Okay, I know I just posted but I have exciting news! We signed papers on a honda odyssey last night! Woooooo hooooo! Dude. I had perma-grin on the way home. I am soooo ready for this minivan!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm getting old. But seriously. The element just didn't work because it has suicide doors/ clamshell doors / whatever you want to call them. And rear facing your child's carseat is highly recommended past one year of age, so of course for her safety, we are doing that. So with the Element, I have to either climb into the backseat with Emma and buckle her in or lift her up through the back door up and over the back seat and buckle her in that way. Without a belly, it's semi-tolerable. With a belly, forget it. I get a stupid workout / backache just from putting my kid in the car. Why not get a car? Beacuse the minivan has soooo much more room and with another on the way, you want that room. Why not get an SUV? Because they are high off the ground! And newsflash! Kids are heavy! You either have to swing your kid up into the SUV or swing that baby carrier up there. ::shutters:: The very idea makes my back hurt all over again. Oh and Hans does not jump that high and it's not good for him to jump that high anyway with Great Danes' bad hips and joints.

SO! Remote control sliding doors, here I come!! Fold down third row with enough room for Hans, here I come! AIR CONDITIONING VENTS over Emma, here I come!! That was another reason we moved on this so quickly. There are NO vents in the back of the Element. They are only in the front and you have to just pray your kid is getting enough cool air. So not okay with me.

Here's a pretty picture: (LOL! With deer and rainbows!)