This That Other

Patrick's surgery, recovery and woe (or not) thereunto can be compartmentalized into neat sections: the actual mechanical fiddling, the swallowed blood and the reaction to anesthesia. Of the three, the surgery itself was the easiest in that he had absolutely no pain in his face. At all. Ever. He threw up blood for almost twenty-four hours and that sucked but nothing ever, you know, hurt. They also didn't pack anything into his sinuses, which I had been expecting and dreading. Instead they taped a piece of gauze under his nostrils (much like Madame Butterfly's nose flute) and instructed us to change it when it became saturated. Patrick hated this thing so much I finally decided it was easier to just surround him with towels and let him bleed all over the place -

oh. sorry. this post is not for the squeamish. I should have said that earlier -

bleed all over the place but after a few hours of lying more or less quietly he stopped oozing all together and he was good to go. I mean, except when he had to throw up again at which point all hell broke loose and everything started to bleed including my ears. 

All this was plenty gross and traumatic but the worst part, the absolute worst part, was what I can only conclude was Patrick's reaction to the anesthesia. It made him CRAZY and I don't mean that in a fun, let's all get naked and play beach volleyball kind of a way. More like borderline suicidal, had to be in physical contact with some part of me (who knew I was so reassuring,) and kept having panic attacks that caused him to struggle for breath (which in turn led to more vomiting) crazy. Partying like it was 1929 crazy.

Remind me, seriously, if Patrick ever has to have surgery again to tell them that he has major issues with anesthesia and to make sure they are actually looking me in the eye and listening to me when I say it.

I know I have made this sound awful but really, apart from the first twenty-four hours, Patrick's sinus surgery was a walk in the metaphoric park. Vastly easier than tonsils/adenoids, he felt better after a day and absolutely fine after two. And now he is Better. Rosier. More energetic. I had gotten accustomed to seeing him with dark circles and a slighty puffy face and now

just... healthier.

And yes that is a mushroom and no I do not know what kind and no I did not eat it but yes Steve has been whacking chunks off and sauteeing them for lunch because for some reason he thinks that looks like food.

Meanwhile Edward has been on Flonase for the past month in the hope that it would help to clear his lingering gunky ear fluid and I made an appointment for him at the same time I brought Patrick in for his post-op appointment. The post-op went really well (she even used the word "rock star" as she marveled at the cleanliness of his frequently neti-potted sinuses) and the pathology report came back clean (chronic sinusitis, nothing malignant, something something something not indicative of allergies.)

The ENT then turned to Edward and asked how the Flonase was going. I told her that I thought it was really working, that he seemed less full of muck and I was pretty sure both his hearing and speech were improving by the second. She said OK let's take a look and promptly found... an infected ear.

Oh for the love of...

Crumbs.

From ears she went to his adenoids and said that although they had scanned fine a month ago she was worried about them now. Not only could she see something that was troubling, she pointed out that she has been doing this for 23 years and just listening to him she could tell that this was a kid with some adenoid issues.

I said, "You mean the Jimmy Cagney voice thing he has going? The way he keeps scrubbing at his nose with his fist?"

She said, "The raspy hoarse breathing? Yes."

So Edward is getting tubes put into his perfect shell-like ears on the 21st (that would be two weeks from now) and while she is in there she is going to consider doing some adenoid redecorating as well.

He suspects nothing. Poor little duck.

Patrick started his new school yesterday. I don't know what exactly I was expecting to befall him in just one day but he came home in a buoyant mood and mentioned that he had made a friend so I guess the decision to move him has at least passed the first day test. It also only took me fifteen minutes to get him there, which is less than half of what I was driving last year so I am thrilled.

