Another Addition To Our Family
November 22, 2009 by Kailani
Filed under daily life
When I first found out that 2 adults and 3 car seats will not fit into a 4Runner no matter how hard you try to push the doors closed, I was devastated. I love my SUV! However, unless I want to strap one of the girls to the surf rack or take 2 cars every time we want to go out, I knew the inevitable was coming . . .
2010 Toyota Sienna
We picked it up on Friday and I had the honor of driving it off the lot. Why do the car salespeople insist on standing there watching you & waving while you drive away? I knew he meant well but he was making me very nervous. All I could think about was what would happen if I hit another car on my way out.
And talk about big! I can barely hear Kacie when she talks to me from the back row. I can’t reach anything in the glove compartment. And I don’t know how I’m going to park this monster in public parking lots. However, I love the automatic sliding doors! I barely have to come to a complete stop when I drop Kacie off at school. I just push a button and kick her out (not literally of course).
I guess driving mini-van isn’t all that bad. I gave up my cute little 2-seater sports car when Kacie was born and I’ll survive without my SUV. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be back here saying how I can’t live without my van. Stranger things have happened!
What kind of car do you drive?
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About the author: Owner and founder of An Island Life. Sharing my life as a mother to 3 wonderful daughters, working as a flight attendant, and living a blessed life in Hawaii. |
Love it! I wish we had a van, and we only have one child!
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Well, if it must be a mini-van, you picked a very good-looking one. And I’m a loyal Toyota driver, so I bet you’ll be happy with that brand. As for me? I’m a loooooooong way past carseats and adore my 2004 Camry XLE with leather interior, premium sound, and moonroof. I was planning to buy a new Camry until we got hit with Arnold’s 15% pay reduction & associated furlough days. But the 2004 isn’t going anywhere. It will remain here, along with the 1996 Camry LE that #1Son drives. Mattie-Boo is working on getting his license and the boys can trade off driving the ‘96 and ‘04 when I get my new one. The only question relates to color. The ‘96 is gold, the ‘04 blue. I’m thinking maybe that beautiful cranberry red color next time. With gold letters, of course.
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I just replaced my 94 Explorer with a 09 Explorer. I kinda wanted the 3 row seating, but this car didn’t have it. I was hoping to get a better deal on this car, but no such luck. oh well. We’re still happy with it.
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I caved and passed my beloved Sequoia on to my hubby and got a used Odyssey when we found out #2 was on the way…I refuse to call it a mini-VAN…and simply call it a “mini” — my whole family laughs at me, but I think it is *much cuter* LOL
I LOVE it…and while I said I would NEVER drive one, it is so much easier to get two kids (3 & 10 mos) in and out of than the Sequoia…I’ll go back to an SUV one day, I’m sure, but for now, I’m quite happy in the mini!
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I love mini vans. They rock. Unfortunately, I drive a CONVERSION van. And trust me: nothing is cooler than a big, red, slightly beat-up conversion van. I am ROCKIN.
Hope you’re feeling well!
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I have an old Subaru wagon that I LOVE. I’m sure it will keep going for many more miles, but I’m actually not sure an infant car seat and my son’s giant Recaro carseat will both fit in the back and still be able to have someone in the front seat. Same with my husband’s Toyota Camry. It wouldn’t be such a big deal except we’re so tall we both have to have the seats all the way back…
so we may be in for a minivan come spring when the little one gets here… we’ll see. I’ll be super sad to give up my wagon because I love how it handles (especially in the snow), it has awesome trunk space, and it’s the only car I’ve ever owned!
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I drive a Honda Odyssey Mini-van and couldn’t live without it. I have never really understood the stigma against them.What is so wrong about everyone knowing you’re a family anyway? I think it’s kind of nice. Will drive something smaller again when the kids are grown and gone. Until then, I love my minivan!
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Congratulations on the new addition and welcome to the minivan club! We bought a minivan six years ago when I was pregnant with our first. We wanted something for hauling grandparents, car seats and cargo. Love my Chrysler Town & Country. Happy driving and enjoy the adventures in your new baby.
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I drive a regular car and one car seat fits in fine. I LOVE my car and I will definitely put the same make/model on the top of my list when it is time for me to buy a new one. My husband drives an SUV.
