Ten Things About Our Mom Cars
Oh Mom Taxis! How you are ridiculed, but are oh so needed. We like to joke that if a tsunami hit our vehicles and swept them to the top of the Andes, we could survive out of them for weeks. For mothers, our car/minivan/SUV is not just a people mover, it is so much more. But don’t get us wrong, we move a lot of people.
10 Things About Our Mom Cars
1.Whhhhiiiiirrrsssht! Taxi!
Wish it doubled as a time machine since scouts AND soccer both start at 4pm.
2. Command Central
This pretty much captures it. Go ahead, click on it to really appreciate the accuracy.
3. Roadie Van
There is no time to go home between activities! You must move from swimming to band to volleyball. In between, you need to drop off the school project that is too big to go in on the bus and drop the cereal off at the food pantry (one box might be missing because you forgot it was your turn for team snacks). Food is in the cooler because there is no time to stop. The golf umbrella is there to keep you all dry when that rainstorm mercifully strikes and cuts practice short.
4. Happy Meal Toy Graveyard
Okay, sometimes there’s time to stop for food, but not without consequences.
5. Locker Room
Sometimes to make the schedule work, you gotta change in the car. With all of those cleats, it also smell like a locker room. Thanks for asking.
6. Hydration Station
This is typical, but not authentic. Ellen had to stage this photo because her husband recently cleaned the 19 water bottles out of her car. THAT is the truth.
7. Mobile First Aid Unit
All the supplies from that little compartment in the the floor. For real. Except for the boogie board. But while we’re on the subject, never go out on the beach without a flotation device. Riptides are scary people.
8. Lay-A-Way Department
Erin drove around for weeks with those Christmas gifts in the back of her minivan without her kids being the wiser. Until now. Mental note, must find new hiding spot this year.
9. Entertainment Center
We’ve heard stories about road trips before on-board entertainment centers. Shudder.
10. Brings Home The Bacon
For Ellen, this is quite literal because it’s the family business.
By Ellen Williams Erin Dymowski
Ack – totally gave away the Christmas gift hiding spot! (I did the same thing in my list!) LOL
I’ve passed some of these stages now that my son drives a car. Sadly, his car is cleaner than mine.
Ally recently posted..10 Things About HIS Car – Monday Listicles
I will be sad when I can no longer blame my messy car on my kids. Ellen
I always feel like my kids should be involved in more activities, but this confirms that there’s no way that can happen until we get a much bigger vehicle. And a trailer.
hollow tree ventures recently posted..Two Cars, Pirates, and a Random Doll Head
That’s what we need! Trailers! Then no packing, unpacking, packing…. Ellen
This is so cool. Love how versatile your cars are. Would Ellen agree about my neurotic car shopping? Am I her typical customer?
Also the coupons and reusable bags. I never remember to bring them from the car to the shop. NEVER!
I forgot about the reusable bags! I ALWAYS leave them in the car too!
I think you were a very informed customer, Stasha. My husband would have loved to have worked with you.
Ellen
The number of happy meal toys that wind up in between the seats of my van make me feel like a bad mom. Seriously.
Bridget recently posted..Monday Listicles
They’re like tally marks, right? This is how many times I broke down and went through the drive-thru. Ellen
The happy meal toys graveyard is so perfect.
Wayne recently posted..Monday Listicles
Bacon is Ellen’s business? Your car has a lot of the awesome features I listed too
I wish it were only happy meal toys that accumulated…
Stacie @ Snaps and Bits recently posted..10 Things I Love About My Acura MDX
Mmmmm, bacon. Ellen
The back of the minivan = perfect hiding space for Christmas. Learning more everyday from the wise Ellen & Erin! Wondering if the dollhouse kid1 wants will fit?
Jackie recently posted..I Like to Move it!
Sure it will, because Darlin’, that thing won’t come assembled anyway.
Ellen
two thoughts reading this, first, I need to step up my car first aid kit, because clearly some antiseptic spray and a bandaid just doesn’t cut it, and second, the boogie board, of course, but why the flippers?
BonnyBard recently posted..Monday Listicles – Vroom, vroom
Swim team. They use flippers for leg conditioning and kick development. It is hard to kick incorrectly with the flippers on. They are used a lot for the butterfly stroke, too. It allows the kids to practice it longer without becoming so fatigued. I should have included the hand paddles and leg buoys in the photo. They would have definitely upped the mystery factor.
Ellen
Ah crap…I thought I was so prepared: water, food, change of clothes for everyone, paper towels, wipes, toys, crayons and colouring books, first aid kit, roadside emergency kit, shovel, blankets, pillows, candles, flashlights……but OMG No Flipping Flippers!!!
it’s inevitable that disaster will now strike us down
RoryBore recently posted..Monday Listicles: "Rollin in the Mini"
Ha! This is my summertime prepared, although we always have flippers because of winter swim team. But in winter, I also have my foldable shovel and kitty litter (great traction if stuck). Ellen
P.S. – Watch your back for that tsunami, though.