(PS Hey, here's a question for you. We will eventually need to replace our second car, partly due to its age and partly due to the fact that it is ridiculous for us to have two giant vehicles and partly due to the fact that a well-nourished deer collided with it while Steve was tooling around in Wisconsin lo these many months back. It runs, it just doesn't run particularly well and it costs a fortune at the pump. So we would like to get a replacement and for tax reasons we might want to buy the new one before the end of the year. For practical reasons I would like something smaller, more fuel efficient and pretty much anything that is not an SUV. Our current car has three rows of seats and we need that kind of room when the whole family is together for an extended drive but most of the time it is me driving just Patrick or only Caroline and Edward somewhere and I think we could totally make do with a sedan of some kind. Oooh, a hybrid. Do they make hybrids that fit five? Oh and is it true that hybrids don't go more than 62 mph? Because I think Steve would have an apoplexy if that were the case. 

What, if anything, do you know about cars, especially as it relates to families with three children, and a desire to spend less than $80 at the gas station?)

Comments

[Laura]

I wonder why they didn't use the dissolvable packing in Patrick's sinuses. They used it in both of my surgeries. It was a gel-like substance that dissolved after several days to the consistency of normal mucus. I never had any trouble with bleeding.

[Marsha]

About Patrick and the anesthesia? Yes. Make absolutely sure that people understand this moving forward. I got to adulthood before I figured it out and there was a lot of suffering in the meantime. Be warned: every time you bring it up, someone will try to tell you that you don't know/things are different now/this thing is better than that old thing. Don't let them talk you out of this knowledge you have.

[CaraH]

My parents have a Prius, and everyone loves it... we have borrowed it several times for long trips (without the kids). It's a zippy little thing and much more roomy than it appears. We have three children also (they're 12, 10 and 7), and although they all CAN fit in it, with seat belts, it'd definitely not optimal or family-sized. It averages 50mpg and what's not to love about that? Good luck!

Glad to hear Patrick's better, and sorry to hear that Edward's heading down the surgery path.

[Kate]

Toyota is supposed to come out with a larger version of the Prius though I don't know when. Ours might fit five depending on the size of the car seats. I often drive 70 but not without a little trepidation because I'm an old lady driver. And the last fill up cost $30 and lasted three weeks. No complaints here!

[polygolems]

We just got a Nissan Juke and love it. You would never get a family of 5 in it comfortably - at least not for long, the back seat is smallish, but you could easily get two car seats in.

It's a crossover,but a very small one. We love it because it looks crazy and has a lot of storage in the hatch.

It has three driving modes, normal, for well... normal driving, sport, for zippier more responsive driving, and Eco for when you feel like being responsible (and a little boring :) It's got a turbo, which is very evident in "sport" mode. It's also AWD, which we like for the midwest snowy winter roads.

It's really fun to zip around in. Fun enough that it made this forty something year old woman finally understand what teenage boys must see in fast cars.

[Chris]

I will agree with a previous commenter about Hybrids costing more $$$ in repairs. When my mom had a Lexus Hybrid SUV and the battery died it was going to cost $7K to replace!!!!! It was under warranty and they were going to trade it in anyway, but that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

[Ginger]

Look at the Honda CRV. I know you said no suv's, but the CRV is small. It drives and feels like a car, but has more room. Gets good gas mileage, etc, etc.

[Marsha]

Oh, I already commented, but I'll take two, please, because I just remembered the part about the car.

I have a 2010 Outback that I love with the heat of a thousand suns. The mileage is great, it's roomy, there's room enough in the back for our dog + football gear + riding stuff, the radio is excellent and it's all around wonderful. I also looked at various VW wagons but 1) my last VW caught fire WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT and 2) the new Jetta wagon says "I put my furniture together with allen wrenches and I hope my dad will let me go snowboarding this weekend". Anyhoodle, the only downside is that we're now looking for that third row and are hoping to snag a used MDX.

[Shawna]

I'd love to pretend that I know what that mushroom is, but all I can say is that it looks like some type of ascomycete.

This is what I get for having a degree in botany/mycology. I can look at morphology and I can tell you things about classification, and what pollinates what flower, etc. But I cannot actually tell you what to plant in a shaded area or the name of any actual mushroom with a few exceptions.

I do know, however and for what it's worth, that all puffballs are edible if you pick them while they're young and the inside is still a creamy white.

