So we are a week in the mini van owning....its ok.....just ok. But really I could see us getting another one day, but don't tell anyone. But the souped up version...big pimin!

We just finished up a week with my inlaws....and I am beat. But Jacob really enjoyed their visit so that was good. The weather was nice too so again, good thing. We also survived Jacob's 4th Birthday party....totally fun. He had such a blast with his friends playing in the water. Now we are getting ready to head to my parents to drop off Jacob for a week while I head to El Paso to visit my friend Melanie....fun times! Plus I get to enjoy first class flight (thank you Southern States and all the travels you had me do), sans child....um, what will I really do with myself? I think I might actaully get bored....well except for the bloody mary's, gin and tonicas, and wine I will be consuming on the flight.

....soccer...

So....with the new title of "soccer mom" has come some responsibility....teach my child a little about soccer. And to think it began so innocently, little kick here and there. No big deal. Admiring my son's ability to kick and run with such fervor it left Mark and I wondering where he got his coordination.

Then Jacob wanted to do big kicks back and forth. So Jacob went to the other side of the yard and I had the ball to kick to him. Not being the most coordinated being, I kicked and what happened next still has me realing. The ball was going perfectly and should have landed at his feet...yes it caught air. But the projectory was a bit off and I watched the soccer ball cream Jacob in the face and knock him ass over tea kettle. I did it, I killed my kid. Well not really but as bad as I felt, it seemed no different. The ball knocked him litterally off his feet. With a few tears and me apologizing over and over we went back to playing. He was no worse for the wear but looking at the imprint on the side of his face made my stomach churn.

This morning there are no soccer imprints on his face and he looks no worse for the wear. I guess the title of "soccer mom" comes at a price....first the mini van and now this? What's next.... giving the boy scouts the flu?

And speaking of cars......car dealers!

Ok, so I didn't expect to rant so quickly after my first rant...but CAR DEALERS! It truly is the melting pot of society and well, glad we found the guy we did.

Seeing that Mark and I are both from sales backgrounds I was really disenchanted with their approaches. I did 99% of my searching from my home courtesy of the internet and thank God I did! It was amazing how many of them would tell you one thing and then go back on it. One guy told me his price was firm, which I know it wasn't, and then the next day, it dropped $1k online! Then we met Nicolas Cage of car dealers.....well it really could have passed for him! He sounded like him and looked like him it was quite eerie. Mark was in love I think. Other ones were trying to be so smooth they really didn't know what to think when I was not impressed. Others tried to impress us with their car knowledge....(ME) "Really, that strap on the hatch is to pull it down....I would have never guessed it". DUH! I had to be dumbed down, I can do it on my own!

But I have to say dealing with the Internet Sales guys was much easier. They didn't hunt you down as you walked on the lot, they did their business online, no commitment. We really liked our guy we ended up buying our car from The night before we were to come down to check out the cars, they ended up selling the one we wanted. He called and basically told me that he wanted to sell us one and would make amends for that. So he pulled another $1k and met another price I found for the same vehicle.....and he was easy to deal with. Easy is nice. So my advice....go the internet route...avoid personal interaction. It will only give you a headache in the end!

Joining the ranks of moms no longer in denial

So....I finally broke down.....and not quite in tears, yet. We purchased our first car that labels us now in parenthood with such a stigma every time I look in the garage I cringe. Yes, its not a hybrid (although the mpg would be great)....its a.....MINIVAN~!!!!!

The reason is simple, it was too damn practical. And well being dutch and cheap it was the best route to go. We were at the end of the lease on the Pacifica and really loved the car, but to buy it out of the lease was going to cost us more then what it was worth. They discontinued making the Pacifica so it plummeted the value....I could buy one $4k less then what I could buy mine from the lease...it was a "no duh" factor.

We started looking at the route of another discontinued vehicle which we liked, the Buick Rendevous....but it was going the same route that we were actually doing already. So, begrudgingly, I started secretly searching for a mini van.....with my eyes rolling. Well......the deed is done and the searching is over and my garage is filled with a silver blue Dodge Grand Caravan SXT.....with the automatic doors and tons of storage....Jacob loves it...me, well its a car and I'm not in love. I really loathe the color....too much blue, too much peace and love associated with it but I will not complain...all the time.

After driving home and checking the mpg, it made sense. We were on windy roads most of the times intervened with lots of hills....and it avg. 25 mpg. Unheard of with the Pacifica, and my pocket is thanking me. The Pacifica is now sitting in our driveway, empty, looking flashy with its Inferno Red and 19inch rims (yes, that would have cost a mortgage payment or more to replace them next year)....empty. I guess all things go in cycles so I will digress and accept my new title.

Yes, I am still grappling with it but Mark seems fine with it, of course he won't be driving it much, just me, the soccer mom.