Non-political thread...

Resa77 · November 2012

..for those who need to keep their blood pressure low, or just want to avoid politics in general. Let's play Tuesday Questions!

1. What book are you reading now?
2. When you have kids, SUV or minivan?

Resa77 · November 2012

1. What book are you reading now?
I am reading Gracelin O'Malley. It's set in 1800s in Ireland. It's a lot of drama surrounding politics, race, religion, etc. I liked the beginning of the book, which was more about interpersonal interactions, as opposed to the near-end, which is all about politics, rebellion,etc.
2. When you have kids, SUV or minivan?
Minivan. I get the whole "mom car" stigma, but a) you are a Mom, don't be embarassed about it, and b) whenever I see an SUV, I assume a Mom is driving it, sooo it's also kind of a mom car. But really, minivans are just more convenient for people with kids. Sliding doors make it much easier to get the door safely open when you're carrying an infant carseat, holding a toddler's hand, and carrying a shopping bag. It's also just the considerate thing, since kids in SUVs= my car getting dinged when they throw open the door in the parking lot. Can't do that with sliding doors!

Calypso1977 · November 2012

1. i have no books at the moment although a trashy danielle steel is waiting for me at the library.

2. neither. unless you have more than 2 kids i really dont see the need for a large vehicle. our generation's parents got by with sedan size cars (and even those were smaller). i remember many a trip packed up for the beach and we never had to leave antthing behind... we and all our stuff always fit. but im also fuel conscious and the larger the vehicle means the worse gas mileage. hybrid SUV's still get significantly less MPG than my car.

erin5286 · November 2012

1. What book are you reading now?
Just started reading What The Dead Know by Laura Lippman, it's about a woman who shows up claiming to be one of two sisters who were abducted many years ago. I'm not too far into it but so far it's interesting

2. When you have kids, SUV or minivan?
Now I say SUV, but I can't say for sure that I'll never change my mind (although H and I have discussed it before and neither of us want a minivan). I'll admit that part of it is the whole mom-van stigma that I'm just not ready to sign on for, plus I just don't care for the look of any minvans on the market right now. I know several car companies are starting to add some of the "mom" features into their SUVs or crossovers (Toyota Highlander is one example, the commercials I've seen are basically marketing the vehicle to parents who don't want a minivan or station wagon). However, I know it'll be years before I'm in the market for a family vehicle, so my opinion may have changed by then.

Resa, is your book based mainly on actual historical events/characters, or more fiction? It sounds pretty interesting, I always like historical fiction or just history of England/Ireland, Henry the VIII, Marie Antoinette, that kind of thing.

itzMS · November 2012

1. What book are you reading now?

I'm not an avid reader and will only get a book when going on a vacation that involves a lot of beach time.

2. When you have kids, SUV or minivan?

Neither. Going to stick with the four-door car approach. Part of DH & my vows was to never own a mini-van...

Resa77 · November 2012

Erin, it' a historical fiction, I guess, but I'm not sure how accurate any of it is. I don't know much about Ireland at that time, except the culture. It's pretty interesting, though.

Calypso, in some instances I agree, but many people have more than two kids. Also, here's something to consider. If you have a newborn and a toddler, you have two carseats in the back of your car. If you, H and your two kids go somewhere in your Corolla, you can't have anyone else in the car, as no one can fit between the two carseats. If you, H and your 2 kids go shopping, and have a double stroller in the trunk, you now have no space for your shopping bags (or at least, very little space). If you have a sedan, and 2 kids ,and your friend has a sedan, and 2 kids, and you want to take a 1-2 hour trip to, for instance, an amusement park, you are now taking two cars rather than one, thus using more fuel.
I think if you have a larger sedan, then you can make it work, but then you're getting similar mileage to an SUV or minivan. My sister drives a RAV-4 and gets better mileage than she did in her Corolla S. My Mom drives a minivan and gets better mileage than my Dad's larger sedan.
Heres' the thing that has me sold: two of my sisters bought sedans when they had one baby. Within a month of having a second, they bought minivans. They realized quickly that between carseats, strollers, friends, and other cargo, a sedan just didn't cut it!

Resa77 · November 2012

Oh, and I almost forgot...what if you want to carpool? You have two kids, your neighbor has two kids, and they all go to school together. Sedan means you can't carpool, since kids can't sit in the front seat.

