This morning was a first for me: I lusted after a...oh, man, this is hard to admit...a minivan.
I was in the parking lot of our neighborhood grocery store, having just wrestled the boy into his carseat and pinned down his madly flailing tentacles long enough to strap him in, when I noticed. It. Parked next to me. Emanating subtle whiffs of soccer shoes and sensible television viewing limits, lumpen and dull.
I stared as a woman walked up to the side door and effortlessly slide it aside to reveal a vast acreage of maroon-colored leather. She began loading in her multitudes of grocery bags as if tossing dandelion fluff to the four winds, and even though she must have packed in eight full bags there was still room for a fully-grown African rhino and a salsa band.
Meanwhile, I struggled to situate Riley's carseat, then load my own groceries. Options were limited, as the stroller was taking up the entirety of the trunk, the backseat contained Riley and the backpack carrier, and the front passenger seat was shoved forward to accommodate access to the back. I ended up distributing my bags in various precarious corners, then stole one more look at the minivan before the driver shut the side door. "Oh yeah, baby," I whispered under my breath. "Show me allllll your cargo room."
Then I drove off with a roll of paper towels poking me in the back of the head, my heartrate still elevated from that hot, sexy...MINIVAN.
i got my minivan under protest. much, much protest.
but i have to say, as far as convenience goes, it's AWESOME.
Posted by: ali | 09/22/2006 at 01:27 PM
We have a minivan but it is used to cart my wheelchaired husband places. Love! It!
Posted by: Amy | 09/22/2006 at 01:31 PM
I freaking LOVE my minivan and could give a crap that I look like a nerd. The sliding doors RULE! I never want to drive a car again as long as I have kids that need help getting into their carseats.
Posted by: Jenn | 09/22/2006 at 01:47 PM
I am laughing my ass off. Linda, you're a riot.
Posted by: anais | 09/22/2006 at 02:18 PM
It is all over now. You're officially, OLD! :) Ha!
Posted by: Katie (The Yap) | 09/22/2006 at 02:37 PM
My coworkers and I had to drive 900 miles this summer for a conference (WTF, I know) and we rented 2 minivans. I was very offended by the dorkitude initially, but quickly realized the joy: comfy, cozy, and we didn't look like total outsiders rolling up at the Cracker Barrel!
Posted by: Caitlin | 09/22/2006 at 02:47 PM
After having a couple gas guzzling SUVs for the past several years I have definately come around to appreciate the mini-van. I actually liked them before getting my last SUV (which I still have and she's doing fine aside from requiring a small fortune to fill up) but we had no children at the time, therefore kind of hard to justify. I guess for the time being I could have just thrown a mattress in the back, especially if we had gotten the ones where the seats just fold down into the floor. Guess that's why they say hindsight is twenty-twenty.
Posted by: Vycki | 09/22/2006 at 04:56 PM
I've felt the lust, I truly have. Right now I'm driving one of those crossover station wagons. Like a wagon on steroids. It has third row seating that automatically folds down. I have lots of room and I don't feel dorky. It's a good compromise for now.
Posted by: foodmomiac | 09/22/2006 at 05:22 PM
How funny. My husband REFUSES to get a mini until we have 3 or more. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I don't think I can see myself driving one anyway. We have a SUV, a rather large gas guzzeling, cost me both arms and legs, one. I love the space in the back for LOTS of groceries and the double stroller that would NEVER fit in a car trunk, oh and not hitting my head on the door frame after I buckle to two angels in. A friend of mine just got a mini and she too is in love with hers.
Posted by: Natasha W | 09/22/2006 at 05:36 PM
Hi Sundry,
My fiance and I bought a minivan, and we don't even have kids yet(although we do have 3 dogs, one of which is a huge greyhound who won't fit into a car). We love it--it might look dorky, but man is it comfortable. The gas mileage is awesome too. I highly recommend the Honda Odyssey. I saw a funny picture on another blog the other day. It was a personalized license plate on a minivan that read: WeGaveIn
Posted by: Amy | 09/22/2006 at 07:04 PM
I have a mini-van and I don't look forward to the days when my boys are grown and I don't have them to use as an excuse to keep mine! They just can't be beat when it comes to storage space, room and convenience. There are definite perks to having one, even if they do have a bad rep :)
Posted by: Nikki | 09/22/2006 at 07:06 PM
We're looking at the Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix, or similar. Not quite a commuter car, not quite a station wagon. Of course, Jay is jonesing for a Volvo Station Wagon. I'm still in my mid-twenties, so station wagon? HELL NO.
Posted by: thejunebug | 09/22/2006 at 07:29 PM
Sure makes you feel like an honest-to-goodness mother when you finally get a minivan. I'm not playing house anymore. Great post.
