Yesterday was my wedding anniversary, but it also was another anniversary. It was the two-year anniversary of when I officially stopped being cool.

On Saturday, Aug. 26, 2007, I became the reluctant owner of a minivan. Yes, it was also my seventh wedding anniversary. How romantic!

Before you judge me, just know you wouldn’t have wanted to bring 15-month-old twins along on a test drive either. When you have twins, you must save time-consuming tasks for when you have a free babysitter. My mom offered to watch Mila and Eli for our anniversary weekend, and Mark and I went car shopping.

I was only 29 at the time, and that seemed far too young to drive a minivan. It wasn’t all that long ago that I’d see the minivan moms at Chick-fil-A and wonder what on earth possessed them to buy a “loser cruiser.” That’s the name my friend, Kim, gives minivans, and after giving birth to twin daughters, she bought a minivan, too.

It was hard to face the reality of becoming part of the minivan club. Thanks to bulky car seats and the fact that children have to be in booster seats until they are practically of driving age, you’re almost destined be behind the wheel of a minivan if you have more than one child.

Before kids, I drove the ultimate chick car, a convertible VW Cabrio. As soon as we announced our pregnancy, friends began asking when we were getting a bigger car.I traded my compact car for a Chevy Tahoe, what I considered to be a perfectly reasonable compromise between a minivan and a sedan. It was big enough to haul our twins and all of the baby loot, but it allowed me to still possess that feeling of being a youthful mama.

After a year of backaches and leg pain from the strain of constantly lifting and carrying two babies on my hips, I ended up in physical therapy. My physical therapist recommended that I get a minivan because it was closer to the ground than the Tahoe. I finally caved.

Suddenly, my physical health was more important than my silly need to feel young and cool. I won’t lie though. It was still a struggle to walk into that dealership knowing I’d leave in a minivan.

My head knew it was the right purchase for our family of four (which a year later became a family of five), but I don’t think my heart will ever accept it. For now, it’s a practical purchase, and it makes loading and unloading three kids under age 4 much easier. I still daydream of owning a cooler car though.

While driving my loser cruiser this week, I saw a group of college girls piling into a tiny little car looking all stylish and carefree. It just made me smile. I was one of those girls not that long ago. What sweet revenge it will be when they become minivan owners, too!

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