My Car

Anyone who knows me knows my house (and life) is extremely organized. Organized to a fault. Everything has a place. If something is on the wrong side of a shelf, I will move it. I cannot stand a mess. I will make a huge mess with the girls when we play, but it must get cleaned up. The best way I can describe myself is to tell you when we moved into this house six years ago, we were unpacked in one day. ONE day. When I went to sleep that first night in our new home, every box was unpacked and everything was put away. EVERYTHING.

Keeping this mind, WHY the hell is my car such a damn mess???? It is like a garbage can on wheels. I don't understand how it happens. I can get my car washed and detailed and within an hour it is so fucking messy. WHY? I'll tell you why - MY DAMN KIDS.

When I was younger my Aunt J and I spent a lot of time together. I remember calling her car "The Cheerio Car." There were cheerios all over the car. ALL OVER. My cousin loved Cheerios and Goldfish. My mom would be grossed out by the car and I just did not understand...until now.

I took inventory this morning.
In my car is:

• Two pairs of panties
• Shorts
• Two shirts
• A swimsuit
• A towel
• A tennis racket
• A hat
• Bug spray
• Sunscreen
• A softball glove
• Two tennis balls that are rolling around
• A travel potty
• Blueberry muffins
• Pretzels
• Cheerios
• Juice boxes
• Water bottles
• Stickers
• DVDs
• CDs
• Ten books
• Three magna-doodles - one of which is broken
• Countless ponytail holders
• A coffee mug
• A travel coffee cup
• Wet Ones
• Socks for the trampoline park
• A kid purse
• Gum wrappers
• Food wrappers
• A sticker book
• The paper the stickers come on
• A stroller
• Crumbs
• More crumbs
• Coins
• A few small toys that are under the seats and the girls cannot remember they even brought them in my car

I wish I could tell my girls and their friends we no longer eat or drink in the car, but it is not something I truly care to do. I figure as they get older, the mess will lessen.

Until that day, I will drive my awesome minivan and keep praying when I pull up to the carpool line and open the door, nothing falls out.