November 2025

I thought October flew by but then November was like, “Hold my beer.” It was a fast month and a good month. Quinn finally had his six year old well visit, which should’ve happened in July, but kept getting pushed back for various reasons. Ash had to go, too, of course, and taking the two of them anywhere together is always a treat 😵‍💫. Especially when the expectation is that they’re going to be relatively calm and quiet. While Dr. Gary was listening to Quinn breathe, I heard Ash whisper something to me. I said, “That is the weirdest compliment I’ve ever gotten, but thanks, I guess,” so that made Dr. Gary ask what he had said. I told him, “He said my socks smell good.” To be fair, I was wearing tall boot socks, and he’s short, so, like, he’s in the vicinity anyway, but still. 

Sometimes I let them take pics on my phone to entertain them while we have to wait. My favorite thing that Ash says is, “Look how much arm I have!” 🤣

Dr. Gary asked Quinn what he wants to be when he grows up, and Quinn said, “I wanna be in the Army.” Asher volunteered his answer, which was, “I’m gonna be a robber when I grow up.” 🤦🏻‍♀️ He keeps saying that, and Quinn’s usual career choice is a cop, so I guess Ash will keep him employed if he goes that route 😂. 

Ash has entered an overly emotional stage and he cries about everything. He’s driving me crazy. He came into the kitchen one day with tears running down his face, completely distressed about a boy on the show he was watching not being able to go on vacation. I was like, “Don’t worry, that rich YouTuber will go on a million vacations” 😂. Another day, he came to me upset, and I could hardly understand what he was saying. After we took some breaths, he said, “Uncle Greg told Lincoln to get his ass in the house!” I laughed so hard. That was months ago, I have no idea what made him think of it. I told my brother about this at Thanksgiving and told him he’s gonna have to keep his language in check so he doesn’t make Ash cry again. 

He has a new abandonment fear, which is also driving me crazy. If I get out of the car for any reason, like the day I had to air up the tires, and he stays in, he has an anxiety attack. He will be in full meltdown mode when I get back in. If I buckle him into his seat and then have to get out to close the garage, same thing. I’m sure it’s age appropriate, but I’m ready for it to go away. I always reassure him that I would never leave him alone in the car. Most of the time, his brother is in it with him, so he’s not even alone. 

Speaking of his brother, Quinn had a week off for Thanksgiving, and I was a little apprehensive about how it was going to go. Ash was off, too, of course, so there was no break for Mama last week. I was shocked at how well they played together and how much better behaved Quinn was overall. There were still some moments, but I thoroughly enjoyed our time together! 

Before his break, we had a parent/teacher conference to go over his progress, and his teachers said he’s doing a great job. We talked about a few things he needs to improve upon, and I made well intentioned plans to find him activities to do over the break that would refine those skills. We didn’t do any of them, but I thought about it 😂. 

To be honest, I don’t even know how it would go for us to try to do learning activities together at the moment. We’re still clashing during homework, so his dad has mainly taken over that task, because with him, it isn’t a shit show. I have no idea why he fights me so much over it. I enjoy listening to them do it together because it sounds like they’re playing the game Mad Gab whenever Quinn is sounding out words. Like, I can hear what he’s saying, but I’m not sure if he knows what he’s saying. 

At the meeting, I was surprised to find out that he had been marked tardy 7 times, despite the fact that he rides the bus in the morning. I told them that I’ve never actually done a morning drop-off, so he should not be marked late. His teacher said she was going to talk to the office about the situation, but I’m also going to call and make sure it gets taken care of. I don’t really care, but his teacher mentioned that he could be disqualified from the attendance reward trip over it, and that’s definitely not fair. 

Over the break, we had a super fun play date with our Clegg friends, whom we haven’t seen in a while. The boys all played together so nicely, and Megan and I got to Mom Talk in the kitchen, with minimal interruptions. That’s definitely a sign that our boys are growing up because we’ve never gotten to do that before without having to intervene every few minutes due to wrestling or some other too rough activity. 

The next day, we went to the library, where the craft provided was to make a grateful wreath, and I was so proud of the time and effort Quinn put into making his. He wrote the names of lots of people and things he was grateful for. I had book club later that evening, so we had a pretty good day!

