vanaticism: fulfilled

so after MUCH deliberation and a few weekends devoted to due diligence, we bought the van that we had been drooling over.

we've had it for a few months now and are utterly smitten with the big blue whale.

and just in case you've never seen a minivan, here is what ours looks like:

obviously we strapped a georgia tech plate on our ride ASAP. rep them yellow jackets.

oh the spaciousness! those are 2 by 14' planks!!

they are so far away from us. its awesome.

she's better at reverse than me, so i let her back down the driveway.

sometimes i get cocky about the automatic sliding doors and will try to remote-open my driver's door even when the kids arent with me.

even when the 3rd row is up, there is a shocking amount of space in the way back.

of course they only want to sit back there. and extricating them from there when they are being stubborn is not the easiest...despite the ample room.

a few things we are experiencing: the DVD player is awesome. but how do you keep from getting the kids hooked on it? i do NOT want it playing every time we run to the store or to school, but i also dont want bleeding eardrums caused by their meltdowns when i know a movie would instantly occupy, calm and quiet them. a few friends recommended the 30 minutes+ trip rule, and it makes perfect sense, but i have sometimes broken this rule in the name of sanity. i dont WANT screen-monkeys who are addicted to media. help!

it's amazing how recalcitrant i was about a minivan all these years. when i would drive and pass by minivan-ensconced women, i would pity them at best, or think they were sissy faces at worst. they held ZERO cool points on my internal scale on judgement.

now, it's hilarious. there is not a single TRACE of van-shame. far from it. i literally feel like a mother flipping badass in my van. i'm passing hoes in crossovers and sedans, just shaking my head at those poor cramped fools. i'm rolling dirty with my 3rd row, spacious legroom and 16 cupholders. "look at me, world! my stress-induced cankers from lack of storage are gone and my old spice hasnt even activated due to the efficiency of my air conditioning!"

sensibility is the new big pimpin'. all aboard.