Zoom Zoom!

Anyone who knows us, knows that we have been WAY over due for a new car! Somehow Ry and I have managed to get by for most of our married lives (7 years!) with only one automobile. I like to think it's contributed to family bonding, but the time has come to give the good ol' Corolla a break.

We needed something with a little more space (so, for example, I don't have to stop at home to unload my stroller before I get groceries). But we don't really need a full-sized mini-van. SUV's are pricey and guzzle the gas. A station wagon, perhaps? No--we're not even going there!

Well, I think we've found what I hope will be the perfect car for us! We trekked all the way up to Baltimore yesterday to get our new (OK, slightly used) Mazda5! It's a 2007 and only has 11,000 miles on it. We got a really good deal for just the car we wanted!

The Mazda5 is kind of a cross between an SUV, mini van and a hatchback. A mini-mini van, perhaps? It gets great gas mileage and is really fun to drive. Best of all, it's safe for Tessie--side curtain air bags all around the interior (hooray!).

It has some ingenious design features--all sorts of options to fold down seating to allow for passengers or storage. So, here's the tour:

Isn't it cute?

Say cheese!


Here's my seat!


Second and third row seats.

The seat bottom flips up for extra storage
(I'm thinking, "emergency diaper stash?").


The other seat bottom hides drink holders and a storage bin
that can fold out between the two seats.


Voila!

The back view with third row seats up.

One back seat up and one seat down.


Or both back seats down!

Still need more space? Fold a second-row seat down too!

What the heck, fold them all down!

Enough room in there to take a nap!
(You know you're tempted, Dad!
Looks more comfy than the snow hotel, doesn't it?)

With the sunroof open! Zoom! Zoom!


Happy Mom!


And the requisite Tessie picture.
At least one per post; I know the rules.