Posted by: Michelle | 09/22/2006 at 09:38 PM
I have felt the lust of which you speak myself lately! My Honey and I are in the process of narrowing our choices as we speak!!! OMG- they are sexy little beasts!! Imagine ALL THE ROOM,sigh,I can hardly stand it!!! I need one RIGHT NOW!!!
Posted by: Jenny | 09/22/2006 at 10:11 PM
I have vehemently espoused the disgust I have for minivans for my entire life. I even went so far as to SWEAR I'd never drive a "God-forsaken" four door car. But, then I caved and traded in my SUPER CUTE bright yellow sports car for a four-door. It's not the same, but I am now convinced I couldn't live without my wonderful bigger driving machine.
Now I SWEAR I will never drive a "God-forsaken" minivan... until it happened. The other day. We were checking out new SUV's when I felt a magical tug of my attention to a spot just behind me. There sat a minivan in all it's mommish glory. Midnight blue with sliding doors, tons of room, the promise of no more hitting my little girl's head on the roof as I try to wrestle her into the car, and (*GASP*) GREAT gas mileage. It was sassy, even flirtatious and I felt my heart soften...
Posted by: Katie Kat | 09/23/2006 at 06:39 AM
I hate hate haaate minivans, so we have a Subaru Forester. Love the cargo space and gas mileage, but have to admit to myself that if we decide to have more than 2 kidlets we're going to need something bigger. I kinda dread that day, and will love my Forester dearly until I'm forced to give it up. If you're planning on having just Riley or Riley +1, maybe a "small suv" would be a better option for increased space without increased mileage?
Posted by: Kelly | 09/23/2006 at 06:42 AM
I was embarrassed to get a minivan because everyone hates them so much and says all that stuff about "soccer moms" (I don't even know what that means, or why someone who hates soccer, like me, couldn't have a minivan), but I needed one and so I got one, and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. Tons of room. All that weird negative publicity, I think it must just be cool to hate minivans right now. Like, if you hate minivans, it means you're not a boring old grown-up with CHILDREN and a MORTGAGE. Whatev.
Posted by: Kristen | 09/23/2006 at 10:02 AM
Also, in our area at least, all the people whose kids play sports (I assume that is what is meant by "soccer moms") have big old SUVs. Those of us who hate sports and use all the room for shopping bags, WE have the minivans.
Posted by: Kristen | 09/23/2006 at 10:03 AM
Yeah, the soccer thing is kind of a cliche. In Bellevue all the soccer moms drive G-wagons and Porsche Cayennes. Gah.
Okay, I am down with the storage aspect of a minivan, but wouldn't you say the reason minivans get snarked on is because they're...kind of...well, frumpy looking? I mean, you wouldn't rent one to drive the Vegas strip, am I right?
(FYI, I have a '97 Corolla so it's not like I'm driving anything any more attractive.)
Posted by: Linda S. | 09/23/2006 at 10:23 AM
I love my minivan - I longed for one when my husband was wheelchair-bound, but we couldn't afford it then. I'll never go back now (until my kids are grown, I suppose), because it has the storage, room for taking the kids' friends, it's great for tailgating and drive-ins (yes, we still have those here) and carting the dog. Plus - it gets pretty decent gas mileage.
Posted by: biodtl | 09/23/2006 at 11:08 AM
While I do not have a minivan, I do drive a *gulp*....station wagon! Never in my whole life did I ever think I'd say this, but I actually LOVE my station wagon. I drove a 96 Hyundai Accent until June when it was totalled (thankfully without the little man inside) and replaced it with a 2003 Saturn LW300. I love love love it!
Posted by: Melis | 09/23/2006 at 01:17 PM
Oh yeah, you tell it. Five years ago I decided that I NEEDED a minivan and I haven't looked back since. I love it with the power of a thousand suns. I neer worry about trips to the grocery store anymore and my back weeps with relief when I no longer have to contort myself to strap the baby into the carseat.
Long lie the minivan!
Posted by: callistawolf | 09/23/2006 at 01:34 PM
Hahahahahaha!!! Great post.
Posted by: Melissa | 09/23/2006 at 05:44 PM
The thing is its all a matter of attitude. For most of us the minivan came out when we were growing up, its what the moms drove so it was automatically uncool. I say change your attitude from "OMG my mother drove one of those" to "hey check out the latest in retro auto trends". EVERYONE and their brother drives a freaking SUV (like I said I'm on my second), the minivan is like this little retro gem waiting to be rediscovered. And if you do decide to look at the small SUVs be very careful about the models you consider. I also have a Suberu Forester only I have the XT model (ahh turbo) so I have to use premium gas. Love the car, hate the cost to fill up.
Posted by: Vycki | 09/23/2006 at 07:05 PM
Dude, I love mine. I'm a MiniVan Mom and I don't care who knows it!
Posted by: tracey | 09/24/2006 at 07:54 AM