In a nutshell, here’s what was wrong with the Honda:
1) It was too small. In order to fit all the car seats, my hands would be scraped raw.
2) The air conditioning did not work. It might surprise you, but our area does get high temperatures eventually.
3) It had a small colony of mice living in the trunk.
That was their nest. FYI.
Alas. The Honda did not work out so well for us, so we sold it. And, yes. We did remove the nest. We are considerate like that.
For about 4 years, we have had this beast of a rig:
It is a diesel Ford Excursion. We like it because it can tow our camp trailer and it seats 8.
8! That means we could have two MORE kids, Lumberjack!
It’s also great in the snow and I’m pretty sure that if I were to hit a deer, I would win.
But, it is not the most thrifty of options when it comes to the gas mileage. And, since I drive an average of 100-130 miles during a trip to town, we decided we needed something more affordable.
So, without further ado, I would like to present to you:
Taylor’s Sweet New Ride
(Don’t be jealous)
I asked David if I looked “cute” driving my minivan and he said, and I quote,
“NO.”
David is still mourning the soon-to-be loss of our Ford Excursion. He needs time.
So, yesterday, I took the kids into town to register the new rig at the DMV. And, as usual, it was a madhouse there and we had to wait for years on end.
There are some strange, strange, strange people at the DMV. Where do these people come from? I am pretty sure I would never see any of them anywhere else around town. But that’s not the point. The point is this: there were other kids there running amok and I would not allow my kids to follow suit.
Just because we live in the boonies and have been to known to get naked and jump on trampolines, does NOT mean we act like we live in the boonies and bustle about sans clothing when we are town.
No, dear readers. We act civilized.
When we were all done with the DMV, the gal looked at me and said:
“Boy! You’ve got your hands full!”
Because, have you heard? A day in town would not be complete without one stranger saying that sentence to me.
But then, THEN, dear readers she added this:
“And your children are very well-behaved!”
!
Now, this, dear readers was a treat! So, I took the kids to the park. Apparently one is supposed to reward good behavior.
See that building behind Handsome Dude? That is the library. Sweet Pea is apparently too old for things such as the park, so I let her head into the library and check out an American Girl magazine to peruse while the other kids ran about all crazy-like.
She thought she was hot stuff, sitting there on the bench and reading her magazine.
We also went to Awana last night and afterwards, we were taking a friend home. I was listening to the girls chat in the back seat:
Daisy Mae: Don’t you just love our new minivan?
Friend: *no response*
Daisy Mae: And it came with tons of free stuff!!
This is where I paid close attention. Because I was unawares of anything free the van came with.
Daisy Mae: I mean, check this out! It is long and green! Isn’t it so cool?
Friend: Um. Yeah?
Daisy Mae: I just can’t believe they gave it to us!
Me: Hey! What are you talking about back there?
So, Daisy Mae shows it to me.
It was a straw.
An old, disposable Starbucks straw.
From someone else’s lips. And saliva.
Super!
Happy Thursday!
HAHAHAHAH!!
Daisy mae CRACKS me up.
I drive a mini van. I prefer to refer to it as the swagger wagon (you’ve seen that video right?).
We used to have a nice, big, luxurious top of the line truck. Fun fact: the tags alone were 400 dollars a year. I hate my state. Anywho, we got rid of it when number 3 was on it’s way.
My husband still feels sad about it.
Fun fact: my husband “invented” a “jet pack” button on the mini van. Because the boys were sad that the mini van we own does not go very fast. Ever. Now when I drive they are always yelling at me to hit the jet pack button. Sigh.
I’m disappointed to have read nothing here about ice cream. But congratulations on your new ride.
Congrats on your new van with the free straw! And I’m glad to hear your boys keep their clothes on when you’re in town. My boys were not always so well-behaved. In fact, one of them may have whipped down his pants to pee in the flower beds at our church, mooning all the traffic on the busy city street in the process. That was 15 years ago, and people still remind me of it! Not sure why they remind me; after all, I wasn’t the one peeing in public!
Love (!) the straw. Love it. Love it. I do….
Hi-Lar-EE-ous!! the free straw, I love it!
And congrats on the van. Yeah for Honda vans, gotta love it…I love mine!!
Poor poor hubby. He will indeed mourn the loss of the big rig.
