Surrender

 

We have done it!

We have traded in our old lovely 7 seater car.  We have had that car for the past four years and we bought it when we only had to consider 3 children.  

In that time, the car has been brilliant.  It has fitted all of our children with their friends and has been a good friend to the family – never a moment’s trouble.  I loved our car.  

Then it happened........   

Bubsieboo arrived – which is fine right?  

 She is only a baby and there are still spare seats in the car with her seat installed............. 

Then we will just fit in the pram............... OK it is really starting to get cramped as there is limited space at the back with all of the seats up,...... but we can still manage...........  

Then we realised that we can never travel as a family in the car anymore, no longer could we fit bags as well as people into the car. ...... Food shopping can not fit with all of the children........  

Then people started to grow............. Children that were once tall 10, 8, 5 year olds, suddenly became much bigger 14, 12, 9 year olds.............  Long legs replaced the short ones, .............Bubsieboo turned from a baby into a toddler.  Where was everyone to fit?

Kicking and screaming I fought it.  I denied the problem everyone in the back of the car was facing (I as the driver – felt quite spacious up the front really)  I didn’t mind that we travelled the streets looking like something from a cartoon or National Lampoon's adventure with faces squished to the windows in the effort to find a small area to breathe at the back of the car.  

They couldn’t take it any longer!!!   

The family waged a mutiny against the mother.   

They joined forces and together a decision was made to return to being a van family. 

HUMPH

Now we had been here before. 

8 years previously we had bought a van when I was struggling to place 3 children into car seats.  The van was incredibly well suited to our larger family.  

Easily the doors slid open (push button for added convenience), I could stand beside the car and easily place children in and out of car seats, and then there was a multitude of space to place prams, bags, school bags, friends, grandparents and luggage when necessary.   

Unfortunately the van held no glamour.  I felt like a middle aged mother…….. 

and this is the crux of the matter.

Sometimes in life, we need to surrender 

We need to surrender to the person that once we were.  There are so many sacrifices as a parent, I really didn’t want to make another sacrifice for a car.   

Now it is done.

The van is functional.  They have tried to make it sportier in design ( maybe onlookers can't tell that it's a people mover???- the size usually gives it away) 

It is more of a pleasure to drive than the older style van – which handled like a small semi.  Everyone in the back of the van is very happy with all of their spacious comfort to untangle those long legs.

In the front, the mother,  now uses all of the ‘bells and whistles’ installed on the car to make herself try to pretend it isn’t a people mover.  She plays her music (except when she is out-voted).  She dons sunglasses of the latest fashion and she envisages herself in the sporty convertible.

Surrender to this moment

It won’t be forever.  It is only a four year lease…….

Life Learning - Learning Life

For the Love of Learning

Donna