Saturday was car wash day at our home. Sometimes also Sunday. Or a Tuesday in June if it was a particularly dirty week or I accidentally touched the window with my finger. I was eight so it was known to happen.
We sprayed, we soaped, we scrubbed, we dried. We used a professional grade chamois. (A good chamois was the perfect Christmas gift.) We waxed on and off, we shined wheels, scrubbed tires and used Armour All on the steering wheel so much that our car was a legal weapon. We washed windows – inside and outside. We beat floor mats and vacuumed upholstery.
We didn’t slam doors, we used only the handle to get in and out, we didn’t touch windows. I am pretty sure I didn’t eat goldfish in the backseat. Were goldfish around in 1975? We didn’t sit on the hoods, we didn’t lean on the doors. We admired our really clean cars.
*****
In college I received car wash kits for Christmas. I had my own chamois and bottles of Armour All under the sink. I was the only college student in the apartment building who owned a hose and hand-washed her car in the parking lot.
******
I look in the rear-view mirror and see Astrid throwing goldfish crackers on the car floor. Esther is writing her name in the window frost. Eloise has her wet boots on the upholstered seat in front of her.
I drink a grande latte and see yesterday’s cup on the floor. Pennies, nickles and receipts litter the floor. Crumbs line the seats and floor boards. You can still see the remnants of yesterdays tic-tac-toe game on the back window frost. I see the stains on the back of both front seats from 8 years of snowy boots.
The back of my truck is caked with mud from stroller wheels. I remove the car seats and there are permanent marks on the bench. My floor mats are missing. Stains of spilled cups of coffee cover the carpet by my feet.
The paint is scratched because I let my kids use the keys to get themselves in the car. More scratches from backpacks, car seat transfers and bicycle accidents.
I find wrappers and bags and extra napkins in the back from where we’ve had picnics sitting in the way back with the hatch up on a hot Summer day.
In every nook and cranny I find goldfish crackers, plastic toys and small books. Crayons, pencils and hair-bows are also among the precious loot.
In the rare instance that I take my truck to the car wash I sit in sadness watching my kids fingerprints melting away in the water. I nearly sob as I vacuum up the last month of their life of car pools and rides to friends houses. I laugh as I find the homework that Eloise lost last month.
******
Sometimes I want a shiny new car. Sometimes I want to keep this car forever. It defines my motherhood.
Sometimes I think I should take better car of it, but most of the time I know that for now I am focusing on the important stuff.
******
This post was written as a memoir for The Red Dress Club. This week we were to write a post based upon the photo above.
Oh I LOVE your reference to the “way back” of the car! Haven’t used that expression in a while & it brings back memories of my parents wagon.
On a separate note, your car sounds just like mine! Sometimes I wish I could pick it up, turn it over & shake all the crumbs out! Good question on the Goldfish being around back in the day, I don’t remember them, but we certainly didn’t snack in the car!
Melanie recently posted..Potpourri
You mean “way back” is not in fashion anymore? Oh – good idea – the upside down car shake machine!
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
this was really awesome. A great look into your own upbringing, and how opposite it is from the memories your children will have associated with their family car.
Mine looks just like yours. and I love that you find things that are endearing like the washing away of fingerprints and the homework finding.
Frelle recently posted..Summertime- Four Leaf Clovers- and Bloody Murder
Oh, such a fun story! I know what you mean. I washed cars more times in one year as a child than I think I have total in my adult life. Ha!
The beauty of motherhood is that there are so many things more important than not having fingerprints or crumbs in your car ; )
Exactly. Many nobody hand washes their cars anymore?
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
You’ve just given me some insight into my childhood. I grew up in a family of 7 children. My Father took care of weekly cleaning the car – we also were not allowed to eat in the car. Every Saturday all of us cleaned the house, we all had our chores. On the other hand my Mother had a sister that also had 7 children. Any time I babysat for them I would spend my time cleaning. Scraping stuff off the floors and walls, washing dishes that had been left for days. Picking up papers and clothes left in interesting places. Maybe my Aunt was sad when she came home and I had washed away some of her childrens lives. She never mentioned it one way or the other. hmmmm – now you have me thinking. Just goes to show we all have different ways of looking at things.
Now I do try to keep a clean home and the kids help. I just don’t want the kids to be afraid of messing up the car. xo
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
I’d say you found the bow!
You brought me to your past and present and made me tear up just a little at the thought of a minivan-less future.
The goldfish, the mess- it does define the good stuff right now, doesn’t it?
I loved this part: “We sprayed, we soaped, we scrubbed, we dried. We used a professional grade chamois.” because it gave me a glimpse of our past.
Galit Breen recently posted..The Red Dress Club- Stolen Treasure
I would do anything for a minivan. So jealous! xo
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
This story is perfect. This was my husband’s car before children and he had to kiss all of that beauty away after we had our son. I think he cried a tear the first time he saw the mark the car seat left on his leather seats. I can’t imagine the car looking any other way!
Barbara recently posted..Funny Friday- Sausages
LOL – that is awesome. Yes, those car seats pretty much trash a car.
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
Wow. This was a really great post. I love how you talked at first about how you/your family kept a car as a child and how it is now. I loved the line “I sit in sadness watching my kids fingerprints melting away in the water.” I’m a total neat freak and now you’ve made me think maybe I need to let my kids make a mess in my car and just revel in it.
