The Minivan

My mother doesn't understand young couples who get a positive pregnancy test and immediately run out to purchase a minivan. In regards to her children, as she puts it, "when they were little they'd fit in the back of anything."

And it's true. She was very anti-minivan as I was growing up.

And now, as she has me one foot out the door and Jon only a few years away from the same situation, she decided she needed a minivan. A minivan to travel in. To accomodate her grown children. Or her husband who prefers to sleep comfortably while she drives them to lakes or on longer trips.

And she needed an Odyssey. The van she had meticulously researched. My father had other ideas and it was somewhat fun to watch him try to talk her into other things. Best of all a Pontiac Solstice because, in his words, "all we need is room for you, me and Jill...who needs our children?"

He was joking, mostly, but we were appropriately offended anyway.

However, my Mom was deadset on an Odyssey. And the man who'd always wanted her to drive a van suddenly wanted something different. It was a standoff that lasted months.

Until recently. When Dad finally caved into what would have been a losing battle anyway. I drove them around car lots on Saturday with a specific plan in mind: Odyssey or bust.

And by late evening she had found her van. My father nearly had a coronary from sticker shock. But Mom stayed cool, talked him into it (or drug him into it kicking and screaming depending on who tells the story), finaggled interest rates and monthly payments and drove home that evening in her new minivan.

Dad finally got over the shock of the car loan and spent this morning marveling over the features in it. And Mom wants it on the road this next weekend.

I, on the other hand, am just enjoying having my car back to myself. I've appropriately trashed the backseat in celebration.

(Meet the Odyssey. White of all colors.)




(When I was his age my Mom wouldn't drive the cool minivan that all my friends could fit in. Lucky brat.)
(Should also be noted he spent all day planning on how to pack it for Florida.)
(Honestly, I like where his priorities are.)




(No words. Just look at how happy she is.)