From minibus to mini-car #magicmoments

One from the archives this time 2 years ago - I still love my little car!

I love cars. My first car, back in 1988, was a Ford Escort which I loved. Ok it looked like it had been through an acid bath but it was mechanically sound and back then it was one of the cars of choice for a "cool" teen.

For some years I swapped cars like I swapped handbags. And luckily my stepdad who was a mechanic and more was always on hand to patiently advise, supply or in some cases, steer me away from my latest potential purchase.

I had a Mini, Fiesta, 2cv special with a painting of a Frenchwoman on the side, a Cavalier, then another Escort. Then in 1993 I found I had something new to distract me from my pursuit of the perfect car. That something was my eldest son and without breaking my back I could not get his car seat into the back of my two door sporty Escort.

So a series of family friendly cars followed. Bigger boots for the buggies. Wider seats for the rapidly expanding number of car seats we had to squeeze in. More safety features than fun features.
Heading towards the millennium we starting pondering the possible purchase of one of the then quite new " people carriers". We only had three children but it was hard to cram them across the back seat and eldest kept nicking second son's cars, crisps and lumps of hair.

Stepdad said he didn't want to help us buy one as he was worried we might fill all 7 seats ( pause as you all laugh ironically).

But all those shopping trips with him had paid off. I had learned a lot of the tricks of the trade so I went and bought one all by myself. Strapping baby number 3 into our Espace I exclaimed how useful all those spare seats would be for friends and elbow room. ( pause for another laugh)

Well the rest is history. I did indeed fill all the seats with my own offspring. And five years ago with that little blue line appearing once more leaving us unable to all fit into our Mercedes Vito ( eBay bargain) we blew an unexpected windfall on a 2 year old VW long wheel base transporter with 9 seats and a boot so big I could load my double buggy in without folding it down! Friends started betting that our next car would be a 56 seater coach with on board toilet and televisions.

But life relentlessly rolls on and with eldest installed in his own flat, second son debating which uni to go to and the "baby" starting school full time this year I find myself more and more driving the beast around with scores of empty seats.

It guzzles diesel. It needs a football pitch to park in. And although I love it I feel guilty driving past bus stops without stopping to pick strangers up to fill the seats. Plus having only one vehicle is inconvenient.

So yesterday we took a big step. We downgraded. We sold the bus. We have bought two smaller cars. It seems momentous. It is recognition that one life stage is drawing to an end. No more babies. No need for massive boot space for a double buggy. Ok one of the vehicles we purchased is a 7 seater Galaxy but in our book that's a small vehicle.

The other vehicle is what I'm most excited about. It's a ( just about) 4 seater hard-top peugot. cabriolet. With red and black leather seats. And almost no boot. It sounds like a mid-life crisis car doesn't it? and ok it is, a little bit.
madmumof7 in Peaugeot 205cc
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But to me it's acceptance. My maternity days are over but I'm going to nip into middle age with the wind in my hair and a smile on my face and enjoy the cabriolet before old age takes hold and my fastest ride is a mobility scooter. Bring on the sun.......