Rockin' the MiniVan

I've been in denial for years now... trying to hold off the inevitable fact that eventually we would need to purchase an even more "family friendly" vehicle than a subaru wagon. I loved my sube, and Andy's before that one... they are so good in our sleety nasty winters, they are nice to drive even for long distances, and they just sort of scream "outdoorsy" too. What's not to like?

Well, I'll tell you. What's not to like is a 4+ hour car ride to somewhere with a screaming infant and a bored 4 year old, with yours truly sandwiched in between their two carseats where there is clearly not enough room for a behind your size, desperately trying to heat up a bottle of something to placate the infant while answering 10,000 questions and simultaneously trying to play a game of I Spy with the older one. Never mind the seatbelt for you. Just kindly ask your hubbie to please not crash the vehicle while driving 75 on the highway and potentially send you blasting through the windshield. That's when i knew Andy was right (ack, I hate saying that)... it was time to look at minivans.

We didn't look long or hard, because there's only one minivan that comes in AWD. So we ended up with a Toyota Sienna, in blue since that's what was available off the lot. It's a smooth ride but feels like a bus compared to the Outback. Aiden ADORES it, especially the automatic sliding doors. I'm still adjusting. It still feels all-wrong, even though I know it was a good decision for us. Aside from poking shameless fun at us, friends and family are telling me I need to "ROCK" the minivan. In other words, own it. love it. flaunt it. brag about it. It's the party mobile, a dream for long road trips, a living room on wheels! So far, I'm not there yet. Talk to me after our 6 hour xmas trip to Long Island in a few weeks...