I love all the photos! Great list.
Marie recently posted..My name is Marie, and I’ve become a minivan person.
We also have a happy meal toy graveyard in the backseat of my car. Sometimes it scares me. I am also so glad to hear that I am not the only one who drove around with Christmas presents hiding in the car trunk. I thought I might be weird with that one.
Great list!
Brandee recently posted..Cars, cars and more cars!
I need to have you all come organize my car. Ours is the water bottle graveyard, along with the athletic equipment. Taxi is so right.
Jamie@SouthMainMuse recently posted..Baby you can drive my car….please.
You must be very disorganized if you thought we looked organized. The grass is always greener…
Ellen
Oh yeah, happy meal toys and fries…definitely can find plenty of those in our truck too!
I love that you had pictures to go along with all of your examples
Runnermom-jen recently posted..A Thought for Every Mile…
My minivan is now 15 years old. It has morphed through each of these phases. Now it serves as an extra car for our eldest to drive when she’s visiting from college. I still drive it from time to time for purely nostalgic reasons.
Emma @ Your Doctor’s Wife recently posted..Teen Talk and My SuperMom Cape
But not in the summertime, right? You can’t give up those cooled seats, not in this weather.
Ellen
I REALLY need to keep a legal pad in the car because I always get these brilliant post ideas while driving and then later sit staring at my blinking cursor asking myself “What was that great idea you had the other day on the way back from Target?” and I never, ever, remember!
Diane@BeStillaMinute recently posted..Saturn with a Sunroof
Oh well, when I am in Target, I text myself with my brilliance.
Ellen
We too have a lot of stray toys lying on the floor of the car. Am waiting for hubs to throughly clean up the car when he is free
Dominique@Dominique’s Desk recently posted..It’s my SITS Day!!
Your creativity is amazing! Absolutely loved it!
Jill recently posted..Monday Listicles: 10 Random Car Memories
Aw, thank you! Two minds are better than one. Ellen
19 water bottles? I love you and I want to be your sister wife!
Robbie recently posted..Survival Tips
We are a thirsty people. Just not thirsty enough to ever get to the bottom of a bottle.
Ellen
I pinned command central, ladies. Hope you don’t mind. If you try to sue me I’ll just claim I thought it was a picture of my own car—and I’d win with that argument.
High fives to us! We live in our cars. I’m only waiting for sports central to be a part of the in-car experience.
Ninja Mom recently posted..Middletini and Max and Ruby
Ooo, you know I’m going over to Pinterest to see if anyone else has pinned it. It feels positively blissful to be relieved from shameless self-promotion.
And you’re in for a treat when you start sports. It adds a delightful fragrant bouquet that marries beautifully with the aroma of decaying french fries. Ellen
“Command Central”…truly a work of art!!! Great list!
Diane recently posted..My "MINI" and Me #Monday Listicles
I love the command central picture – it makes it all seem so organized. I keep gifts in my car sometimes too. Along with lots of other stuff!
Katie E recently posted..Monday Listicles: 10 Things About My Car
LOL! Organized is definitely not the word my family would use for the disaster in my passenger seat. No one rides shotgun with me.
Ellen
These photos cracked me up – too hilarious! But I remember when my mom drove me to music lessons and stuff and always waited around. I guess kids tend to take that for granted. But at least you’ve got your own entertainment center while waiting! *g* xo Anja
Anja recently posted..A stroll thorugh Würzburg, Germany
It is quite frightening when I venture into the back seats of the van to see what my children have been up to back there.
QueenMomJen recently posted..August 11th Tea Party Pictures!
I find it best not to look. Ever. Ellen
I Love it! My Subaru would never be able to hold that much stuff. Although I do have at least 2 cases of water in the back at all times
Audrey recently posted..Monday Listicles – Cars
Oh the DVD players… thank the big guy upstairs for those!
Jamie recently posted..yes, yes I’m addicted
Ha! I feel so much better now because my minivan looks just like that. And mine smells like a locker room too. There is no amount of Febreeze strong enough to fully eradicate that smell. ick.
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OMG—I could have never done half of what you girls do. I can’t even imagine the stress of running kids from place to place–take care of a house–a husband (the extra kid), and even have time to shower and go to bed. You girls must sleep in your clothes, so you are ready at a moments notice to do the next task!!! My hat is off to all of you. PLEASE take time to go to the spa once in awhile.
Love to all, Aunt Karo
You are so sweet, Aunt Karo. Thank you. Ellen