By Candace Alnaji of The Mom at Law
Local mom Sarah Anderson was dubbed “totes cool” by area youths this weekend when they noticed she did not own a minivan.
The scene unfolded Saturday afternoon, as Anderson, 36, her husband John, and their four kids were leaving a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese’s. The teens, who were sitting on their bikes outside 7-Eleven, watched as Anderson and her husband herded their four young children across the parking lot.
The overtired, sugar-filled Anderson children were all in various stages of tantrums, as their mother and father hurried them to the family vehicle.
“Family chain! Family chain! Family chain!” shouted John as he worked to funnel the kids to Sarah across the busy lot.
“At first I was like, ‘Eww, a mom,’” remarked 15-year-old MacKenzie Talent. “Then I was like, ‘Eww, kids.’ I thought for sure I was going to see them walk up to some Honda Odyssey, but then I saw them cram into a Hyundai Santa Fe, and I realized I had things all wrong.”
Twenty-year-old art student Casey Potter, whose own parents drive a lame old minivan and observed the scene from inside the 7-Eleven, agreed. “I saw this huge family and so I naturally assumed they would drive a vehicle meant for huge families. But then I saw them all pile into a midsize SUV, and I was like, ‘This is the coolest family I’ve ever seen.’”
When told of the news of her achievement, Anderson was overcome with emotion. “This is incredible. This is amazing. I don’t even have a speech prepared.”
Anderson, donning black maternity leggings, a messy bun, a disheveled flannel top, and yesterday’s mascara, bent over to pick up some diapers that spilled from her 2009 Marc Jacobs baby bag as she continued, “I’ve always sworn I’d never get a minivan. Not when my oldest was born. Not even when the triplets came along. Not even when the kids started hockey.”
At press time, Anderson was seen walking into Target whispering to herself, “I’m not like a regular mom. I’m a cool mom.”
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About the Author
Candace is a practicing attorney, working parents advocate, freelance writer, and proud mom. Her writing has been featured on Scary Mommy, Fairygodboss, Reality Moms, Her View From Home, Perfection Pending, and other places around the web. She can be found writing about law, motherhood, and more on her blog as The Mom at Law. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.