Riding in Cars with Toddlers

I gave up on “new car smell” a week after we purchased the newest addition to the family debt load.

New car smell, are you kidding? I am a mom. I firmly believe in the “the car’s clean if you can’t see the French fries, Cheerios and dried out raisins lurking under the car seat” theory. We opted for the brown interior for a reason.

We were no more than a week into new car ownership when that drab interior proved its mettle – Jillian fell asleep with a half-empty Minute Maid bottle in her little hand. I glanced in the rear view mirror just in time to see her mouth droop open as she let out a snore that sounded acutely like her daddy’s . . . and just in time to see the bottle slip from her loosened grasp.

I never meant to stomp on the brakes. It was a reflex reaction – the reflex that sent the bottle flying forward, spraying the back of my seat with the remnants of her lunch. Cut up pieces of cold pizza slipped out of the doggie bag and covered the floor. Watered-down lemonade coated the cup holder and the center console and soaked into the carpeting.

Ahh, the smell of my new car – but at least it’s lemony fresh.

Splitting my work week so I spend just two days in the office and the rest of the time carting my daughter out on the road with me has turned our car into a home away from home. Considering the playroom explosion inside the house, it’s no easy task keeping the chaos that could be at bay inside the car.

I was channeling my practical mother when I placed my order for the Backseat Car Organizer from Lilly’s Kids. In a pink so bright you’d find it in a snowstorm (very un-practical-mom-like, I’m proud to report), the organizer gives Jillian easy access to all of her essentials with slots for her crayons, storage for coloring books and her princess sunglasses, and a deep pocket for me to stash extra sunscreen, baby wipes and snacks where she doesn’t think to look. With free personalization, I made sure to have her name emblazoned across the two (yes, we bought two – one for both the driver and passenger seats) so she knows they’re just for her special things.

Of course taking up the bulk of that super-deep pocket in one organizer are Jillian’s Melissa and Doug Fairy Fantasy and Pirate Adventure puzzles. With the wooden frames just the right size for spreading across her lap or on the seat beside her, I sometimes catch a glimpse of her little tongue sticking out of her lips – a study in concentration – while her hands work their magic. She’s got these two so memorized it takes seconds to bring the picture together, but she’ll do them over and over again. And the beauty of the frame is that it holds the pieces just so for storage – no bulk box necessary.

Perched on the seat beside her, taking in all the action, is the softest bunny I’ve ever laid my hands on – and this was before he went through repeated washings to make up for bouts with fruit punch, ketchup and kitty cat hair. Named – get this – bunny (what can I say? She was 2 when she got him), the Jellycat Scrumpty Bunny from Monkey Bean Toys is a frequent ride-along companion.

Unlike her puzzles, Bunny gets to spend time in the Jeep All-Weather Umbrella Stroller that’s weathered the roads like a champ since Jillian graduated from the travel system stroller to her “big girl” stroller. Light enough for me to handle alone and easy for me to fold with one hand while I hold tight to Jillian in a busy parking lot, I literally never leave home without this thing. We were stuck with basic black because it was all that was in stock when I begged for something that would fit in my car and leave me a little room for groceries! But we added a bright colored bag to the back, and off we went . . . and we’re still going.

OK, so we’re always going. It’s all part and parcel of being a mama on the move!