[Lizneust]

We have a Mazda 5. I wasn't happy about it, but now I love it. You can actually get a lot of stuff behind that last row, but we often keep one of the 3rd row seats down, and then there is no issue with space. Also, it's great for parking in tight lots or spaces. You won't want it for long trips, but for bopping around town, it's perfect.

I love the VW Passat, but they are not cheap and they only release them every other model year.

Glad to hear that Patrick is feeling better. Fingers crossed that Edward only has his brother's adenoids issues, and not his anesthesia problems.

[Darlene]

I have a Mazda 5 and I love it. I bought it because my friend at work had one and I thought it was like a van put into a car. I didn't even realize at first that it was mini-van because it doesn't look like one. It's easy to get into if we need to take my parents anywhere and it keeps the 3 kids separated (although not enough still!).

[Jana]

I have a 2011 Subaru Outback and I love it. I carpool with a friend and am able to fit 3 kids (9-year-old twins and a 12-year-old) in the back seat. The Outback is also all wheel drive which should be good in the snow.

I would try to find out exactly what anesthetic they gave Patrick. Ketamine can cause some weird reactions (hallucinations, crazy dreams, strange behavior, etc) and is one that they use in kids and with short procedures. Glad that Patrick is doing better!

[Toni]

My husband is looking at the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. He swears we'll fit 3 car seats in the back...we'll see :)

[Darlene]

Oh...The Mazda 5 doesn't have a lot of trunk space (my one complaint), but with 3 kids, we fold down the extra seat and use it for trunk space.

[Pam L]

That's the thing about anesthesia, you just never know how you will react. I had two generals that were fine and the next one was supposed to be for day surgery and I just could not come fully out of it in time and had to spend the night and felt awful. I now will not do any procedure that requires going "under" unless it's unavoidable/ life or death type stuff.
I am looking for a new car too, but I still want a small SUV , I love the cargo hauling space, but I probably won't go 4x4 again and will go with a smaller engine for better mileage, and it won't be new-new because I hate taking the depreciation hit for the first year. Just something better than the 13-14 mpg I currently get.

[Kate]

We just bought an Outback and I love it. Love the AWD, the cargo space without it being an SUV, the roomy back seat and the relatively affordable price.

The gas mileage is only okay on the V6 but pretty good on the 4 cylinder, I think.

[Pam L]

Oh yes, and it will be a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury something,as our business cars all get way over the usual high miles (one is now over 450k, one is over 500k and going strong) and they are in that family.

[Karen]

Patrick looks so good there, so much better without allergy shiners! Edward looks good too though, poor baby, he has no idea.

Also, good luck getting an anesthesiologist to listen, I always tell them, and they are always shocked at my overreaction. But do tell them anyway, as noted above, it's important.

I have a 2010 Prius, and have stuffed 3 tall and gangly teenagers in the back seat.The back cargo area holds a remarkable amount, and if no one else is in the car I can carry my road bike nicely with the seats down. I have had the car well up into the 80's and my son can get 57mpg long distance driving it on the highway. I don't usually do better than 55 long distance. I regularly get between 51 and 53 around town. I love this car. I don't even care that everyone calls it a Pius.

I am never giving it up except, maybe someday, for a newer one.

[Amy F]

We had our 3rd baby last summer and survived 5 months with 5 people in my '99 Civic before I gave up and bought a minivan. I seriously considered a Mazda5, but in the end decided I wanted more space. However, since you're talking about a secondary vehicle that usually drives 4 people but has the ability to carry 5, I think it would be great. I read that my skinny car seats, the Radian 65s, don't fit in the Mazda5's back row, which would be annoying.

My mom went on vacation for a month this summer and I took her Prius while my van was in the shop and I had to force myself to return it 3 weeks later. We used a baby bucket, and two forward-facing Radian65s. Oddly, it was harder to put my 7 year old in a booster than in a 5 pt harness. Technically I could get a backless booster in (but not the backed one at all) but it was really hard to reach the buckle. Also, the Prius only has LATCH connectors on the two sides. And I suddenly remembered how much it bugged me when the kids put their hands in each others' faces and irritated each other. But the amazing gas mileage made up for a lot.