In no particular order: Mom, Dad, Asher, Sophie, Micah, Harper, Lawson, Lincoln, Oakley, Ayden, wrestling dummy, trampoline park

Ash also said what he was grateful for while he was at school. I’m disappointed in the ranking 😂

We had two Thanksgiving dinners, one with each of our extended families. You can tell our kids are getting older because I hardly took any photos. I’m out of that baby phase where I used to document every move they made, and sometimes taking pics is an afterthought. Like, how I thought we should’ve taken a group photo after Greg and Lori were all packed up to leave 🙃. Same thing happened at Anetia’s house, except I thought about it after we went home. Oh well, I guess. Maybe we’ll remember on Christmas. 

Dinner #1. I got a tablecloth that we could color and we girls really liked having that to do while the kids played. 

Dinner #2. Philip made a beautiful, delicious pecan pie. I took some coloring sheets, but Carly and I were the only ones committed enough to finish one 😅

I’m not normally an early Christmas decorator, but for some reason, this year I was. I know what day I did it because I was working on putting out decorations in the foyer when I saw Greg and Lori taking a walk past my house. I opened the door to say hi, and when I told them what I was doing, my brother said, “It’s November 19,” as if that mattered to me 🙄😅. I had actually put the tree up two days before that, but I didn’t scandalize myself further by informing him. The kids have been enjoying the lights, and I’ve been enjoying just enjoying the kids. I’m pretty well done Christmas shopping for them, despite the fact that their Christmas lists keep growing 🙄. Kids are ridiculous 😂. Every little thing their hearts desire gets told to me and asked to be put on their Christmas list. I don’t know who they think is going to fulfill all of these wishes of theirs, but sure, let’s add it. 

We’ve taken them to wishlist shop at Target (we took pics of some of the things they wanted), we’ve been to the mall to get photos with Santa and the Grinch, and we went to Christmas in the Ville (briefly, as it coincided with our Eagleson dinner) and the Christmas parade. We are fully in the Chrismtas spirit 🎄🎅🏻. We’ve never taken the boys to see the lights at Oglebay, so I think this is going to be the year. They used to get car sick and fall asleep in the car, and I think we’ve gotten those hinderances under control now. I think they’re going to love them. Or probably not since that’s the expectation 🤪. 

I should've asked Santa to grant me a Christmas miracle and make Asher look at the camera 🙄

I got them matching Grinch shirts and they're my most favorite, ever 😂

Since the Grinch was upstairs at Boscov's, we had to ride the escalator a few times, just for the fun of it 😂.

It was so freakin' cold. We packed in the fun in a short amount of time, and that was plenty for me. We rode a horse drawn carriage, got balloon animals, ate popcorn and Little Debbie cakes, threw axes, hopped in a Photo Booth, and discovered a wall of nutcrackers (Ash's fave!)

The Christmas parade was also freezing, but we were better prepared. 

Since Ash likes nutcrackers so much, we took a detour to Michael's during our trip to Sam's, and a snagged a few while they were on sale. 

We talked about what nutcrackers were actually for on the ride home, and when we stopped at Kroger, I grabbed a bag of walnuts to show them. We didn't have a nutcracker that would crack them (we used to, who knows where it ended up), so we improvised with a hammer and pliers to hold them still. It was good entertainment for about 20 minutes.

Earlier in the month, we had lots of fun at Meadow's birthday party. She and Quinn were in the same class last year, and then her mom and I started attending Book Club together. Katie planned a great day at Brooklyn Park, and they really lucked out with the weather. It was still semi warm, and someone had raked up a huge pile of leaves, which the kids really enjoyed jumping in. I couldn't resist a photoshoot as we were leaving!

We had another photoshoot this month, too. I wanted to practice with my camera some more, and surprisingly, Quinn likes to take photos. 

We had fun at the library for Story Time, where they got to eat strawberry ice cream, the winning flavor that they voted for on election day.

We attempted to build a yeti house, but we were not successful, so we ate it 😂. We had to decapitate the yeti to separate it because they both wanted it 🙄. It didn't even taste good. 

Sophie PUPDATE 🐾:

If you stand still long enough, she'll turn you into a pillow

She was the best participant during our photoshoot in a box. Look how cute she is!

She made our Christmas tree prettier!

She really trusts and loves Quinn 🥰😛

He loves her, too. I was insulted to be Ash's #3 pick, but at least I made his list 😂

Sophie turned 8 years old on November 29!