In my last two installments of this series, I tried to bring you both sides of the Minivan Wars and introduce you to real moms who loved their minivans and moms who wouldn’t drive a minivan if they could at all avoid it. I learned a lot from these moms but I was still torn as to what car to buy for my family of six.

Ultimately my crew made the decision for me.They were fed up with the status quo and it was either a minivan or a big old Partridge Family bus, for us.  I went quietly, no fight left. Four months of driving an Acura MDX with my four children, and groceries on everyone’s laps (no room for groceries when the double stroller is in the back) had taken the fight out of me. We worked with an excellent broker and placed an order for our very own minivan. We got the Honda Odyssey Touring in black, with the black interior. It looks either sleek, goth, or like Shamu sans white stripe, depending on your perspective.

I will say this, since driving a minivan my life has gotten considerably easier. Cushy almost. I could get used to this! Some of my favorite features thus far:

• The Doors and Liftgate. It’s hot here and I worried about a black on black vehicle. It’s never been a problem, partly because of the ability to open up the car from a hundred yards away.
• The Space: No more "Quit touching/crowding me!" screams from the back seat. I have all four kids sitting with noone next to them. The double stroller is still in the back of the car. Along with the groceries. There’s room for it all.
• The Versatility: My husband has removed the seats twice now. All that stuff in the garage waiting to go to storage? Gone. The mountain of things for Goodwill? Spreading cheer to those in need as we speak. These things tended to pile up and knowing it would take two or three trips in the MDX was enough to put it off till next weekend.
• The DVD system we have not used: I’m glad it’s there but I am also glad that my kids have not asked to watch it yet. In the crowded MDX tv was like a sedative, dosed out at every trip in order to keep the masses silent. In the Odyssey we actually listen to (XM) radio. And converse. How novel!

Do I love my minivan? Well despite the convenience, I can’t say I love it – yet. It’s getting there but a part of me misses driving a vehicle with major horsepower and a complete disregard for where to put a sippy cup. Which is why I already have my sights on something else in place of the MDX. I

If I had not had a fourth child, I doubt I would have taken the plunge. I would have stuck to an SUV or more eco friendly car for transporting the family. But now that I have it, I have to admit, there’s worse things in the world than being a Minivan Driving Mom!

Yesterday we brought you to the front lines of a battle raging in our school drop off lanes and mall parking lots. The Minivan Wars. We met with the rebel front – moms who told us about why they would rather drive pretty much anything besides a minivan. Their arguments were compelling.

Today we hear from minivan loving moms who have drunk the Soccer Snack Kool-Aid, and lived to tell the tale. They answered my query in overwhelming numbers. They also sported such a consistant story line, that I initially felt they were either members of a bizarre cult, or truly on to something .

While the Anti-Minivan Moms had a real knack for poking fun at the van drivers,  the Pro-Minivan Moms seemed to take this in stride and had no problem poking fun at themselves. They were nothing if not good sports. Their message to moms everywhere?

Time to Get Over Ourselves

 When it comes to moms who love their minivans, the politics are still at play, but priorities have shifted. For most of these women, it was a shock to find themselves at the wheel of their minivan. How did they get there?

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