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Why do minivans get such a bad rap?

I will be getting a minivan soon, to replace my 1998 Honda Civic. I have my sights set on the top rated Honda Odyssey. Why wouldn’t I want to drive this car? What is the stigma with buys driving minivans? Today’s minivans are comfortable, powerful, stylish, with every bell and whistle imagineable. The sheer number of cupholders alone should make any guy want one.

Why is it that women are allowed to drive minivans, but men would just as soon admit they shave their legs than drive one? Is it because they are afraid it will remove what’s left of their macho image? Let me tell you a little secret. When you have two kids, you’ve already lost any trace of machismo. There is nothing macho about having formula stains on all your shirts, or cheerios all over your car. Nobody will mistake you for the Marlboro Man as you push a double stroller in the mall, diaper bag over your arm, Elmo stickers stuck to the bottom of your shoes. Or, as you pull a used tissue from your pocket to wipe the snot from your kids’ nose, then put it right back in your pocket to use later.

I say, bring on the minivan. Personally, I can’t wait to get one. At least I’ll be a comfortable, if not macho, guy.

There’s no fruit in a fruit rollup

Getting my preschooler to eat fruits or vegetables is near impossible. His diet mainly consists of chicken nuggets, waffles, pizza, pasta, chicken nuggets, and crackers. Did I mention chicken nuggets? What is it with those that is so damn appealing to kids?

There are a few almost fruit and vegetable items that he’ll eat. One is ketchup, which can be used on anything listed above, or eaten straight from a spoon. Not kidding. Ketchup has tomatoes, so it’s a vegetable, right? The others look like they might contain some fruit, but they are really fruit themed candy.

Fruit rollups hardly count as fruit. They are basically sugar, and food coloring which comes off on hands, faces, and the white tee shirt that Daddy is wearing. Want to know what is in a Blastin Berry fruit rollup? Pears from concentrate, corn syrup (aka sugar), dried corn syrup (more sugar), sugar, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, citric acid, sodium citrate, pectin, distilled monoglycerides, malic acid, vitamin C (yay!), acetylated mono and diglycerides, natural flavor, color. Now I’m certainly no health nut, but that doesn’t sound very good.

Yogos, Kellogg’s yogurty covered fruit flavored snacks. These things come with a neat little dispenser that kids want to use over and over. Think Pez. Again, the main ingredients are sugar, but at least they add 100% daily recommended vitamin C, so I can rationalize him eating them. It’s like drinking a glass of orange juice every day.

Fun Bus

I’ve written here about how I’ve been searching for an indoor gym/playground to take my kids in the winter. Well, here is a great concept. A school bus, with all the seats removed, and padded walls. Just park in the driveway and turn the kids loose. The house doesn’t get destroyed, and we don’t need to go anywhere. Seems like the perfect solution.? Do they rent by the month?