[legion]

We bought the minivan when my oldest was 1 year old. It worked well with one kid. It worked well with two kids. Now, with three kids, we're feeling cramped sometimes. Sure, there are enough seats for everyone. But the booster seat in the far back (not to mention the car seats in the middle seats) basically takes up 1.5 seats.

It's hard to pack for three children--including a stroller--for long trips. When we get to our destination, we can take, at most, one guest with us.

My two older kids play hockey. The van basically holds two sets of gear, five family members, and nothing else. Need to swing by a store on the way home from hockey? Probably out of the question. We are constantly running home on Saturdays to drop stuff off at home and pick up new stuff.

We've been playing with the idea of a 12 passenger van. They are cheap new (cheaper than a minivan), and they can be picked up a year old for half price. Seems like we could use the extra cargo room and the extra seats when family visits or when visiting family.

Am I high on crack?