Mini-Ban

With the realization of having a third child on the way came the realization that our Jeep won't accomodate the necessary car seats. Colin, of course, is out of a "car seat" - but he has a booster seat which, per state law, he has to ride in for the next two years or so. Which means Cameron and Baby 3 still have a loooong time to be confined to some sort of safety-sitting-apparatus. For the next five years - and that's if Baby 3 is the last little Templeton to slide from my va-jay-jay - we'll need a roomy vehicle. Which brings us to the subject I never wanted to broach, the two words that no coolness-retaining parent ever wants to say:

MINI VAN.

(Or is that technically supposed to be one word? Oh well. Whatever.)

The point is, I swore I'd never drive one. Even if my family grew to be Duggar-sized (that's eighteen kids, for those of you unfamiliar with Michelle Duggar's Ridiculously Prolific Uterus) I would attempt to find something to drive that didn't make me look like, well, a professional mom.

Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with devoting your life to your kids. But for me, that has included almost completely sacrificing my trendy look, my "me" time, my spontaneity, and on occasion, my personal hygeine. Must I sacrifice my vehicle as well? When I'm driving the Jeep - unless someone peers really closely through the tinted back windows and sees the car seats, toys, and stale French fries littering the floor - I'm still just a chick in a Jeep. No labels, no judgments. It doesn't scream "MOM," and that's fine by me.

Now, however, we're in a different category. Practicality dictates the need for something larger, more family-oriented. Something with lots of seats (easily washable, in case of vomit, spilled drinks, or the like) ... cool, kid-friendly features like backseat DVD players and cupholders. Room for kids and groceries! Namely, a damn minivan.

So far, we haven't tiptoed into that territory. ... Yet. We're mostly looking at SUVs with third-row seating. But though neither of us will admit it, both Curtis and I have sneaked glances across car lots at the shiny new minivans and secretly wonder if we're headed in that direction. And wonder if, should we happen to bite the proverbial bullet and buy a Grand Caravan or a Town & Country, would our last shreds of coolness be slipping out their child-locked windows?