Mini-van...Big-heart

I think it is worthwhile to occasionally jot down my thoughts regarding motherhood for posterity's sake and all. I could wax poetic about the joy of mothering, the unthinkable, unimaginable love I have for Kate, and the overwhelming wonder of it all. But tonight, I believe I shall talk minivans.

Stephen and I realized pretty quickly that our sprightly little civic, cute as it may be, is not baby-friendly. Imagine me struggling in the mall parking lot in a fierce tug-of-war battle with Kate's monstrous stroller. Though I eventually come out the victor, it is not without some serious battle scars (both on me and the car). And though we've managed to squeeze Kate's carseat into our back seat, it is an amazingly tight fit (could this be the cause of those carseat scream-athons????)

So this weekend, Stephen and I (with Kate in tote, of course) visited a few car lots. Now, my naivete had already been shattered by an unexpected stop at Carmax a few weeks earlier. Who knew that used cars could cost that much? But that's neither here nor there. Here's the point (at last)...as I stood there looking at a shiny silver minivan, I realized just where I've arrived in life.

First, a look back...In 2001, I sat with my dad in a supercute white civic that was soon to be mine. I had just finished up my Master's program at Carolina and had accepted my first teaching job in Charlotte. As I waited for the salesman to finalize all the details on my 3-year lease (I could digress here and make this a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of leasing...Focus!), I anticipated all the change that would take place in my life while I owned this car. I hoped to fall in love, get married, have a baby. And whatdya know? That same little civic is sitting outside right now, and those 5 years between then and now seem like no time at all.

So, back to yesterday. As I sat there in that minivan, I couldn't help but wonder where I'd be in another 5 years. Long after the new-car smell has given way to stench of stale doritos and long-forgotten burp-cloths, where will this minivan be taking us? I hope that there will be yet another screaming baby in the backseat. I hope Stephen and I will still be sharing absurdly random thoughts and analogies in the front seat. I hope I'm as happy as I am today. I hope my family is as happy as I am today.

At the end of the day, we left the dealership in the same little civic we arrived in, but I suspect that a minivan is in our near future. Yes, mom, you're right. We've turned into suburban yuppies, and I couldn't be happier.



On a different note, Kate would like to send a shout-out to her favorite pals--Tyler, Blake, and Sam. We miss you guys and can't wait to see you again!