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Yes, I Drive a Minivan
When I was the wise old age of 17, I declared to anyone that would listen that I would never drive a minivan. Even though I hoped that kids were in my future, I was positive that I could be a mom without driving such a "mom mobile." Maybe a nice SUV, but never a van.
Fast forward many years and two kids later, I proudly drive a minivan and am not ashamed to say that I wouldn't imagine driving anything other than a van. I can easily fit my kids, some extra kids and a few dogs. Plus the groceries, 47 library books and a few pool noodles. I am in love with my magic automatic door, the many cupholders and the dual temperature controls. I have to say that my favorite feature is the third row seat. Since my children can sit on different rows in the van, I am no longer subjected to constant cries of “He’s touching me” or “She’s looking at me funny.”
Last week, I sadly said goodbye to my ten-year-old minivan. While I wished I could have made it to 200K miles (I was 1,600 miles short of my goal), I knew that since it no longer shifted to third gear that it was time to move on. As I handed the keys over at the dealership, I thought of all the memories that the gray Honda shared with us. It hauled boxes of Christmas presents to Florida each year, countless grains of sand back from the beach and carried both kids to their first day of kindergarten. From my vantage point in the front seat, I’ve listened to my kids have thoughtful conversations with each other, heard my daughter read my son a book and refereed millions of arguments.
What I did not realize before I had kids was that I would no longer care if my vehicle broadcast in blinking lights that I was a mom. Whether I drove a SUV or even a sporty coupe with a sunroof, the interior of the car would still be littered with backpacks, goldfish crackers and socks. No matter what I drove, my name would still be "mommy."
I’m sure my younger self would have totally rolled her eyes if she had seen me drive a new minivan home last week. And she would not have understood how excited I was that my new van has 15 cup holders.
Jennifer appears Mondays on TriangleMom2Mom.
From Trike to Two Wheeler
Jennifer Gregory left Florida almost 11 years ago to escape the heat and enjoys living in a place where the seasons change. She lives in Youngsville, N.C., which she usually refers to as north of Wake Forest, and has been married to her husband for almost 10 years. As the mom of two kids and three dogs, her house is filled with lots of joyful noise and barking. Her daughter (7) is convinced that she will be a princess when she grows up and her son (5) has aspirations of being the next Dale Jr. After years of writing software documentation for various companies, she "retired" when her daughter was born to become a stay at home mom. Now that her kids are in school, she has finally figured out what she wants to be when she grows up. She spends her mornings as a freelance writer and her afternoons hanging out with her kids. The only things she misses about living in Florida are her friends and family, Publix fried chicken and going to Florida Gator football games.
Jennifer appears Mondays on TriangleMom2Mom.
Comments
It's sad to trade in a vehicle with so many memories. When we traded our sedan in (for a mini-van, and yes, it's beige), I had flashbacks of when we brought the babies home in that car.
P.S. For a laugh, check out the "Mom My Ride" video on youtube (produced by Zima). It's a cute video about how these guys "prepare" a minivan to be ready for kids.
I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one to be sad about trading in a van.
I thought of my post on Saturday when my family gave me my birthday present of those stickers for the back of a van that represent each member of the family. I really would have rolled my eyes when I was a teenager at the thought of driving a van with stickers on the back.
Triangletwins, I'll go check out that video. Sounds funny.
I had SUV envy once. But I got over it when we had to rent an SUV on a trip, and tried to stuff all of the things that had fit so comfortably in our minivan into the SUV.
Yes, I broadcast my status in whatever parking lot I go into. I'm a mom in a minivan. And I'm proud.