Someone mentioned poor MN winter mileage -- everyone I know with hybrids (including the Prius and Honda's version that's not a Civic and looks like the Prius) gets under 40 mpg in the winter (and around 50mpg in the summer). So don't expect to hit 50+ year-round.

[JP]

Patrick looks amazingly healthy! So glad to hear how well he is doing now. I hope that Edward's surgery yields similar success.
My advice about the car issues: I do not love my Ford Edge. Probably wouldn't fit the family anyway with two carseats unless they are the slender ones. My sister LOVES her Honda CR-V. Good gas milage. Nice height for getting littles in and out.

[Jessica]

I'm going to throw my vote out for the Chevy HHR. Ours (with a K&N filter) is around 32-35 MPG. Also, it seats 5 easily, has a big cargo area, and has a little higher clearance to deal with snow. Easy to maintain, easy to get parts.

[Kristin]

Glad the surgery was such a huge success.

As for hybrids, they definitely go above 62. I've had my mom's Prius up to 80. However, it takes a while to get it there. No rapid acceleration with a hybrid.

[sam]

I just bought a 2012 Mazda 5 two months ago. I traded in my beloved 2009 Subaru Forrester because my two year old pestered the crap out of the fourteen year old. I bought the Mazda because it has three rows and a manual trans. FYI: used car prices are insane right now, I would buy new. And yes, the 2012 Mazda 5 is already out. Drawback: not a lot of room for teenagers, but I am NOT driving a full-sized minivan. He's lucky to have his own seat where the toddler can't touch him and say, "beep!"

[Jessica]

I have a family of 5 (kids 8, 5, 1) and a Mazda 5. Pros of the Mazda 5 are: cheap; pretty good gas mileage (I do most of my driving in a 20 mile/barely any highway radius around my house and get about 26 mpg); fits 6 easily; the back seats fold down flat for lots of room; backs seats split apart so that you can have one kid sitting back there and still load in lots of boxes from Costco; even if both seats are up in the way back you have enough room for a stroller, an extra booster, your car emergency bag and a few other items; it has a billion handy cup holders and storage areas all throughout the car; and my 2007 version has awesome dashboard controls of the stereo system that are way better than any other car I have ever driven. Cons are: it is very odd looking/ugly; it can't tow anything (but it does accomodate our also ugly vacation roof-top carrier); and sometimes it is very obvious to you and all why the car is so cheap (plastic parts, the slide doors not being automatic, etc.) For us the good outweighed the bad, even though I still sigh every time I look at it and I am not even a car person.

[Christina]

I'm glad you guys are ok too (although I'm rooting for Edmund, poor kid). I see some others have pointed out that hybrids aren't all that economical to buy nor at all sustainable to produce - although made and paid for they're great, so are you in the second-hand market...
I'm personally lusting after one of these Fiat 500s http://www.topgear.com/au/fiat/500 but we're driving our car to death and it probably isn't big enough for you so we'll doubtless neither of us get one. Sigh.
And Patrick on anaesthetic? sounds like me on phenergan. I'm glad he's better!

[Smumzie]

Glad to hear Patrick is feeling better! Poor little Edward.

My SIL swears by her Subaru Outback but the mileage isn't that good.

We LOVE our Lexus 400H. I know you said you didn't want an SUV but we have 10 m b/g twins and a teenager and all 5 of us fit comfortably with plenty of room for a stroller and luggage for all in the far rear. It gets about 36 mpg when my husband drives it and 30 when I drive (go fast! vroom vroom!).

It definitely goes over 62 and the pick up is amazing in this thing. Did I mention that ours has over 120k miles on it? It still drives like new. We got the leather, gps, back up camera, etc and haven't had any problems with any of it.

My MIL has a Prius and it's extraordinarily small inside. There's no way you could fit 2 car seats and another person in the back seat - even one under 10 years old. It's a great car though for running errands. She had some problems when she bought it with the battery not maintaining a charge but that was sorted out within a few months and she's had it now for about 4 years with no problems.

Good luck!

