One of those things I would not do was DRIVE A MINIVAN! No Way! I thought... those are just for Moms who define themselves by the fact that they have children. It's those crazy Stay-at-home-Moms who do everything to cater to their kids that drive them.
When I actually became a Mom, I upgraded my little Subaru for a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It had more room and just sat a bit higher so it made me feel like my sweet little baby girl was safer riding in it. I still thought, "Why do these Mom's get talked into driving a Minivan when I can drive this nice SUV and be great?!".
And then it happened.. I got pregnant with TWINS! When I realized that we were going to have to move out of our current house to a bigger house, I realized that I probably couldn't keep driving my Jeep. I was so frustrated. I remember trying to figure out what I could get that would work for toting my then 2 1/2 year old and newborn twins. So, we bought a bigger SUV with a third row. And it was GREAT until.. the twins grew!
When the Twins transitioned into bigger car seats, you know the ones where you have to actually take them out and put them in I had a complete breakdown the first time we actually put them into the car. It was so difficult getting the seats to fit nicely rear facing. I had to walk away and let my hubby do it because I just couldn't handle it. In the SUV I had to literally climb into the car to load one of the twins into the middle car seat; there were a few times I almost fell out of the car trying to get down and sometimes with a baby in my arms. I was starting to get very frustrated and started to fear that I would have to drive the dreaded Minivan.
So, on the sly I started to look at van's online while my hubby was at work. I didn't want him to know I was thinking that I might want one. Once I realized that I wanted to convenience rather than people to "judge me on driving a minivan" as I had done to other, I decided it was time to tell my hubby. This is what I said:
Me: So..don't laugh at me, but I think I want a Minivan!
Hubby: (Laughs) Really?
Me: I said don't laugh.. but yah.. I'm tired of being frustrated every time I want to leave the house with the kids, or get parked so close to at the store that I can't get the door open wide enough to get the kids in. (And on and on with the many things that were making me crazy with my SUV)
Needless to say that Hubby realized that it really was painful for me to try to take our troop anywhere by myself with the SUV and he bought me a Toyota Sienna.
IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE!
Now, I don't get mad when I have to leave my house with all three kids. Now I don't have to climb into my car to load the twins, I can open the doors (which are automatic!) and just plop them in! And now I don't feel the need to key the car parked so close next to me that I can't get my doors open.
Now when we start the prep work for leaving the house I don't get instantly pissed when we get to the "loading" phase and I actually take my kids out more often because I don't dread getting them into the car!
