If only we weren't so damned concerned with safety

The mini-van shopping has begun. Somehow I thought we'd be able to fit 3 children into a Honda CRV. Little did I know that carseats are super-sized now. Is that because cars are getting bigger or children? We even tried fitting Jackson in between two carseats without his booster. It can be done but not exactly safely. In the event of a side impact his little head would be crushed between the two very hard outer shells of his siblings' carseats. And, as of right now, he's the child who holds the most promise so we're not willing to take the risk. I have never wanted a mini-van. Actually, I do believe that I swore once on my mother's life that I would never be caught dead driving one. Boy she's going to be disappointed. I used to think that a mini-van represented all that was wrong with the world. Gas guzzling cars that accommodated more children than any two people had the right to conceive. They were a sign of how we raped and overpopulated the earth. I was such an idealist back then. Oh, how things have changed. I still agree with the basic premise of my previous belief; I just don't care so much anymore. That's not completely true because I have given our situation some justification... er, I mean, thought. First of all, mini-vans have improved on gas mileage. Second, although it's true that we're over-populating by having more kids than there are parents, reproductively speaking Sam is a dead end. Okay, really we're considering a mini-van because we're looking at future wheelchair lift potential; something most new car buyers fortunately don't have to consider. Still the old me will be having a good laugh at the new me if and when I get behind that wheel.