G33KMOM

For mother's day my family got me something I was going to get a while ago and never did, custom plates for my new-to-me (2 years ago) car.  Every time I walk up to my car it's just weird, it looks so different, so odd not to have a random string of numbers, but something with meaning, and of course it makes me smirk and laugh just a little!

My silver Toyota Sienna minivan now boasts tags that proudly declare 

G33KMOM

(read Geek Mom)

Let me step back a bit though and share how all of that happened.  You see, a minivan was a huge move for me and one I fought tooth and nail to avoid.  I did not want to be just another mom in a minivan, I did not want to be wasteful driving around in an over-sized vehicle.  

Three years ago, when we learned that our third child was on the way, we faced a sharp reality.  The reality that, unless we bought a bigger car that could hold three car seats, we were going to have to take 2 cars if we wanted to go somewhere with all of our family.  I'd also been struggling with not being able to get together with friends who couldn't drive because they are visually impaired, and even though one of those friends had left the country before I got my van, I was still saddened by all we could not do because we simply didn't all fit.  

My husband and I spent months pouring over websites looking at worthless automotive website after worthless flash riddled automotive website.  NONE of them talked about the things we cared about, the number of latch and tether locations, the fuel efficiency, the green construction techniques incorporated or recycled/sustainable materials used.  I mean I guess every mom may not care, but we were coming from a super fuel efficient bare bones stripped out Kia Sephia, I didn't want to make my footprint balloon out of control, after all I didn't get a degree that allowed me to greater understand the interworkings of creation just to squander my time here consciously destroying it!

We looked at Ford's, Chevy's, Subaru, Honda's (although the salesman for the Honda insulted me more than once while I was just "looking" with stuff that was none of his business, so that pretty much killed those), Toyotas, and well, whatever we could find really.  I really wanted to stick with as small of a car as possible, and the Matrix or the Outback may have worked, but it quickly became evident that we were going to be officially in the land of the van.  (We even borrowed my friend's Prius for a road trip, and as much as I absolutely loved it, two carseats just barely fit in the back.)  

Once we resigned ourselves to getting a van, the rest became obvious.  The Toyota was by far the outstanding vehicle for the model years we were looking at.  I have to say, over the last 2 years, I've grown quite happy with it, even if it is bigger than I need a lot of the time.  My kids love it, and as horrific as the car buying ordeal is, we'd better be happy with it for the next 10 years (unless my pod cars become a reality and I totally want in on those!)

Originally, as I consigned myself to the fact that I had arrived at that mommy point where I had to have a van - consolation was made in that I could get custom plates.  I chose G33KMOM, but because of the screwy way we do plates here, we had to buy regular plates and then order custom plates and pay twice.  As a result it just didn't happen, I mean it did seem a waste of money. 

Now I just smile.  I now have a big distinguishing mark from the other silver Toyota Sienna (not quite Swagger Wagon) vans in town.  Mine is the only one that proudly boasts - GEEK MOM!

You just can't help but smirk!