So I was going to title this post "Mini Mom". Unfortunately not because I have lost any more of my baby weight, but because we finally gave in and purchased a minivan today (I vowed years ago that I would never go there). We got a steal of a deal and drove out to LA to pick it up this afternoon. The drive was long but surprisingly peaceful (Spencer usually cries in the car, but he has been really sick today and ended up sleeping the majority of the way there). We drove through some LA-type neighborhoods until we turned this corner and the view of the sun setting over the ocean literally took my breath away. This is exactly what we saw:
The kind people who sold us the car lived right up the hill from the Trump golf course in a quaint, yet amazing neighborhood. They also ended up being LDS. This part of the afternoon/evening was great. The van is great, the people were great, the kids were being great, the view was great... and then we drove home. Dah, dah, dah.I really don't want to bring anyone down, so I am going to give you the quickest run-down of the evening's events that I wish to forget, but know I need to blog (for reference, I took Dallin and Claire home in the new van while Pete took a screaming Spencer home in the Tahoe):
1 - We picked up Burger King on the way home. The kids spilled the milkshake in the new van. I am mad but not mean.
2 - I take the wrong exit, lose Peter and pay for it dearly as I struggled to find my way back in LA.
3 - The kids say they are not feeling well... Dallin proceeds to throw-up EVERYWHERE. It is on his shirt, pants, shoes, hands, seatbelt, seat, behind his seat, floor. We pull over, remove his clothes, and spend an obnoxious amount of time trying to get all traces of barf removed. Forget "new car" smell, we have barf... and a naked boy in the back. I am quite mad, praying not to be mean.
4 - At this point, Dallin has missed one of his best buddies birthday party and is quite upset in the backseat. We are both sad and mad.
5 - We are about 20 minutes away from home when the new van (we named it Obi 'Van' Kenobi) started to chug. My heart stopped. It would chug then race forward, chug then race forward. I prayed and kept pushing, then prayed and kept pushing. I finally had to pull off into a gas station. I turned the car off, said a "folded arms, eyes closed" prayer with the kids and turned the key. Nothing (for anyone losing faith, keep reading).
6 - I grabbed my new iphone to call Peter and there was no reception. I kept calling and calling and there was nothing. No dial tone, no ringing, nothing. Dead car, dead phone. Luckily I happened to have 3 quarters and a pay phone next to me. I called Pete, and my prince came to the rescue (with a sad, sick, screaming baby in the back seat :( ).
7 - While the kids and I waited, we played 20 questions and danced. I was trying everything in my power to not cry. I decided to try my phone again, it fell down the crack of the car and the face shattered. What?!!! Now I am super-mad, super-sad and wondering how in the world I break all of this to Peter. Little bit at a time.
8 - Peter rescues us, he figures out what is wrong with the van, my handyman hubby fixes it and follows us home. Prayers really are answered.
9 - We arrive home at 9:15 p.m... LONG day. Got the kids to bed, drove over to Best Buy to have my phone fixed and here I sit at midnight with everything finally okay. The van is okay, my phone is being replaced, the kids survived and I am not mad/sad/borderline psycho anymore.
10 Lessons learned:
- don't feed your car-sick kids Burger King
- don't feed your car-sick kids Burger King in a new car
- make sure you are always following the correct black Tahoe when changing freeways
- always keep an extra pair of clothes handy in the car (and maybe some Febreze)
- check thoroughly under the hood of the "new" used car you are purchasing
- always keep some extra quarters on hand
- kids are happy no matter what is going on around them as long as you are happy (even if you are faking it)
- don't drop an iPhone
- iPhone insurance is worth the extra money
- pray... it works.
21 comments :
oh my gosh! that is a nightmare!!! i'm sure one day you'll look back and laugh at this, but that won't be until the vomit smell in your new van is long gone...
