Today, I tell you of my stroller dilemma. Remember that lovely trip to Disney World I briefly mentioned? It ended with the airline destroying our beloved jogging stroller. Did you know that when the airline makes you sign that little slip saying they're not responsible for damages to car seats or strollers they really mean it?
We previously had this one:
In red, though. So that when I wore my red Gore-Tex and put MJ in her red winter coat, it really looked like we had a theme going. Although I would not have bought the fixed wheel in retrospect, I otherwise loved it. A lot cheaper than the BoB and a great stroller.
So now I have to decide what to do. We have a cheap umbrella stroller that barely makes it down city sidewalks, and with winter coming (or here) we need something more substantial. My question: do I buy another single stroller? Or do I buy a double thinking we'll fill it sometime soon? And then walk around looking like I lost one of my kids and didn't notice? They have those fancy-schmancy strollers that convert from one seat to two, but that would require MJ sitting underneath an infant at some point, and I can't imagine her being willing to not be able to see what's going on.
The truth of the matter is, we need something to contain her. Although she is physically able to exist without a stroller in many scenarios, she likes to run wildly away. Twice this week I've had strangers tell me they've never seen a child that young move that fast. I have no basis for comparison, but DH blamed it on the fact that I drank coffee when I was pregnant with her. So it seems it is not really the airline's fault that we need a new stroller, as they made me agree to with my signature, but instead my bad caffeine habits.
We have this monstrosity for our single child: http://www.rei.com/product/782788/chariot-carriers-cougar-2-stroller-trailer-chassis (look, it is even on sale!). There is nothing particularly chic or understated about the beast, but oh man does it do everything. With the stroller wheels and just Milo in it, it is like a rolling play pen. Add the bike trailer hitch, and we cycle. Ski attachments coming soon. When Milo decides he is ready for a sibling (and lets us know this by sleeping through the night for one month), the next one will easily fit. It manuevers wonderfully, and the size is almost a plus when you are, say, fighting crowds on the walking path. That said, I don't imagine it is great for shopping aisle.
ReplyDeleteLet us know if you want to try ours out!
The Baby Jogger City Select really does transition from a normal single to a true double (no one has to be under the other kid)... it's really expensive but I've heard you can get good deals when the new year's model comes out. Or you could get something like the Joovy Caboose but I hate those kind of wheels. It's sort of a double but wouldn't really look like one.
ReplyDeleteTell your hubs that I drank probably WAYYYY more caffeine than you did, and Annie... well... let's just say she won't be winning any speed awards anytime soon :)
I'm in a similar dilemma. We have a really nice bugaboo, but my daughter seems to be getting to tall for it. She's also a runner, and so even though we can let her walk most of the time, it's not that safe. Umbrella stroller is not that great, so I've been thinking about getting a used BOB. But we are now expecting #2, so it seems silly to buy a single. We also have a chariot, but it is such a monstrosity, I can barely fit it in my Prius, so I'm thinking that you can always get some use out of a single, even if you have two kids. At first you might wear the little one and then stroll the older one. And by the time the younger one doesnt want to be worn, your oldest might be ok walking alone. And if not, I say wait to buy a double until you have a pain point to solve. My biggest problem with strollers is I made most of my decisions before having a baby. But once you have one, you know where your pain points are to solve. Anyway, I'd say get yourself a single you like, and once you have 2, see what kind of stroller makes sense then. That's my two cents :)
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for a single stroller. We have the bob duallie two seater, which I love. But if only one kid is in it (for a variety of reasons, one is not there or off running around) I definitely get weird looks from people. Plus, when #2 comes along, who knows what your needs will be :)
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