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My daddy is one of the most generous people I’ve ever known. When I got my driver’s license at 16, he started driving the company truck and handed over the keys to his prized blue ‘73 Mustang convertible. The boys were quite impressed with my ride and immediately wanted to know what kind of engine it sported. Clueless, I asked my dad, who told me it was a 351 Cleveland. I really didn’t know much more than I had in the first place, but I sounded very in the know when I said it.
My daddy loves to tell the story of my asking him if the Mustang was a hot car. “I don’t know, you tell me,” was his answer. He had a pretty good idea that I had been testing the capabilities of that 351 Cleveland (I plead the fifth). Boy, it was a sweet car. As you can imagine, my driving experience peaked at an early age and has gone downhill from there.
I used to say that I was a large van on the outside but a BMW Z3 on the inside. Somewhere along the way, my affections shifted to apple green Volkswagon Beetles. When my fourth child (first daughter) was born, I said that when the boys were grown and gone, I would have a little convertible and my daughter and I would cruise in it. Unfortunately for her, 4 kids have come along since then, so she’s lost her coveted spot as the passenger in my ragtop fantasy.
The kids have started a new car game. If you spot a new bug you get 1 point; 5 points for a new convertible; 5 points for an old bug. Additional elements are often added to the basic game: 1 point for a convertible of any other kind, Corvettes, PT Cruisers, or whatever happens to be the car du jour. Lily just hollers “buggy, buggy!” a lot. There was some serious competition on our 2-day graduation trip; I’m amazed at how quickly they were spotting cars.
As promised, here are pictures from our out-of-state graduation ceremony trip:
My cousin Queen Shenaynay and her daughter (also my cousin, of course) fa-so-la-la of The Beehive.
If you want a good laugh, read fa-so-la-la’s ideas for the title of her college application essay. For the final, finished product, look here. She was admitted to the school of her choice, and we are all understandably quite proud if this fine young lady!
I used to have fnatasies of driving a small car. Turns out now I am too comfortable in my van…sometimes i go back and forth, car vs. van, van vs. car.
I have never understood how “cousins” relate in American, like how can your daughter’s cousin be also your cousin.
I have a cousin, and my kids call him cousin, but in Mexico he’d be their Uncle/cousin.
Anyway that green beetle is cool and your cousins green dress is super cute.
May 26th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
What are the ages of your kids?
We will be buying a new vehicle in the fall. I know this… I don’t want another family van. I have drove one since 1994. I love volvos though! However, I don’t think they will fit all of us Martins and our groceries. LOL
http://www.raisingthemartins.blogspot.com/
May 26th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
What a cute blog! You are a great photographer and have some beautiful pictures too. I love family blogs. Keep up the good work.
May 27th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Your car games remind me of the endless games my brothers and I used to play when we were kids. We spent many hours playing the alphabet game and looking for all the states on the license plates.
The pictures you’ve posted in this post and the last one are just beautiful. Those children are gorgeous!!
May 27th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
You must be insanely proud! (And rightfully so!)
Oh and I too have sworn that when the boys grow up I am getting a tiny little car. I think I want a mini-cooper but it’s a toss up between that, a VW bug and… a MUSTANG fastback! LOL. Ooooh, I love those cars!
(Daughter of a Mustang enthusiast/owner)
May 29th, 2007 at 8:57 am