The Fast and the Furious

Everyone has been asking if we finally bit the bullet and bought a minivan. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have been dreading the day I would have to get a minivan since...well probably since I got my driver's license. I have tried to explain to my husband that a car is the last little bit of identity that a girl has before she is officially in the "mom zone" forever. Sure I had carseats and cheerios in my honda, but I could still throw on the sunglasses, turn up the radio, and it was all good. I was in denial for a while telling myself I would just move straight to an SUV and skip the whole minivan phase entirely...yeah right. That was all before I knew I would have 4 kids in 5 years and that gas would reach over $4 a gallon. So yes, though I have been delaying a public announcement, we did buy a van about a month ago. And it pains me to say it but it's not that bad. Whoever invented DVD players for cars was really on to something...the kids want to go out just so they can chill out and watch movies. So begins my bitter retreat into soccer momhood...before you know it I'll be chopping off my hair, wearing mom jeans, and yelling out phrases at sporting events like "put the biscuit in the basket!" and "come on Ref, let the boys play!" Anyway, here she is...
Since I'm talking about cars, I have to give a shout out to my Saturn who is celebrating her 10th birthday this year. She has survived the brutal heat of Texas, the treacherous freeways of southern California, the terrible drivers of Utah, and the bitter cold of both Idaho and Ohio. Do run-ins with brick mailboxes and giant racoons get her down...nah. She still gets nearly 40 miles to gallon on the highway. Yes, Ryan's coworkers have a good laugh as they roll up in their big Texas trucks, but it's a good car for commuting and here's hoping it lasts us another couple years (knock on wood).