[Ami]

I forwarded your question to my husband, b/c he's the true car lover in the family, but here's what I have to say about it: We have a Nissan Rogue -- it uses CVT, or "Continuously Variable Transmission" and that keeps it at about 26 mpg in my suburban life. Super comfortable. But, only two rows of seats, so the back seat might be a bit crowded for three. We do put three back there frequently enough, and as long as no one is obese it is fine. Both my kids are in boosters. I have heard good things about the Mazda 5, which we looked at, but my 6'1" husband could not fold himself into the driver's seat comfortably no matter what he adjusted. Knee hit hte steering wheel. Also, back seat is for kids only, basically. I LOVE the Rogue. Super comfy. Also, the talk about hybrids not going fast is not true. The Altima comes as a hybrid, as does the Camry. Also, consider looking at Jetta wagons. Those are comfy and the diesel ones get GREAT mileage. (Diesel is not the dirty you are used to, I promise. Things have changed in that dept.) We almost got one of those, but the Rogue was available right away and the jetta would have been several weeks, and we were driving a rental b/c I wrecked our minivan. So. Rogue it is, and we love it. Love it.

Finally: So glad Patrick is feeling better and looking better. My fingers are crossed for a similar outcome for Edward. And FWIW, I have the same reaction to anesthesia. Hate it, and I always wake up in a panic and feel like I can't breathe, so I pull the mask off, and then they yell at me for taking the mask off, and then I feel more panicky when they put it back on, so I take if off and start to freak the beep out. NOt that that's helpful, but he's not alone.

[liz]

I love my plain old Toyota Camry and am getting great gas mileage out of it. My husband has a plain old Honda Civic and is getting even better gas mileage out of it.

We can fit 5 grown-ups semi comfortably in both. 4 grown-ups and a kid are a breeze.

[Michelle]

My sister has a hybrid Camry which would definitely fit five, and drives pretty fast when you want it to. Bigger and nicer than the Prius, IMO.

[Mary]

Yes to the Prius! Very spunky car - can go fast and accelerates very well (motor+engine work together). I've had 2 and loved both. Big improvements in handling and mileage between my 2005 and 2009 models and I hear tell the new model is even better. I think 3 in the backseat is doable with careful booster selection.

I've sold several of these to friends - so far no kickback from Toyota - and they're all happy with them as well. I think about 1/3 of my church choir now drives one!

[Carrie (in MN)]

Don't forget the snow and rutted ice come January. That's the reason I won't be getting a Prius or a Mini-cooper or one of any other cute small cars - they have no clearance.

Yay for healthy sinuses! Boo for anesthesia reactions! Good luck for Edward's tubes surgery!

[Libby]

OH Julia! I am playing catch up and I am so glad to hear that Patrick is doing well and his surgery was a success! Wonderful news. I loved reading about your road trip. As always I enjoy your writing immensely! Oh and Sofia also wears missmatched socks!

[suzi in Vegas]

Put me in the Subaru category - I've seen outbacks mentioned several times - they have more cargo room, but the 2010+ models actually have the forester with more rear seat leg room (that's what I currently have)

Really good gas mileage.

I'd skip the hybrids. They are super costly to maintain (think 150+k miles) if you are the type to drive till they "die" and as someone already said, the gas mileage happy factor is actually a savings misnomer. Their battery efficiency drops TREMENDOUSLY in the cold (like all batteries!) so I don't even recommend them for folks who live in extremely cold climates (like, oh, say Minnesoda?)

Shop smart and you'll find something reasonable. DO take the car seats and patrick to test drive stuff. Patrick will tell you what will fit and what won't. And remember, in a few short years, those car seats will be booster seats, and there will be more room!

Oh, how I love car buying. Its like carte blanche to be a TOTAL bitch without the karmatic retributions.... "Is my husband buying htis car with me? Why would you ask that? Do I look like I can't afford my own car? Or perhaps you think I can't make a decision?" "What color do I want? I want the cheapest color you have, idiot. No I do not care about the cup holders, I want to know about the warrenty coverage, the mileage rates, and the dealer holdback."

sigh. Good times. :)

[qp]

It looks like a maitake mushroom! I would eat the heck out of it!

