Skip to main content

Confessions of a Minivan Momma!

A year or so ago, I was faced with a tough decision. My husband and I came to a decision that we needed to trade in my Nissan Murano, a car that I loved dearly. But with 2 kids and with constantly living away from parents/grandparents, we needed a vehicle that fit our family of 4 as well as any visitors.

I narrowed my decision down to the Honda Odyssey and the Buick Enclave. I took each car for a test drive and was immediately in love with both cars, surprisingly. If I had no kids, I would absolutely have gone with the Enclave. It was such a crazy smooth ride and I loved the feel of the car. But, I did have kids and kids make big messes. So, I packed away my pride and went with the minivan.

I never thought I'd be a minivan mom. The mere thought of driving a "mom" car just made me cringe. But in all honesty, I made a terrific decision for our family. I went with the Honda Odyssey and I haven't thought twice about it.

For those contemplating a minivan, let me tell you some of the advantages.
1. Power doors!
When it's raining or you have a kid in one hand and groceries in the other, you can just hold the button on your key and the doors open automatically! I can't tell you how many times my kids and I are running to the car in the rain and just jump in; it's great!

2. There are 17 cup holders.
So this was a selling feature of the vehicle and at the time, my husband and I laughed at the fact that this was a selling point. But, when on a road trip and you have 2 sippy cups, a cup for you, a cup for your husband, 2 milks from McDonalds, and a water for the dog, the number of cup holders is perfect!

3. So much storage space.
My lovely husband likes to make sure that the dog has the entire back of the minivan on road trips (aka, the whole third row plus the trunk space), and we can still pack a separate bag for all 4 of us. I never have to worry if I pack shoes for each outfit anymore.

4. It's great for cadet transfer.
So this definitely doesn't apply across the board, but it does where we live. I can pick up all 5 of the cadets we sponsor at one time. I can also give a big group of cadets a ride back to the barracks without leaving one behind.

5. You can get auto-start!!!!
So this winter was horrible with snow. But.....I was able to get auto-start for my car because I went with the color on the lot, saved money, and used that savings for the auto-start function. It has been perfect! I can start my car 10-20 minutes before we leave the house in the winter and by the time I get in, the car is warmed up and most everything is melted off the windows. And even though I forget a lot, it has come in handy in New York where you can get a ticket if you don't clear all the snow off your car. I hit the button and forget about it while I get bundled up to face the cold. 

At the end of the day, it is up to you what kind of vehicle you drive. But don't let the thought of being a "minivan mom" stop you. I still rock out in my mini van. In fact, today, I rocked out to Pat Benatar and Snoop Dogg on my way home from the grocery store. I bop my head and I sing/rap along.....yeah, it happens. Bottom line is, if you are a mom and you need a vehicle to for lots of people, don't let a stigma get in your way. Do what is best for you and live it up. A minivan doesn't define who you are; you define who you are.

I'm a mom who can rap, head bang, and get into a good love ballad as much as the next person.....and I drive a minivan!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Family

It has been so long since I've written anything, but something inspired me to write tonight. I was in my bed, about to go to sleep and I felt compelled to just write. We sometimes wonder why God puts the people in our lives that he does. But, I have realized that those people really are here for a real purpose. This past week has not been the easiest, to say the least, but God has put certain people in my life for a specific reason. My mom is there to unconditionally take my side and say she's going to kick the butt of anyone who does me wrong, my friends are there to allow me to vent and pump me up, and my husband is there to offer me a shoulder to cry on when life gets too tough. I would be nowhere without my family. But when I speak of my family, it doesn't just include those I am related to by blood. My family extends beyond my immediate family. My sister once said of me that my family is the most important thing to me and I am extremely loyal. I can't argue wit...
2 comments
Read more

I Love a Man in Uniform!

Don't jump to conclusions, this isn't about what you probably think it's about. When you are in the military, one of the easiest things to decide every day is what to wear. That's probably in part because what you wear is decided for you. You start the morning in your PTs (physical training) with reflective belt and they change into the uniform of the day. Most days, your uniform is ACUs . Other times, you wear ASUs . The military has everything all laid out for you. They tell you what to wear to work out in, down to the length of the sock and the color of reflective belt. With ACUs, they tell you where to put patches, which arm unit insignia goes on, and which cover (patrol cap or beret) to wear. With ASUs, they tell you which neck wear to put on depending on time of day, where to put medals, what neck wear for time of day, and which cover (beret or service cap) to wear. And if you ever forget where something goes, they have a book with a ruler to help you put...
Post a Comment
Read more

Our Chance

God of healing, please comfort and strengthen Chance during his illness. Ease his fear and pain, and guide the vet and all caring for him, that he may recover fully. Comfort us, too, God, that we may better care for Chance and make decisions that are best for him.  -From www.daybydaypetsupport.com Adam and I got Chance the week before we were married. We had gone to look at dogs before, but had never left with one. We almost did once when we were at the ASPCA in Savannah. We saw two dogs who were absolutely adorable, but we knew we only wanted one dog. You see, the shelter had named them Ziva and DiNozzo, and in spite of what the show says, we knew that they should be together. A couple days after we went to the ASPCA, I convinced Adam to go look at this cute golden retriever who I'd seen on PetFinder who was at a local rescue shelter. When we got there, that dog had already been adopted. We saw two dogs that we liked, one was a skinny, nervous girl and the other was ...
Post a Comment
Read more