It wasn't very cool, y'all.
When my mom enabled my finicky spoiled-rottenness by getting me a new Toyota Corolla my Junior Year of high school, I figured I was done with minivans, for, like, ever. When Natalie was 6 months old, we upgraded the old Corolla to a Trailblazer, because all the cool moms were sportin' SUVs. Why would I want to drive a giant ugly boat car around with tons of screaming kids in the back whining and fighting?
We had the very great, unexpected blessing of T's grandmother gifting us with a beautiful, like-new minivan recently. No strings attached. Talk about generosity!
In a giant boat car, the children are spaced adequately away from each other and me. The giant boat car is actually not ugly at all, but a beautiful shade of blue with crisp clean interiors. The giant boat car has a tape player in addition to the CD player, so I can play the girls' books on tape so that they will quit asking me 42 questions a minute and be quiet for a few minutes. The giant boat car is wonderful.
We got swagger now.
T wasn't sure if I would want to drive a minivan, knowing how much I enjoy my 4 wheel drive with the ability to plow through snow drifts and rivers and brick walls while my friends are all stuck at home when the first flakes of snow begin to fall.
But common sense won out here. Not only is the minivan a vast upgrade from my SUV...it's newer, less mileage, cleaner (!), stow and go seating, etc...if we ever decided to add on to our family or invite the girls' friends out with us, we'd have to upgrade cars eventually anyways. Going down the minivan road just made sense for us, and we are so so grateful.
I realize that embracing the world of the minivan means that I have truly grown up and have become the complete embodiment of a yuppie suburbanite, and I am totally okay with that. This utterly hilarious video from the lovely Toyota people pretty much sums it up (if you're in a reader or email subscription, you may need to click over to the blog to view it):
"I got the pride in my ride, in the swagger wagon. Yeah, it's the swagger wagon."
*On a much more serious note, please visit Shelly today. She has a post up about a wonderful Christmas charity, Operation Christmas Child. This is a great opportunity to bring joy to a child and to give on a world-wide level!
You go girl!! I love the video!!!!You made my day! Swagger Wagon, too much!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Haha! Yuppie suburbanite, you kill me. The picture is PRICELESS! Haha! You look great in your new ride :-) Enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI thought my kids were the only ones to call my car the swagger wagon! I'm crushed! Seriously though, captains chairs in the back were the best invention ever. I was so happy the day I could put my kids in the car and nobody had to touch anybody else. I'm on my third (and hopefully last) minivan and I have to say, they aren't so bad. :)
ReplyDeleteSwagger wagon! Funny! We bought our minivan back in the eighties. Imagine that- big bangs, leggings, and shoulder pads, and driving a minivan! LOL! That was a long way from the cool Firebird I drove in college.
ReplyDeletemini vans are great, I love mine, I have the Hyundai entourage, love the space and having room to fit pretty much anything. Probably the next new car we will go back to a small SUV, but for now I love my mini van!
ReplyDeleteThat picture is hilarious!
Oh Amanda, the video is hysterical - you totally made my day! I love the picture of you and the girls in your new van... Work it girl!
ReplyDeleteI could not manage without my van. I may not be driving the hippest car, but I'm the mom who can always pick up extra kids from school... Swagger Wagon!!!
Even our preteen girls love this video. There is a whole series if them on you tube- so funny!
ReplyDelete(And I wouldn't trade my minivan for anything... my favorite feature now that the girls are jumping in and out are the sliding doors that they can't slam into cars on each side when we are parked!)
Amanda you're too funny!! That's pretty sweet you got it given to you. Nice! That video always makes me laugh. : )
ReplyDeleteWe love that video!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the world of minivans. There have been a few occasions when we have all gone somewhere in the Camry, three kids in the backseat, and nothing could make me love my minivan more!
haha. i LOVE swagger wagon. and i love the way you are rockin' the new mini-v!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE my van! My hubby got it for me six years ago with all the bells and whistles and it ONLY has 57K miles on it but I drive it all over our town!
ReplyDeleteTo make up for it, he has the BMW convertible! So, we do family outings in his fun car and use mine for practical stuff! I like driving my van better than his car - his is a six speed stick shift and FAST so it's fun but not so comfortable!