Beauty in the eye of the beholder!
Being horribly anal, I am a more fingerprints on paper as a keepsake … but I LOVE this piece, your girls are lucky, so very lucky
I love how you compared your current car to the cars you had growing up. I love your perspective on the messy car as a mark of motherhood.
Kayla recently posted..It’s Finally Here – Mom’s Guide to Dental Health for Children
My dear, your writing, as always, just blows me away. Loved this!
maybaby recently posted..junk turned intoprettier junk
I love this post. My husband constantly complains about how messy my car is but I don’t care. One day it won’t be messy, and I’ll be sad.
LOG recently posted..Well- nice weather- its about freaking time
I love your perspective. Thank you! xo
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
Isn’t it crazy how priorities change. Great post!
Amy recently posted..wrinkles
Ah, good, I’m glad to know you’d be comfortable in my very messy car.
Michelle L. recently posted..raising chicks
Another reason to love you more..xoxo
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
Now THIS I can relate to! I couldn’t BELIEVE all the junk I found under the car seats the other day when I cleaned out my CR-V. OMG.
Funny, I used to see my brother and SIL’s mini van years ago when their 3 were little and think, “oh my gosh, how can they let their car get so messy?!” Now I know!
I like the image of you seeing their fingerprints go away with the water…
Elaine recently posted..My First Photo Shoot well- officially anyway
You and I could totally switch cars. Mine is a cluttered disaster.
I like how you tracked through time with this one. A great way to make the prompt fit into your blog.
Thanks for helping me appreciate the chaos!
MamaTrack recently posted..The Fate of the Baby Pool
The day I don’t find McDonalds french fries under the seats while cleaning the car will be a sad one.
Aw, never thought I would be sad about missing fries – but now I am. lol
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
Oh this is so great, and so true! I was ready to laugh and cry with you- it’s amazing how clutter and dirt can end up being so sentimental. If I ever get rid of all the crumbs for good, I know I’d be a mess!
Ashley @ Just Another Mom Of 2 recently posted..Dos and Don’ts of Dining Out with Kids
Oh I love this!
So many of us look at how dirty our cars are and think how we should clean them. Instead you see memories, happy fingerprints, and childhood fun.
Love it
Leighann recently posted..Today You Are 1
I LOVE this, in the beginning I thought you were going to discuss how this has carried over to your adult life and you are neurotic about your clean car even with kids. But the second half of this post is me exactly. You described every inch of my vehicle and the very important reason why it is the way it is. No concrit, I like this piece too much to find a flaw.
Jessica recently posted..The Hot Seat
Thank you – you made me day with this sweet comment. xo
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
Loved this!
I remember once in college I borrowed my boyfriends Regal and washed it for him at a gas station car wash. He nearly had a heart attack when I told him. This car had only been hand-washed. I had ruined it. He didn’t speak to me for a week! oooops!
Love how you described all the crud that happens in the backseat!
Nice job!
Kris recently posted..Always the new girl
Oh I am laughing so hard – you used a CAR WASH?!?! How dare you. lolol
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
Sorry. I used way too many explanation points. ha
Kris recently posted..Always the new girl
Funny how we can all relate to your post. My husband would like to think we can preserve some of the sales floor cleanliness of our cars. He’s in for a big surprise when we’re toting around TWO kids.
I really loved this insight into your childhood and your days as a mom. (and yes, I recall both receiving and giving chamoises as gifts)
Mad Woman behind the Blog recently posted..The first time
Yes you need make sure he knows that showroom quality of the car is GONE for good with two kids.
tracy recently posted..At the Car Wash…
This post brought me back to my childhood, though our cars weren’t nearly THAT well-kept. I did love washing them in the driveway, though, and we definitely didn’t eat in them!
My husband cleans my car out for me every once in a while, but I don’t mind the toys and random flip flops and pieces of pretzels and goldfish and random sippy cups (though never milk, even I have lines I don’t cross!)
angela recently posted..The Sandals – RemembeRED
I am sitting here laughing. My husband is the clean car, and mine is the way in the back kinda car; as in you’ll need to sit way in the back to get away from the coffee cups .. and smudgie windows.
Very different spin, and I truly appreciated it! LOL
le chef recently posted..In Love & War
You didn’t look inside my car did you? Because minus the hair bows you completely described the inside of my little car!
And when I was a kid my father NEVER let us wash the car….EVER, he watched us climb all over the neighbors car and how it seemed to look less than clean when we were done!
Erin recently posted..Crisp and Clean
Okay, we actually washed my mother’s car. My father’s car was touched by no one but him.
The whole time I was reading about washing the car I was thinking about what comes later – the crumbs, the car seat indents that I’m not sure ever come out.
My car is a mess, but my life is blessed.
Thanks for sharing,
Tammy
Tammy Matthews recently posted..What Matters
hmmm, this only confirms that I am not ready for kids….french fries on the floor of the car? Automatic car washes? What are these things? I am still in therapy from selling the house with floor drain in the garage (for hand washing cars in the winter btw) for a house with no garage floor drain but a pool. What was I thinking?
Oh throw a wrapper in the backseat sometime. It’s good for you. Or better yet, borrow my kids! xo