Like many of you, I have a lot going down these days and here are a few highlights:
Terrific 3s
Thanks for all the GREAT advice and empathy you gave regarding my Little Terrible 3. From the sound of it, the 3s are far worse than the 2s for many people. In honor of of the CBS show Kid Nation, maybe we should just pool together all the bi-polar three-year-olds in the world and let them duke it out.
Then again, our species would be rendered obsolete.
Bugged Out
We have all acquired a lovely bug at our house that manifests itself at both ends. Hands down, my most trying times as a mom are when I am sick and required to take care of everyone. I think I will start a foundation aimed to take care of mamas when they are sick. Any takers?
Tree Killer
The man who grew the biggest pumpkin in town has killed our Christmas tree only a couple of weeks after purchase. And then he murdered my beautiful maroon poinsettia. Next stop: the Christmas spirit?
Swappin’ Recipes
I have been over at Mile High Mamas a lot this week. I am here to remind you that today is the final full day to share your favorite holiday recipes and be entered to win our fantastic prize package and possibly land yourself in The Denver Post.
The Great Transformer
My post today at MHM is all about confessionals. Have you lived your entire life denouncing a particular product, only to do a complete about-face? I call it a change of heart.
Jamie calls it hypocrisy.
Either way, come checkout my mind-boggling transformation.
And minivan drivers, stand tall, stand proud. This post’s for you.
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Admittedly, when Dodge contacted Mile High Mamas during their quest to find 50 local moms to test drive their 2008 Dodge Caravan, I scoffed. To say I am not a fan of minivans is an understatement. My sole reasoning behind my disdain for them was summed up in Chipotle’s recent ad campaign that attested, “There is no such thing as a cool minivan.”
The evidence:
No. 1: My ultra-cool neighbors (who bear a strong physical resemblance to Gabrielle and Carlos Solis on Desperate Housewives) considered buying a minivan last year. Instead of being supportive, I teased them to no end that they were “selling out their coolness.” This would later come back to bite me in the buttocks.
No. 2: During my qualifying interview with Dodge, they asked me if I would ever consider driving a minivan. I, of course, lied and said “Yes.” When asked what kind of minivan I would buy, I could not come up with even one example until they prompted me with, “Well, how about a Dodge Caravan?” Miraculously, I still qualified.
I would like to say it took me a while to warm up to the Caravan given my history. But after my half-hour tour of all its many charms, I was in love. Just like that, a convert. It was like living those many years pro-Diet Coke, only to have a swig of the enemy – Diet Pepsi – and to never look back.
It was just so convenient. With its power sliding doors, trunk, everything, the two LCD screens with accompanying DVD players, SIRIUS Satellite TV and Radio, the GPS to confirm just how lost I can become, the swivel seating system that allowed rear-seat passengers to swivel around to face each other while accommodating a stoable center table. IMG 8157 And not to be forgotten is the rear video camera that transmitted to the dashboard LCD screen, letting me see exactly what I was going to hit whilst backing up.
My husband says he has not seen a sell-out like this since The Simpson’s Krusty the Clown turned corporate.
We took my new love down to Colorado Springs and traveling with the kids was seamless. Imagine that: a seamless road trip. I never thought that possible.
During my week-long love affair, I still had this nagging feeling that I was selling out on my coolness. But then came my epiphany:
I am an unshowered mother of two children and my days of being cool are over.
Thanks, Dodge.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 