#dirtypics: the car edition

When we last met to discuss our [#]dirtypics  , I can't believe I failed to mention the space that quickly becomes the dirtiest of all: our van. And when you all shared your dirty pictures with me, no one shared their car! So am I alone in this? I hope not. I think not. 

I once had a friend come visit with her two children. When they arrived after their several hour car journey, their kids came tumbling out of the back of their van with stuff literally stuck to them. There were so many snacks crunched into the floorboards I didn't know if I should laugh, avert my eyes, or start munching. The dad said he once judged one of his friends pretty badly when he saw the inside of his vehicle. One or two kids should not cause that, he condemned in silence. But as his own children shook off their debris, he laughed as he shared this story with us, shaking his head at his own ignorance. 

Here's the deal with the car: it gets you from here to there, and while going from here to there the kids are strapped in to a 5-point harness and can hardly move. Which means they are limited for entertainment. Which means you keep chucking toys back at them, and when that fails you dig into the snacks. And when they start throwing their Cheerios for entertainment purposes, you let them because they are being quiet. Parenting while driving-- we decided it was worse than texting. [But don't text while you're driving.] 

So all of the above happens, and you get to your destination, or your home, and all you want to do is get out of the vehicle. So you leave the remains. And the three pairs of shoes your three year old has taken off on three separate trips. And the books. And the toys. And the spare diapers. And I am just going to pretend that sippy cup that I know rolled under the driver's seat is gone forever because I don't want to imagine what it will smell like if I open it. 

I was thinking about all of this, and our need to be open and share our realities more. I won't lie, this is not THAT bad for my van. Nothing sticky was happening and the backseat was surprisingly calm. But here is a peek at the front and the back: 

Let me break this down for you.

The front seat:
/ A box of diapers. Obviously.
/ Goodnight Moon. Because I need an option to throw back at the girls at any given moment.
/ My purse… and oh my goodness that should probably be my next [#]dirtypics post. Yikes.
/ Hand sanitizer, for those emergency "I HAVE TO GO POTTY!" right now moments on the highway.
/ A giant cup from McDonalds. This is unusual for our van. I won't lie. But I snapped this on the day of our anniversary, and we celebrated after church my going to McDonalds and a park. We're so fancy, you guys.
/ Crunch candybar wrapper. That was all me.
/ Stickers from church nursery. Does your church have these? And if so are they EVERYWHERE in your house? When a number flashes on the screen at church are you panicking because you currently have 5 numbers stashed in your bible and 12 in your purse and you have NO IDEA if that number is yours because you have 17 to sort through?!
/ Sunglasses. Which will break in the next week. [True story.]
/ Two bottles of partially empty water.
/ A church bulletin.
/ And, if you look very closely, you will see that under the tray is a dirty diaper. Does that mean I win and you all can stop now?

Moving on to the back seat which, like I said, is relatively calm and clean:

Okay. Actually this is too calm. Some random toys and books, a snack container, and crumbs. I'm patting myself on the back. Nothing looks stained either, so bonus points.

But seriously, I get stressed out when the van is messy and I try. But after one day it looks like I haven't touched it in months. And during softball season when I'm driving out to the ball field everyday and hauling things? Forget it. I think Newton needs a new law: What goes up must land in your van. 

The girls don't seem to mind though. They actually find it quite peaceful, apparently.

Your turn! Email me or post to my facebook. I can't wait!