Yes, I, in fact, own a mini-van.
I do believe it was my friend, Lizet, whom I told in college "If you ever see me driving a mini-van, shoot me." And I really meant it. There was no way that my hip, young, independent-thinking, Jaggermeister drinking self was going to succumb to the "normal life". Sure, I knew I wanted to have children, maybe even quite a few, but I was determined in my mindset. If I was going to have a van at all, it was going to be a conversion van, not some wimpy Soccer Mom mini-van piece of crap.
I happen to like my wimpy Soccer Mom mini-van piece of crap, thank you very much. But, I haven't always been enamored with it.
Flash back 5 years (insert Scooby-Doo sound effects. Also, put both hands in front of your face and move them around hippie-like. There ya go. You feel sort of stupid don't you? Don't, it's all for effect and no one can see you). There I am, married with two kids and my trusty Mazda, which I received as a gift for my 18th birthday, is stalling every time I go around a curve. That's REALLY not a good thing. The mechanics can't figure out what's wrong and my mind starts whirring and plotting. I want an SUV and I want one bad. I mean, I'm drooling at the thought of a Toyota 4Runner. Perhaps even a little sexually excited, but that's for another post.
I go to my husband, figures in hand, ready for a fight - or at least to have to beg for this structure of my dreams. Surprisingly, he's fine with it, but doesn't want to have anything to do with getting it. It's all up to me. AWWWW, yeah baby!!!! My dream car!!!!
I'll skip the details of actually GETTING said dream car because seriously, we've all been through buying a car, who in their right mind wants to read about buying one? Not me.
So there it is, outside our apartment. Shiny. Silver. Reflecting light in a way I'd never seen. Oh, don't forget BIG. And, it's mine. I love this inanimate object more than my cats at this point, I think. I look out the window, just to see it and smile. Maybe I wink a few times, you never know, I'm weird like that. I pay a guy to detail it once a month. I find excuses to drive it all the time. Going to the store that's NOT within walking distance from our apartment, road trip to my parents' house, 8 hours away. You get the picture.
I have this mobile wet dream for 2.75 years. What changes, you must ask yourself? Why on earth would Cathy get rid of this prized possession? Well, sperm meeting egg happened. I got pregnant. Fine, I think, all three kids can fit in the backseat, no problem!! And you know, looking back, it did work out for a while. 3 months to be exact. But, my head was intruding seriously on my heart. I'd glance back and see Cassie squished between Alex's carseat and now the infant carseat. She never complained mind you, but boy did she look uncomfortable.
It was time to grow up and accept that perhaps MY wants and needs were not the most important thing in the universe. Yes, really. Please stop laughing, it's making me sad. Stop. I'm serious.
So I bid farewell to my Steel Stallion and bought the Mack Daddy mini-van, fully loaded with every possible luxury, including a dvd player for those long trips. Yes, I did cry. My husband doesn't know that because, well, how embarrassing is that - crying over a car? Well, I'm not ashamed now.
Driving around in my van, I wax nostalgic and heave a sigh whenever I see a 1999 silver Toyota 4Runner on the road. I wonder to myself "could that be MY old baby? I hope they are taking care of her". And as I catch a glimpse of my beautiful little boy in the backseat of the vehicle I swore I would never own, I smile. I'd give up a thousand 4Runners for this boy. I'll drive anything for him - he's worth it and so is my darling girl, who is no longer squished, though she does have to sit near #1 son, within touching distance usually. God forbid!
I happen to like my wimpy Soccer Mom mini-van piece of crap, thank you very much. But, I haven't always been enamored with it.
Flash back 5 years (insert Scooby-Doo sound effects. Also, put both hands in front of your face and move them around hippie-like. There ya go. You feel sort of stupid don't you? Don't, it's all for effect and no one can see you). There I am, married with two kids and my trusty Mazda, which I received as a gift for my 18th birthday, is stalling every time I go around a curve. That's REALLY not a good thing. The mechanics can't figure out what's wrong and my mind starts whirring and plotting. I want an SUV and I want one bad. I mean, I'm drooling at the thought of a Toyota 4Runner. Perhaps even a little sexually excited, but that's for another post.
I go to my husband, figures in hand, ready for a fight - or at least to have to beg for this structure of my dreams. Surprisingly, he's fine with it, but doesn't want to have anything to do with getting it. It's all up to me. AWWWW, yeah baby!!!! My dream car!!!!
I'll skip the details of actually GETTING said dream car because seriously, we've all been through buying a car, who in their right mind wants to read about buying one? Not me.
So there it is, outside our apartment. Shiny. Silver. Reflecting light in a way I'd never seen. Oh, don't forget BIG. And, it's mine. I love this inanimate object more than my cats at this point, I think. I look out the window, just to see it and smile. Maybe I wink a few times, you never know, I'm weird like that. I pay a guy to detail it once a month. I find excuses to drive it all the time. Going to the store that's NOT within walking distance from our apartment, road trip to my parents' house, 8 hours away. You get the picture.
I have this mobile wet dream for 2.75 years. What changes, you must ask yourself? Why on earth would Cathy get rid of this prized possession? Well, sperm meeting egg happened. I got pregnant. Fine, I think, all three kids can fit in the backseat, no problem!! And you know, looking back, it did work out for a while. 3 months to be exact. But, my head was intruding seriously on my heart. I'd glance back and see Cassie squished between Alex's carseat and now the infant carseat. She never complained mind you, but boy did she look uncomfortable.
It was time to grow up and accept that perhaps MY wants and needs were not the most important thing in the universe. Yes, really. Please stop laughing, it's making me sad. Stop. I'm serious.
So I bid farewell to my Steel Stallion and bought the Mack Daddy mini-van, fully loaded with every possible luxury, including a dvd player for those long trips. Yes, I did cry. My husband doesn't know that because, well, how embarrassing is that - crying over a car? Well, I'm not ashamed now.
Driving around in my van, I wax nostalgic and heave a sigh whenever I see a 1999 silver Toyota 4Runner on the road. I wonder to myself "could that be MY old baby? I hope they are taking care of her". And as I catch a glimpse of my beautiful little boy in the backseat of the vehicle I swore I would never own, I smile. I'd give up a thousand 4Runners for this boy. I'll drive anything for him - he's worth it and so is my darling girl, who is no longer squished, though she does have to sit near #1 son, within touching distance usually. God forbid!
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