Becky B.
www.organizingmadefun.com
Organizing Made Fun
What a generous gift!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are pretty gangster, or is that pretty gangsters...he he.
Still treading the water in SUV land, but I know that one day we will make the jump...and I'm sort of excited about it :)
Too funny! That picture is priceless. Enjoy your new ride!!
ReplyDeleteThat photo is too funny! Congratulations on your new ride.
ReplyDeleteYou have serious street cred in that ride!
ReplyDeleteWe went to a minivan when we had our daughter and though it was an emotional journey to have to get to acceptance, I've now moved straight on to love. You can't tell me there is a more practical vehicle for three plus children...well, unless you have more than five then you need some sort of bus of course and that's just got to be inconveinent.
Love that Toyota video!
Okay, girl, here's what happened to me. A mini-van was absolutely the most practical thing for me to drive for years. So I did. And it was great. Then my car-loving husband and sons started saying, "You should get rid of that van, Mom. You should drive something cooler." And so I got a little car.
ReplyDeleteFast forward a few months, and the guys started saying, "Man, I wish we still had that mini-van! It was so nice to have such a big vehicle!"
Uh-huh. Coulda told 'em.
You got swagger for sure, girl!
Thanks so much for the shout out Amanda!
ReplyDeleteFirst off...was your moms van the one with the engine in the middle of the car?! Haha my best friend had that van. We used to put our feet up on it until our feet were burning!
ReplyDeleteNow, for the swagger wagon...I got myself some swagger. It's got all kinds of perks. Let's see...littlest pet shop, old mcds fries, mismatched shoes, diapers, and as of lately..my husband left the roast in the trunk under the stroller...smelled real good. I love my ride!!
www.moddybee.blogspot.com
This is one of my favorite commercials/videos ever. And your photograph in the van with the girls - CRACKING ME UP> I love all your facial expressions. Seriously priceless. Sounds like the perfect vehicle for you. And it's seriously sweet, too. Swagger wagon, indeed.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby found that commercial online and insisted that I watch it with him...he thought it was hilarious:) I learned to drive in my mom's mini van, and I refused to buy a mini van when I had kiddos! I love my SUV but some of the mini van stuff {like the stow & go seats} sounds appealing sometimes!
ReplyDeletei totally boo-hooed in front of the finance person at the dealership the day i traded in my car for an suv..to the point that he actually asked if i was sure i wanted to do this... 3 TIMES!!... i was 4 months pregnant & the doctor's kept hinting that it might be twins. we freaked & took advantage of a deal we came across, but i was soo SOO sad!!! turns out, it was just one baby. ONE. and ALLLLL that space was a waste. i hated EVERY MINUTE of my 4 year minivan experience. i couldn't wait to get a new car when it was evident that the thing was on it's last leg! back in a car i was in pure BLISS!! my husband, hated every minute, claiming he was sad all the extra space was gone.. i politely told him to stuff it, it was a car, not a barca lounger! :) i did have to give up my car when we thought about adding to the family again, but this time, i wouldn't even CONSIDER a mini-van.. much to the hubs dismay.. i'm perfectly content with my SUV with third row seating! even though I couldn't handle being a mini-van soccer mom, despised every minute.. i don't even glance at other mom's and think anything other than they are driving a vehicle.. go figure! :) glad you like your new ride... and i will admit... having more space between siblings seems like it would be a blessing when the long trips & 'he touched me' starts taking place around here!!! :)
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAH!!!!!!! I laughed myself silly! I swore "uh uh, no way, no how, nope, no to the momvan!"
ReplyDelete4 kiddos and a dog later, we're rollin' in our own Swagger Wagon!
Kerry at housetalkn.blogspot.com
Found your blog today via RTSM. What a funny post and picture! Love your thoughts and humor. I'm your newest follower!
ReplyDelete--Michellepaige.blogspot.com
I thought you weren't going to post about anything controversial. Embracing the minivan is one of the most debated and heated topics for us young parents!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteOk, I just spent the past 20 minutes watching youtube videos of the swagger wagon. Love it. lmao!!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your new Swagger Wagon.
jessica
I've been a mini-van driver since 2004. ;) I've had 3. I love my mini-vans!
ReplyDelete