Chloeagh · November 2012

1. What book are you reading now?
Just my Physiology textbook and finishing up De Amicitia by Cicero (yes, in Latin). I have a two books by Ellen Hopkins (threewhen I get her new book that got shipped this morning) and J. K. Rowling's new book waiting for me on my desk.
2. When you have kids, SUV or minivan?
No preference right now. Whatever has the best gas mileage and most space when the time comes. Of course, I probably won't have enough kids to need one because right now I feel like I'm never going to stop being a student.

Resa77 · November 2012

Chloeagh, that's no light reading! Good luck getting through it all! I haven't been a student in 4 years, and I still remember how stressful it was. I actually still have nightmares about college lol.

itzMS · November 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_non-political-thread?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:071a36a3-f751-4399-ae6e-41108a30565fPost:69d2ef98-d78c-4a12-bc32-46db84a13b76">Re: Non-political thread...</a>:
[QUOTE]Erin, it' a historical fiction, I guess, but I'm not sure how accurate any of it is. I don't know much about Ireland at that time, except the culture. It's pretty interesting, though. <strong>Calypso, in some instances I agree, but many people have more than two kids. Also, here's something to consider. If you have a newborn and a toddler, you have two carseats in the back of your car. If you, H and your two kids go somewhere in your Corolla, you can't have anyone else in the car, as no one can fit between the two carseats. If you, H and your 2 kids go shopping, and have a double stroller in the trunk, you now have no space for your shopping bags (or at least, very little space). If you have a sedan, and 2 kids ,and your friend has a sedan, and 2 kids, and you want to take a 1-2 hour trip to, for instance, an amusement park, you are now taking two cars rather than one, thus using more fuel. I think if you have a larger sedan, then you can make it work, but then you're getting similar mileage to an SUV or minivan. My sister drives a RAV-4 and gets better mileage than she did in her Corolla S. My Mom drives a minivan and gets better mileage than my Dad's larger sedan. Heres' the thing that has me sold: two of my sisters bought sedans when they had one baby. Within a month of having a second, they bought minivans. They realized quickly that between carseats, strollers, friends, and other cargo, a sedan just didn't cut it!
</strong>Posted by Resa77[/QUOTE]

I think that's the longest analysis of pro-minivan I've ever seen <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-smile.gif" border="0" alt="Smile" title="Smile" />

Resa77 · November 2012

I just get so sick of people bad-mouthing minivans

I also get sick of people with kids not driving them, and then having my car damaged by their kids swinging huge SUV doors open.

Calypso1977 · November 2012

i guess id never buy a car based on transporting other people's kids. id buy a car that it know my family can fit into. i could not be bothered with shutttling other people's kids around.

as for shopping, ive personally never understood why entire families go to the grocery store or the mall. its not fun for hte kids or the parents. so i would never drag 2 kids a stroller, etc. all in the car at one time. just seems like a completely inefficient use of time. the shopping can be done faster if mom or dad goes alone. my sister has 4 kids and its much easier for her to go to the store alone - in fact, she LOVES escaping for an hour to get groceries!

debbiem56 · November 2012

I am so glad I don't have to decide on the size of my car anymore. I got a minivan when my kids hit school age and I had to haul them and their teammates to practice.

Now I have a Miata and a Cavalier. My granddaughter wanted to know why I bought such a small car that no one can fit in. I politely told her that I don't have to drive anyone else; it is her mother's problem.

My son (not the father of the previous granddaughter) has a teenage stepdaughter and 4 kids of his own. The four little ones were 5, twin 3 year olds and a newborn when he bought a Town and Country. Even a minivan would not hold 7 people with 4 of them in car seats.

Calypso1977 · November 2012

oh, yeah, and she has a station wagon. never had a van or an SUV, or a double stroller.

SusieSunshine2 · November 2012

1. I am reading The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand, nice light book to escape from the reality of work and school. I enjoy books that don't involve a whole lot of thinking.

2. We are learning toward SUVs. FI already drive an Explorer, so he would like to have something that size. I have an Accord right now and will probably upgrade to a small SUV like a CR-V. I don't like driving the big SUV, it feels like I'm driving a bus. I've driven a minivan before and I just didn't enjoy it.

Resa77 · November 2012

I would totally base the decision of what car to buy off driving other people around, but that's because I am a HUGE fan of carpooling.

lalaith50 · November 2012

Currently reading: The Bad Catholic's Guide to Wine, Whiskey, and Song.

HILARIOUS! Even funnier thant the original "Bad Catholic" book. It combines some of my favorite things; Catholicism, alcohol, good food, and even some fascinating history (in a very entertaining fashion!)

