wwyd? Her car or mine?

Tomorrow SIL, me, her 2-year-old, and my 4 are driving to DH's hometown for a bridal shower. It's 180 miles or so - so a 3ish hour drive? Depending on how the newbie does in the car I guess!!

Our vehicle choices are her '06 Expedition (or '05. something close to that) or my '06 Odyssey.

If we take my vehicle, I'd put her 2-year-old in the 3rd row with my big girls, and booster them in a Literider and a Bubblebum. I'm not sure I love that idea though because it's hard for them to buckle next to each other and on long drives both girls prefer HB boosters.

OR...I could uninstall my kids' seats when we meet her at grandma's, and put them in her car. Right now my 2.5-year-old is in a Nautilus (because I need her to get into her seat herself, I had a c/s on the 11th and can't lift her. Yes I plan to flip her back!) and baby in a Keyfit. Don't know what her son rides in but it's not a big seat (and he is FF).

I really don't feel like uninstalling/re-installing a bunch of seats, but I also don't feel like driving the whole way, either, which makes me want to take her Expedition. How wide is the 2nd row? Could we get a Keyfit, GN, and booster there? We could shift the booster out of the way and put the other 2 kids in the back.

I wouldn't want to move all the seats either. Can she drive your van?

I'm with Jessica... can she drive your van?

Also... thought on using her car... can the older girls move their own boosters? Jeffrey could at that age, but not all kids that age can. If so, then all you would have to do is supervise and make sure the shoulderbelt is threaded correctly.

Yeah, you'd still have two seats to install, but it wouldn't be as bad.

HOWEVER (yep, I'm a flipper on this stuff)with the climbing up and down shortly after a c/s involved with taking the Ford, I'd really see if she wouldn't mind driving your van so it's not so much movement for you and you don't have to install ANY seats (unless she doesn't install hers correctly )

I'd take your van and just let her drive.

I'd let her drive your van, or split the driving with her in your van.

But, the 2nd row of an Expedition is HUGE and you can fit pretty much any 3-across you want I'd think. I had a big 3-in-1 Eddie Bauer thing in the center, a Graco Snugride passenger side, and then DH added a Maestro driver side and there was room to spare between each seat, and everything that could be LATCHed was, so we didn't even bother with seat belt installs to give more room. Ours is a 2003, but DH says the 2006 are the same.

We have an 07 Expedition and the second row is huge. I've had a Nautilus, old style Boulevard, and a Snugride in the back seat.

Now her 2yo is riding with grandpa. Decision made lol!