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Toyota Sienna… and I love it!
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Congratulations!!! Your mini van is beautiful, enjoy it.
We have a mini van, too and I love it. At first, I was scared but now, I feel like a queen of the road,haha.
Have a wonderful week.
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how fun to have a new van! we have a 15 yo mini-van that my 18 yo now drives and I use for errands, but to get everyone in one car, we have a 15 passenger van. it’s huge!! I don’t park unless I can pull thru
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I had to laugh because I downsized to a 7 passenger SUV and I miss my gigantic 11 passenger van something terrible! I would love to get my monster running again, but I just don’t have the money right now. Since we have two kids who are grown, we can manage an SUV on most occassions. But my SUV must be bigger than yours was because it does seat 7. It is less roomy than a minivan, though.
You will soon love your van!
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You are going to love it more & more! I’ve had mine (Sienna) for 6 yrs now; we bought one of the first newly styled ones off the lot. My van has 99, 046 right @ this very moment & I still love it. Tons & tons of room & so convenient! Even my ever growing giant of a son has room in the back seats!
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Congratulations!!! Very nice van!
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It’s beautiful! I wish I had one just like it!!
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Your van is awesome. Hubby and I share a vehicle when he can’t drive his motorcycle. It’s a Jeep Liberty. Yet, I know what you mean about parking bigger vehicles because I have a problem with that too. We used to have a big truck with the back seats in it. It was long and big. I was always afraid to back out of parking places with it, especially when other vehicles parked partially in my space because they didn’t even know how to park their small compact cars. I’m sure you’ll get used to it in time and then you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.
I really, REALLY hated giving up my SUV, but five years ago, hubby convinced me to get a minivan. I like it for shuttling kids and for traveling, but I’d love to downsize back to a small SUV (think Honda CR-V) now that the kids are older. Still, the family loves the minivan, so I guess I’ll be driving it for a while.
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I still drive my little 99 Alero. It has over 100,000 miles and I keep putting a little bit of $$ here and there to keep her humming.
I know what you mean about having to drive something bigger with 3 girls.
When my 3 girls were little we got a van. They nicknamed it the Brown Bullet.
We speak of it fondly.
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Jump Kacie Jump!!!
LOL
I drove a big ole Chevy Suburban when my kids were growing up. It seemed I was always driving big trucks. I drove a mini van after the Suburban.
After NY and I were married I drove an adorable convertible VW Cabriolet. I was in an accident and the cute little flip top car was totaled and now I sport a titanium plate in my neck. Now I’m back to driving big vehicles. Since the accident the little cars make me nervous. I drive a Cadillac Deville and absolutely love it. Especially when the hot rod teenage boys pull up next to me at a stop light or stop sign. They think they’ll beat granny in her Cadillac off the line.
Excuse me? My car is FAST!
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Oh Kailani,
Mindi drives a Ford Excursion. It’s huge!
I love you new van and you will too!!
Cathi´s last blog ..Holiday Baking – Sugar Cookies
We just upgraded to a used Toyota Sienna last month and I am LOVING it!
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It’s called a Toyota Sienta in Japan. We had one and I couldn’t want another car!
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The Siena is a fantastic choice for a minivan. I loved a lot of things about mine.
Hugs,
Holly
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I always swore I’d never have one of these, but lately we’ve been STRONGLY considering one. Your’s is a beaut!
Congratulations on your pretty new addition – I’m sure you’ll get used to driving it real soon. I told my kids I would never drive a minivan because I was just “too cool” for that.
I don’t drive much anymore, but my car is a 2000 Jaguar XJ8 in baby blue (to match my eyes as The Hubs says). My hubby has a 1998 VW Bug that the kids thought was SO COOL when we first got it, then they each shot up at least 6″ in height each – not so comfy in the back anymore!!
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Enjoy it! I have come full circle. Sports car, sedan, mini van, SUV and back to sports car! I am 43 & a mom to adult children. I am enjoying my VW EOS convertible. My girls call it my midlife crisis car. I do miss having little ones though.
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That’s a lovely car! And I bet it fits everyone with room to spare
Currently, I don’t drive (or have a car), but we have a silver ford tarus that’s on it’s LAST let.
(Plus, I seriously think that car hates me)
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