Van or SUV? I guess I don't really care... whichever gets better gas mileage and has better consumer ratings and can fit all the people we need to fit!

Resa77 · November 2012

Lalaith, that sounds like a really interesting book!

Calypso1977 · November 2012

i guess i dont get how carpooling works with kids who are in seats? i mean, car seats are a bit of a drag to install, arent they sort of put in once and left there with maybe a periodic check to make sure they are snug enough? so wouldnt it take more time to be constantly moving seats beween your car and your neighbors car? i know some couples who have bought 2 sets of seats - one for each car - just to save having to install and uninstall between their own vehicles.

lalaith50 · November 2012

I don't know about others, but when I refer to carpooling, I'm thinking of having kids past the age of car seats. (Most toddlers don't go to events together and without their parents, but school-age children do.)

Kamakanani · November 2012

1) Mostly I've been either trying to catch up on the daily emails for the read the Catechism in a year or 1Q84 (when I'm not writing for NaNoWriMo).

2) haven't really decided. I tend to be partial to station wagon-esque cars, but I think my decision will mostly be based on what the best gas mileage is and what the safety numbers look like (as well as price)

Resa77 · November 2012

I didn't even think of station wagons. Do they even make them anymore? I don't know the last time I saw one!

For carpooling, I was talking more about school-aged kids. In VA at least, kids are in carseats til they're 8 or something, but they're these little boosters that are easy to move. All my mom-friends have a few of them -- usually two per kid. My Mom has like 4 of them lol. By the time a kid is like, 4 maybe?, they are in those ones that are boosters with backs, and those aren't installed in the same way infant and toddler ones are.

professorscience · November 2012

I know there's an Accord wagon...

Books: I'm alternating between A Dance with Dragons (from the Game of Thrones series), the Bible, and Believing in Jesus, which is a breakdown of the Catholic faith and kind of a Bible study guide. I find it really weird to have a Game of Thrones book right next to my Bible on my bedside table, but it really just depends on my mood, I guess.

Cars: I think I'd go for a crossover-type SUV, like a CR-V. I don't love huge SUVs, but I really find minivans way more trouble than they're worth. They're hard to get in and out of and really, if you have more than two kids of carseat age, getting seats into the very back seems like a HUGE hassle. I'd rather just have more space.

bibliophile2010 · November 2012

1. Jesus and the Jewish Rooths of the Eucharist. It's really interesting.Usually, I'm also reading a fiction book, but am between them at the moment.

2. Up for debate in the future. Right now, we will have a large sedan that will take us through 2 kids. I say mini-van for the next car -- pretty much for the reasons Resa outlined. Plus, I'm short. I can't imagine getting an infant seat into an SUV, and I think they drive more comfortably. H would prefer an SUV so we could tow stuff if we ever so desired.

Yes, I prefer infant seats to convertibles for young babies. I just think the LOs fit in better, and I like being able to move them around with little or no unstrapping. Even if one plans on babywearing, I think there are times that moving the seat is helpful. I also think there are times when you do need strollers and stuff, but I agree with you, Calypso, about the store. I take C to the grocery store as infrequently as possible, and never for my big, weekly shopping.

maggieandrey · November 2012

1. I'm between books but will hopefully be starting Anti-Cancer soon (as recommended by one of you lovey ladies.) It's on my kindle it's just been a tough few weeks with no down time!

2. I'm probably going to go SUV. I've actually wanted to upgrade to a CR-V from my Honda Civic for a while now but my fiance would kill me if I did that when we have a wedding to pay for... So I will probably end up holding onto my Civic until the wheels fall off. One of my coworkers has twin three year olds, and I think if he can manage with just a Civic, I can make it work too. I can definitely see the need for more room when you have more than one kid and they are school aged. My step mom was one of those that was a control freak that had to be the one that drove us and our friends everywhere, and I'm pretty sure I'll be one of those too...

Chloeagh · November 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_non-political-thread?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:071a36a3-f751-4399-ae6e-41108a30565fPost:078d1411-2d47-4f74-a657-66be0849dc7f">Re: Non-political thread...</a>:
[QUOTE]Chloeagh, that's no light reading! Good luck getting through it all! I haven't been a student in 4 years, and I still remember how stressful it was. I actually still have nightmares about college lol.
Posted by Resa77[/QUOTE]
Not to detract from the car discussion, but thanks! I'm a Latin and Biology major, so it's all pretty intense. Then I have four more years, some of which I'll be going to school more than full time so I can get two degrees.

Non-political thread...

Re: Non-political thread...

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