Life, B.C.

B.C.

No, not before Christ.

Before children!

I was driving the kiddos to preschool this morning, both of them chattering in the backseat, singing along (sorta) with the radio, pointing to the cows as we pass and saying "Mooooooo", both trying to get me to look at them or get them something they dropped or distract me in general when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her.

My heart raced. I let out a gasp.

She was such a dead-ringer that I couldn't believe my eyes. Instantly I was transported to a time and place when the wind was blowing through my hair, I wasn't afraid to wear a bikini in public, and life was carefree. I remembered a time when I could stay up late and sleep in, when the bags under my eyes didn't take ten minutes to conceal, when dh and I would just make up our minds to go somewhere... and then go there, with her.

Betty, my solar yellow, fully-loaded Jeep wrangler. My baby, B.C.

Man, how I loved that Jeep. Yeah, she was a noisy ride and wasn't very smooth, but she was so much fun and so me. She had a great sound system, big tires, hard and soft top. *sigh* She was the epitome of young, hip, and spontaneous - just like a girl I used to know.

Isn't it funny how our cars tend to define the stages in life that we are in? When we're young and responsible for just ourselves and our happiness, it's all about fun, fast, loud - just like my Jeep. Then we "grow up", get a couple of kids and carseats, and it's all about MPGs, airbags, the LATCH system, and a third row.

Those kiddos. They really do change everything, don't they?

These days, I alternate between a Toyota Camry and a Ford F-150, both with backseats completely consumed by carseats and children's toys/books. They're responsible vehicles, parent vehicles, A.C. (after children) vehicles. They get good gas mileage and have great safety features as well as good crash-test ratings.

Betty got 14 miles to the gallon, had only two front airbags, two doors that were removable, and a backseat I kept in a storage unit. Hmmm.

Guess I've moved to that next phase of life. My Jeep stage was fun, no doubt, and memorable, and one of these days, I've vowed to dh that I'll own another, but my mom car stage isn't so shabby either. Sure, I'm cleaning up spilled sippy cups and crushed animal crackers. I'm digging out lost socks and shoes from under the seat. (I was wondering where those went!) I'm driving the speed limit more often than not, and I sing along to "Mary Had a Little Lamb" rather than screaming Courtney Love at the top of my lungs.

The Jeep days? They were good times.

These days? They're the great times.

And I'd trade Betty in all over again in a heartbeat.

Share your B.C. ride! Post about your car before kids versus what you drive now and come back to post the link in a comment!

And as always - Follow Me baby!!