THIS is what my life has come to...

I am a stay-at-home mom who considers throwing on a relatively clean pair of jeans, t-shirt, and maybe some mascara 'getting dressed for the day.' I change diapers for a living. I obsess over nap-schedules, preschools, the latest Gymboree sale, and calorie-counting. I am terrible at calorie counting. But it didn't really hit me that I had officially become 'A MOM' (by that I mean my mother) until I began to consider my dream car. My current car is not very practical for kids, so I started toying with the idea of buying a new car. My dream car. After all, I will probably drive it until the end of eternity because I hate buying new cars. After weeks of weighing my options, the results are in. Yes, it is official, I have arrived in the world of suburban motherhood, I actually WANT a MINIVAN. Not just any minivan. The mother of all minivans. The Honda Odyssey. Soccer Mom, here I come. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I almost never say 'never' (because I usually live to regret it), but owning a minivan was on my list of things that I would never EVER EVER do, I would die first. But here I stand defeated. I just can't escape it, the Odyssey has everything! Great gas mileage (keep in mind this is compared to my full-size SUV), seats 7 (SEVEN!), amazingly smooth ride, built-in DVD player, automatically opening double sliding side-doors (and cargo hatch), rides low enough for my kids to climb in by themselves, roomy and accessible interior, heated front seats (okay, I would add that one, but who doesn't want a warm butt when it's 15 degrees outside???), back-up sensor, everything. The only feature that I may have to specially request is a limo-style sound barrier between the driver's seat (first class), and the noisy crowd in coach (aka 'the little people in the cheap seats'). How awesome would that be?!? If I could push a button and up would come a little window between me and the kids, I could actually enjoy a drive to the lake in peace (while all heck breaks loose in the back, of course). I will have to suggest it and see how far I get. Anyhow, I digress. Maybe a police-car-style cage so I can't be hit in the head by flying sippy cups and mysteriously airborne goldfish crackers? Again, back to the subject. So, in conclusion, I am right up there with the soccer-team hauling, PTA organizing, Tupperware-party hosting, cannery volunteering (okay I really should do that, it's on my list :), enrichment night coordinating MAD MOM IN A MINIVAN! And just so you know, I am (almost) okay with that. When you see me pull into my driveway in my sweet flashy Honda Odyssey (please try not to be jealous :), that's how you will know that I have finally accepted my identity, and my fate. I will proudly join the ranks of those whose title I am unworthy to bear. I am a mom. And minivan or not, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole entire world!