I asked for a mini van. Nope. Hubs will not cave.
We used to have a mini van and loved it. I don’t believe we got anything free with ours, though.
I am sooo going to remember to leave some free stuff in our Subaru when we sell it. I never thought of how much fun it would be to get little surprises for the new owner’s kids to find. I think I already have some pretzels under the passenger seat.
You just need to sing “I’m sexy and I know it” to Mr. Lumberjack!
Wow, I never thought about the unique peeps at the DMV. Your right except that I see them at our Walmart too. Maybe they float between the DMV and Walmart.
EWWWWWW!!!!! And that goes for the straw, too. Ha ha ha ha. I just have a thing against minivans–no offense. They are just wrong, that’s all. 😉 Annnnnndddd, I still love ya. Nicely done on the parenting. A gold star for you!!!
Oh, and I’m going to add, so thankful to see that you had mice in your car too. Now on 2 occasions, we’ve had mice in our van. Glad to know we’re not the only ones.
I have always said I’d never be one of “those” types of moms. A minivan mom but with my 2 and my boyfriends 2 a minivan is sounding pretty sweet atm. I get so tired of trying to make everyone fit just right ugh lol. With that being said CONGRATS on your minivan.
Congrats on the straw (and the van) you are one lucky Momma!! 😉 What a fun blog! I’m just swinging by from A to Z!
HOW WILL YOU HAUL THE TRAILER AND GO CAMPING AND SEARCHING FOR HUCKLEBERRIES IF YOU GET RID OF THE EXCURSION????
Sorry, I was shouting. I couldn’t help it.
Now, you’ve got some serious “swagger.” I loved my mini van, but now have an Outlook, and don’t miss the van at all. Strange as I loved it so while I had it.
Silly, Andi! Of course we still have a truck. What is a Lumberjack without a truck? But, the Excursion was just roomier and nicer with 4 kids. Now we get to have a kid in the middle of us while we drive to camping trips. 🙂
Oooooohhhhhhhh.
I was wondering, too.
Yuck for the germy old straw. I love that it’s your van freebee. Our DMV is very strange. I’m certain they must import the people there from somewhere just to be there and be weird. I never see those types wandering around town. Also, I drove by your neck of the woods today on my way home from a conference. I waved. I’m sure you didn’t see me all the way at your house.
Um, don’t Hondas have a really low clearance? What will you do in the snow? What if you meet a deer? Can you really do Target, Fred Meyer AND Costco in one trip with that hatchback? Can’t you have a summer van and a winter rig? I really think that makes sense. What is money, after all?
(Fleeting, that’s what.)
But I have loved my minivan. Despite thinking I would never be one of those moms. (fyi – my kids have never played soccer) It is an efficient vehicle. I do not look cute driving it. I will look even less cute in the 12 passenger van that is coming soon to a driveway near me…
I miss my mini van… I frequently try to convince my husband that I still need one. It was my all purpose home/classroom away from home for years. It was my pass into the homeschooling club so to speak… at all co-ops and support meetings there would be a rainbow line up of them… With the short row of 15 passenger vans for those three-four overachieving families…
BTW I really loved the “friend’s” responses to both the van and the free stuff! Too funny!
You will love your minivan and once your Lumberjack sees how much he is saving in gas, he will love it too!
Enjoy!
PS – It is so nice when someone compliments the behavior of your children!
Oh, how I have come to despise the “you have your hands full” comment! I despise it to the depths of my soul! LOL!
Your little Daisy Mae is so precious!
Grossest thing eaten…I would say grasshoppers but he said they were not bad. He would maybe say Barnacles which he described as kind of like ‘toenails’. Ewwwwww.
Have a great weekend stylin’ in your sweet ride : )
I’m with David. I can not, will not drive a minivan. I tried for about 2 1/2 years and it just never felt right. But the price of gas these days is not to be argued with, is it?
Another great post – I’ve never heard of mice nesting in a car boot before! Incredible! Just imagine the panic if the mummy mouse was off gathering seeds or something and you drove off with all the babies in the boot!
Love this post! Your poor hubby. 🙂 And the straw? I’ve had my kids do the same kind of thing. Yuck–but so funny, too!
Great post!
animals love the warmth of car engines in winter – jus sayin