A three year old with car trouble.

We woke up SS at 5:20 a.m., got her in her carseat, and again made the drive to the dealership. The van had been making a concerning noise that P and I feared could be the transmission. It worsened this week, necessitating another trek to the middle of nowhere. It is still under warranty (only 25,000 miles after three years), but it is still an inconvenience. For all of SS's high maintenance behavior, she is a good traveler. She is a pro at being taken from her crib half asleep, then placed in her carseat still in her PJs. We were hoping she would return to sleep but she was intrigued as to why we were traveling caravan style. When I managed to scald my tongue, palate and esophagus, my yelping sealed her fate; she was too startled to go back to sleep. I usually take my caffeine cold and there is a reason for that. Today I had coffee and it will be a long time before I make that mistake again. That is what happens when I am running on a whole hour of sleep. The stupid pain kept me awake, the two Percocet did not help.

Although we have had our share of used crappy cars (the sedan was our first new purchase), we are not mechanics and were happy to hear that the problem was a pulley, not the engine. Since P had a long week and little sleep, we opted to return tomorrow to retrieve SS's car. And that is what she calls it, she won't stand for us referring to it as Mama's car, or even the family car. It is SS's car, dang it. Oh to be three years old and suffer the inconvenience of car trouble.

As any couple, P and I have had those moments when we have been less than kind to each other. It is normal and usually a result of stress or sleep deprivation. So yeah, I have sometimes wondered how I ended up marrying the insensitive creature in front of me, then have children with said creature. I am also sure that P has those moments where he wonders the same about me, and far more frequently. Then there are days like yesterday, when the opposite happens. P made the appointment for the van during lunch, and was told to be at the dealership at 7:00 a.m. That meant a 5:00 a.m. wake up call for us. He told me, then apologized for inconveniencing us so early in the morning. That was so freaking cute, because he was sincere (that or an Oscar is in his future). The man only drives the van when he is with us, while SS and I pretty much live in it. He was the one who was going to drive three hours, then put in a ten hour day at work. SS and I were going along for the ride (I obviously drove one way), then return home to our beds (OK, SS would). I could have driven with SS and hang around until it was done, but P never considered that option. And believe me, the man hates that drive as much as I do.

SS was sad to give up the comfort of her van. We were worried about how long we would have to do without it.

SS was about to doze off when we rudely moved her from the van to the car. She was shot after that.

Look Mama, I am having a blast in Baba's old, cramped car, while sitting in this death trap of a carseat. I love living dangerously.

P always makes fun of my habit as a passenger of propping my feet on the dashboard. A lot of the time is only one. SS does the same, P thinks it is a girl thing, as he claims he has never seen a guy do this.

The face of a child who has been strapped to carseats for almost three hours. We thankfully made it home half an hour later and SS returned to her crib, where she slipped to dreamland. We did not have SS in P's car from home because there is no way SS would remain calm if separated from he Mama. Also, while her second carseat has the same safety rating as her Br*tax, the over $150 price difference is for a reason. It is not as comfortable and more important, it does not fit the same. When SS falls asleep in this carseat her head bobs around, unlike her B. And yes, the carseat is installed properly, P is a pro at proper carseat procedure. We do not like SS in this carseat unless absolutely necessary.