[Stefanie]

I have three kids and a Mazda 5. Drives like a sedan, seats 6, the seats all lay flat so you can have up to 6 feet of cargo space, and it goes about 325 miles on 14.5 gallons-ish, and that includes driving in a traffic-laden freeway commute 5 days a week. Oh, and the back doors slide open like on a van so I haven't worried about my kids slamming into innocent bystanders and their cars in years. In short: love.

[Celeste]

We only have one child, but we have both a Honda Accord and a CR-V.

While we can get three people in the back seat of the Accord, the trip needs to be short. There just isn't leg room. It's not an issue at all when there is only one back there, though.

We are a tall people, though, so maybe this would be less of an issue for others.

There is a little more space in the back of the CR-V, but the downsides there are that it rides less comfortably and the gas tank is a lot smaller than that of the Accord. It's really annoying on a longer trip, as is the fact that the back end holds less than an Accord trunk holds.

[Candy]

I have to tell you, I'm a Hyundai convert. I bought a used Sonata 2 years ago, LOVED IT, and have since bought a brand new Santa Fe (which is an SUV). They are very very affordable, have a 100,000 mile/10 year warranty, and there is a Sonata hybrid. The Sonata is my every day car - it has 78,000 miles on it and runs like a top.

...pausing to knock wood...

It's a Sedan, so sure it would seat 5, if you're a friendly 5. I recently moved my youngest to college from NJ to Boston in it, and we were just fine for room. Trunk is huge.

I think we're pretty much committed to Hyundais for a long while to come.

[Hannah]

I get really sick from anesthesia, so I second the commenters above that say that you should consult with the ENT or the anesthesiologist about his reaction and see if they have any ideas. Mine was solved with some zofran in the drip, but I was, as I said, simply sick, not cracked out on bad acid sick.

As for the car, hmm. I have a 2004 Jeep Liberty that gets 17 mpg in combined city/highway driving. I love it, because it has 11 inches of ground clearance and full 4 wheel drive capability, which gets me through some serious Michigan winter crap. Also the axles are strong enough to withstand the Detroit roads. Efficient, however, it is not, and the ride is what we'd like to refer to as "riding in a rock polisher." We also have a GMC Acadia (it's me, my 6'4" husband, our two 65 lb dogs and our 18 month old). It gets 23 on the highway, again, sits high enough so that ground clearance in the winter isn't a problem, and is really REALLY comfortable on my bad back. I'd recommend both of them, but they're both rather...um...big? SUVish? for you. Just be aware that small efficient sedans can be murder to drive in the winter. Perhaps the outback?

[Terri C]

A Prius "wagon" is coming out soon. Also, a son of some big-name politician got busted for speeding once, driving a Prius at 100 mph. So I guess they can go fast! I am appreciating the info re: sustainability, because I have always suspected there was something problematic there. Good luck to Edward and so glad Patrick is better!

[Kirsten]

I have the Toyota Camry Hybrid and I love it. It is paid for (bought in 2006), and it gets about 32 mpg with my regular city driving and up to 40 mpg on the highway. I frequently take three kids in the back seat, though I can only do two car seats (one on each side of the middle), due to their bulk. I fill up once every three weeks or so to the tune of $40 or $50 bucks, and I get about 400 to 450 miles to the tank.

[Kirsten]

OH! I forgot to say that my Toyota Camry has great pick up for passing, and it goes at least 90+ mph(that's as fast as I have gone).

[quirkfarms]

forget the cars! that child looks better than he has looked in ages...you must be so pleased. here's to Edward and good luck with his procedure.

[Paula]

Ok, I'll weigh in. Apparently, I am becoming a commenter.

We own both a Toyota Prius 2005, and a Ford Escape Hybrid 2010. I love both. We have two kids, and the Escape can fit 3 carseats across. I wouldn't recommend the Prius for snow. I lived in Lake Tahoe for a winter and it did ok, but if had been a permanent move, it would not have been the ideal car. It doesn't have the clearance but also being it a hybrid it is made light so it slides around very easily.

