It's frick'n huuuuge!

So with the pending addition of another kid (No, we don't know when yet. Our application is in DC, on its way to Ethiopia, and then 4-6 months on the waiting list. How was that for a parenthetical?) we've been on the lookout for a larger vehicle. The minivan was already feeling, well... mini. Due to all the insane carseat rules that people seem to be implementing, it appears that our children will be stuck in those silly things until they are fourteen. Seriously, in Michigan you now have to be in a car seat until you are eight. Eight!!!! I just read in SuperFreakonomics that car seats provide no benefit as far as decreasing the risk of death or serious injury for kids over the age of 2. Paige still buys the car seat lobby's propaganda though, and remains unconvinced by her husband's book learnin'. Hmph! And three car seats do not fit in the back seat of a Honda minivan. At least not with any kind of comfort or ease of use. One more kid will mean that every single seat in the van would be occupied, leaving no room for grandparents, aunts, uncles, or friends from school.

So last week we found something that fit the criteria (primarily... "huge" and "not white") and I spent most of Saturday afternoon dealing with a used car salesman. I can think of more pleasant ways to pass a few hours (honestly, are car salesmen not a totally different breed?), but I did get to drive home with this...

Yeah, that's just a weeeeeeee bit bigger than the minivan. I think you could park the minivan inside it. The thing is massive.

Of course, with four acres of room inside it, where did all the kids want to sit on the way to church this morning? They could each have their own entire bench, and they fought over who got to crowd into the front seat. Sheesh...

This is totally unrelated, but apparently we have no problems letting our baby play in dirty gutter water...

"Look Dad! It's a ginourmous van!"

Paige is still pretty much a nervous wreck when driving it. She claims she needs a "mourning period." Mourning? For the loss of a minivan!?!?! I believe I told her when we got the thing that we were going to keep having kids until we couldn't fit in the minivan, and had to get a real one. She should have seen this coming...

So, anyone in the market for a gently used (ha!) Honda Odyssey? It could easily double as a survival kit, given that you could easily live for quite a few months just on the Cheerios stashed in every crevice...

The only downside? Not quite as maneuverable as the old van. I can totally see any number of these happening (but particularly the one starting at 45 seconds.)

The only question left? What to get for the license plate? (Vote in the poll in the sidebar!)

- T(he) A TEAM - The "he" would have to be added in small applied letters, since plain ol' A TEAM is already taken. And every fiber of my being wants to get a full vinyl wrap on the thing to duplicate the A-Team van graphics. Paige claims she would be horrified, but I know she would grow to love it. I mean, seriously? How completely awesome would an A-Team van be? I could even rig up a musical horn to play the theme song. I can't believe my wife isn't as giddy with this plan as I am...

- SHRT BVS - Unfortunately, SHRT BUS is already taken.

- NT MORMN (or NOT MRMN) - Since everyone will think we are...

- HUUUGE - Should be self explanatory.

- GO AL OUT - Paige's suggestion

- Others? Better leave a comment. You can see what plates are available here.