You are one cool mommy. I don't think I could have handled it well like you did....but I do agree that a happy mommy makes happy kids. Good job Missi! And don't worry, the smell in the van eventually fades, replaced by some kind of "new" scent, which I'm sure the kids will provide for you! :-)
Wow, I feel for you in every way...We really missed Dallin at the party. We will have to have you guys over for your own personal movie night to make up for it. I can picture the throw up incident so vividly since my kids have done too many times to count. And your poor iphone...I so glad you have the iphone insurance. I am impressed that you were consciously trying to maintain your cool. I am sure I would of lost it. All in All we are glad you made it home.
wow. what a night! what an awful night! but what a great post!!!!
oh. and i am glad you got a van. i LOVE ours!
wow missi, what a day. i'm impressed how you kept your cool. and i agree--the kids get their cues of how to act from us moms. i mess that up too often.
Wow! Sorry you had to go through all that.
OOOOOOKKKKKAAAAAY....so I am normally not a blog reader, but my sister Andrea told me to read this entry of yours. I so sympathize with you. Have I ever told you MY "honda odyssey" buying story? It's a doozy as well. Let's just say all four of us were stuck in Portland for 3 nights 4 looooooong days with only a half a diaper bag. And we were 2 hours from home, but it took us 9 instead. I'll tell you the rest over the phone. Love ya!!
Oh my gosh, Missi, that story, although it a terrible one, made me laugh out loud! You poor thing! It sounded miserable, but you were so good to put on a happy face for your kids and trudge on. I can't say I'd be able to do the same thing. So, the van I saw you in today is yours? I thought it was a rental. Pretty color. Welcome to the wonderful world of mini vans! It's a good club. :-)
Oh my gosh, I had an slight anxiety attack reading this...you are so good in situations like this....good to see you the other day! Thanks for bringing Jack's "best" buddy over, he had a blast!
Oh girl. Praise the LAWD, for quarters, husbands in shining tahoes with loads of patience and understanding, and an experience to remember! I'm glad you wrote it down!!
LOVE this story! Sorry for the bad day! Don't you just love those days when you’re not sure if you should cry or laugh?
Mini Van Story: Today at church I had this nice lady lean over and say: "My daughter saw you driving to church today. She said, Wow that girl is my age and driving a mini van. Doesn't she know that is not cool!"
So funny! I guess by the 3rd one you don't look cool no matter what you drive!
Wow. When it rains, it pours! It's nice to hear that you handled it so well! I surely would have been in tears! I hope you can look back on it and laugh! We finally gave in and bought a minivan, too. I told Cameron that we would NEVER buy one of those things-- I love it!! :)
ummm, you are sooooo much nicer than me...that's it.
Brutal afternoon. Classic story and you are right, it kept getting worse. So glad you all eventually made it home safe and happy day...you have a new van!
Missi, I so enjoy your blog. You are so real. It makes me think maybe my family life is not "that" crazy. I hope that you are able to clean up the new van and have it smelling better and of course the kiddos too. BTW, I never did like Burger King, now I know why!LOL
That is so crazy! I'm glad it all worked out in the end and I hope the rest of your weekend was relaxing. I love your "lessons learned."
yikes. sounds awful. i would add to lessons learned: never buy a car from mormons... those mormons (JK). i hope your car troubles are only short-lived. btw, after j went through 3 treos (which his work paid for, fortunately) he decided to get us both cases for our iphones. those things are worth gold. without my case, i think i would break my phone on a daily basis.
what a nightmare! i'll try to remember those and am now seriously thinking about iphone insurance!
You are such a great story teller. You should really write children's books. I always enjoy reading your blog. Thank God for happy endings to Life's Challenges!!!
I'm seriously scared to buy an Odyssey van now...especially if its a "good deal" as I hear you and my sister have been "lucky" to get.
The fact is..there is a different price to pay...
I'm not sure I'm willing to pay that :)
But happy for you that that portion is done and paid for..Good job getting through it :)
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