A Sordid Affair, part II

The saga continues...

So, I hated the tandem double. It was really massive and HEAVY!!! It was really hard to get in and out of the car and steering was a beating. But I'd gotten the stroller I wanted, so I had to suck it up and use it without complaining.

Then came Mitchell, baby #3. By the time he was born, Holly Grace was pretty much out of the stroller so I didn't need another double. I convinced John that we needed a new single stroller. I used re

straint, though, and bought this one. It was not an expensive stroller, but I loved it because I could just set my (new!) infant carrier right in it. Strangely enough, my infant carrier was a Baby Trend Latch-Loc. It was fabulous!!! I was so excited that my new infant carrier would work on my old [Baby Trend] Snap & Go ... but then I discovered the strangest thing: it didn't. How weird is that? I had a Baby Trend infant carrier and a Baby Trend stroller - and they didn't go together. I was irritated, but I decided I'd just have to get over it and get a new stroller! So we got this Graco Metrolite instead. Big basket! Two cupholders! Snack tray! Adjustable handle! Stands when folded! It has been a great stroller and served us well. But, I've moved on. I'm getting ready to post it on CraigList. Farewell, good stroller!

Then, Baby Charlotte was on her way and Mitchell would not even be two when she arrived. I needed a double stroller again. Arghhhh. I seriously considered this Phil & Ted's E3, but it wouldn't work with an infant carrier and toddler. Plus, it was HEAVY. Especially compared to the Metrolite. It was a single-to-double convertible stroller. I actually went to Right Start, picked it up, shook my head (too heavy!), then put it back down and left. 

I searched and searched and finally came up with this! A side-by-side (SBS) that would accommodate an infant carrier on one side. This is a Combi Twin Savvy EX. Three cupholders, fits through any standard doorway. But wow, it sure was plasticky. I mean really plasticky. And it wiggled from side to side so easily. I wasn't crazy about it, but I didn't have a whole lot of choice because I certainly was not going to do a tandem again. We used it for six months until Charlotte was out of the infant carrier and then I went shopping again.

At this point, we were getting ready to go one our big vacation to Vermont and needed a stroller that could do some serious all-terrain strolling. Which brought be back to Phil & Ted's. Only at this point, they'd upgraded it and it was now called the "Sport". It was going to be perfect for us. I spent an outrageous amount of money on it, and it really was the best money I've ever spent on a stroller. The best thing about it was the removable toddler seat on the bottom. People always stopped and asked me about it and if the one on bottom (usually Charlotte) hated it there. Actually, she didn't. She did great. And I bought it as they were just coming out with new colors and got this great blue camo. This stroller went to Vermont with us twice and Disney World once. When we went to Disney, we didn't even have Charlotte with us, but we took the doubles seat so that Holly Grace could ride if she wanted. And she did want to ride sometimes, even at five years old. This stroller is so maneuverable, it's amazing. It's the combination of the three-wheel design and the swivel front wheel that make it so easy to push. Oh, and the air tires. The lovely air tires. They were wonderful! 

I just sold this stroller to my friend Kim and I was sad to part with it. But, she is going to Disney World in a few short weeks and is going to get some great use out of the stroller, toddler seat, raincover, pannier bags, packing tray, parent console and travel bag. 

When Kim contacted me about buying my P&T, the wheels started spinning and light bulbs came on all over the place. I was about to fund a brand-new single stroller of my choosing! It doesn't get any better than this! Would it be a Quinny Zapp? a Mia Moda Cielo Evolution? a Bugaboo Bee? a Mutsy Spider? 

To be continued...