The Purchase I Never Thought I'd Make

So, there's nothing attractive about a minivan. I fought the purchase of one for some time now. In fact, we purchased a bigger crossover (Mazda CX-9) this summer when we knew we would need more space with two carseats. But, what I learned in the process was family-friendly features trump style anyday. The crossover was awkward and the 3rd row seat was practically inaccessible with the two car seats on the front row. It was hard to crawl in the back if the kids were going crazy. It was next to impossible to get the kids in and out of carseats in a cramped parking lot because the doors were so large. And the double stroller wouldn't even fit in the back without folding one half of the third row down. So, we decided to cut our losses and downsize (buy a older/less expensive minivan) for both the convenience and the hope that I can eventually work part-time. We found a great deal on a Toyota Sienna. And now I'm in LOVE! I don't care how I look driving down the road. I am comfortable. The power sliding doors allow me to get my kids in and out easily (even with a bag of groceries in my other hand....I just have to push a button for them to open on their own). The van sits lower to the ground so Jack can crawl into the vehicle on his own. There are about 50 cupholders in case us and all our friends and neighbors get the urge to go to Sonic during happy hour. There's a little mommy-watch-my-kids rearview mirror (like you find on a school bus) so I can tell if Jack's causing trouble in the back. There's is all kinds of storage space/cubbies for Jack to hid his hippo, Henry. The back has ample room for our double stroller plus luggage. There's a DVD player with wireless headphones so Jack can watch the movie 'Cars' for the 100th time (but we don't have to). And to top it all off, it gets better gas mileage than the crossover. It's a good fit for us and one I would highly recommend to anyone with more than one child, especially if they are little. Little kids just have lots of stuff and that stuff takes up space. I've definately got all the space I could need with our new wheels and I'm okay looking a little less hip driving down the road.