[Terrill]

has another literate reader recommended that you read Boy by Roald Dahl for a truly horrific adenoid scene? If not, I would like to be that literate reader. At least there was no anesthesia involved in the case of young Roald. . .

[Nancy]

I never cared too much about what i drove, then I bought a Lexus. It has been over a year, and I still can't get over what a great suv it is. always fun to drive. Lots of power. Drive one and you will see.

[Agi]

Congrats to Patrick on getting better/looking great! So nice to read that he is doing so well!!!

I have a Honda Civic Hybrid and I absolutely love it. The MPG is not as great as the Prius', but it drives great. When I bought it 4 years ago, there were tax benefits to getting a hybrid - not sure if that program is still going.

I tried the Prius prior to purchasing the Civic Hybrid and it just felt weird. Not in a good way. Also, I was told that in order to see out the back (which, I didn't, because of the design of the back window), I needed to buy the package with the camera. That immediately added a few thousand dollars to the purchase price...

The Civic Hybrid drives like a normal car, but with a lots of fun perks. It's fast, easy to maneuver, has a cool dashboard, etc.

Having said all the above, I still must agree with those who say that the savings are not that great with a hybrid. My husband has a regular Civic and he gets almost the same mpg I do.
I still prefer my car, because it feels safer as it is heavier (b/c of the battery). Probably that's the reason for the minimal savings in the mpg though...

[chantale]

I don't know much about cars... I commute 2+ hrs to work a day (one way) and have a Kia Rio because it is small and cheap. VERY cheap. It fits 2 carseats fine, but I think it would explode with 3.

That said, I just wanted to mention the Radian carseats. 2 will fit just about any sedan and there will be plenty of room for a child to sit as well. We easily fit me (and I am not very small) and my 2 kids in their carseats in the back of a Cobalt.

[Crystal]

I agree, looks to me like a maitake, and if it is, and Patrick has been eating it, you might owe him a major thanks for the healthy kid. :)

Those things are miracle food for humans. :)

We're looking at ditching the mini-van for a Ford Escape. It's an SUV, but it beats the hell out of our mini-van in gas milage. Although with ruting/hunting season starting, and all the bucks running around looking randy these days, I'm thinking a Hummer wrapped in a steel cage, damn the MPG. Our mini-van was rebuilt but has been a piece of crap since I hit Bambi during our house search here last year. Holy mother of God. Poor Steve..... I'm still traumatized, of course it did not help that Lee had to offer "helpfully" during one telling that "I think I heard it bleat"..... Thanks dear....

Oh, you really don't like the mushrooms? If you ever find another Steve all obsessed with land and privacy and mushrooms send him my way, will ya? Assuming he doesn't mind a psychotic, brain-damaged trogloditetress of a wife.... ah, well, nevermind then....

I think having a husband who would go find me mushrooms is about the highest form of love he could give.

I may be a touch too connected to my Eastern European roots.....

Patrick does look wonderful..... It is a day of answered prayers.... He's an amazing kid, Julia, and I'm glad he's feeling better....

Hope the same goes for Mama....

[craftyashley]

I know you said no SUV, but I love my Mazda CX-9 so much I think you should at least give it a test drive. It performs like a small sporty car and seats a bazillions screaming children. I love it so much, I would marry it if I could. Just a thought. So glad to hear Patrick is looking good, and sorry to hear you'll be going through more still.

[Sue]

I love my brand new Prius. In two trips, in two months we put over 10,000 miles on it, averaging 47 mpg, but it is not a Minnesota car. We took it through four or five inches of accumulated hail and it was scrapping bottom. We searched hard for the right car for us and the only other car that I would have taken - very happily - was a Subaru sedan. It was very roomy and oh so comfortable, with great handling. As others have said, check to see if the backseat would take three car seats, I'm guessing it would. There's always the Outback and Forester (think station wagons) too and the all-wheel drive is a definite fierce weather advantage.

Patrick looks terrific. So does that mushroom.