She'sWrite: Making the Most of my Mobile Home
She'sWrite Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 10:45AM Who knew that with motherhood, I’d also be gaining a mobile home? It’s got a dining area, a great place for the kids to play, nap and nurse, and there’s office space for Hubby and me.
Enjoying breakfast in the Jeep. Bacon, blackberries and blueberries. Yum!My mobile home is my SUV. I’ve served breakfast, lunch and dinner in my Jeep Commander, changed the poopiest of diapers, napped alongside my children, blinded high school boys in the Kohl’s parking lot with my boobs while breastfeeding in the backseat.
I’ve edited stories, had conference calls, written blog posts, filled out birthday party invitations. The list (obviously) goes on and on.
My husband marvels at all that’s in the car. I’ve got diapers stashed everywhere, along with juice boxes, bottled waters, changes of clothes, a quart of motor oil,
Goldfish, a stroller, blankets, toy cars, trucks, binkies, “emergency” lollipops. (The “emergency” usually being I need Logan to not speak while I’m in the middle of an important phone call.) The most unique item is a small doohickey (the technical term) that if your car was submerged in water, it effortlessly breaks the glass so that you can escape.
Cleaning my SUV is always an adventure, I try to do it each week so that it doesn’t get out of control. I find preschool art projects, receipts, coupons, forgotten half-eaten snacks and half-drunken water bottles.
Why do I have so much in my Jeep? What am I afraid of? Getting stranded in a blizzard? Dust storm? Flash flood? I’m certainly prepared. More like, over-prepared. But at least I’m making the most of my mobile home.
She’sWrite is the pen name of a journalist who lives in the northwest suburbs with her endearing Norwegian husband, her baby boy and 3-year-old son. Every Wednesday on Go West Young Mom, you’ll find her musings about being a mom, career woman, wife and friend, and the crazy juggling act in this curious circus that we call life. She publishes several times a week on her own blog, also called She'sWrite, and you can subscribe there to get email notifications of new posts.
Reader Comments (3)
I so love this column because my car is basically a rolling diaper bag. I have snacks, multiple changes of clothes (mostly for her, but sometimes for me), sunscreen, bug spray, picnic blankets, books, toys, sippy cups, etc. The problem is that, unlike you, I don't clean it out once a week and the car truly is out of control with crumbs, shoes, socks, etc. So I'm now inspired to set a "clean car day" (maybe Sunday evening?) where I can get it into decent shape for the week ahead. Thanks for giving me a kick in the pants!
Same here! I don't get around to cleaning it each week, but I try to do it regularly; it gets out of control so fast! It's nice to be prepared & have everything you *might* need, but I generally can't find it when I need it 'cause I've got so much stuff. I never thought a mini-van would feel small with only two kids.
I call my car "my office" because I run everything out of it. Since we are a one-car family, I often have to clean off my "desk" so that my husband or I can sit there.