# Chateau de la Tobler

## Friday, August 17, 2007

### The Stroller Dilemma

So at the Bountiful Temple on Wednesday, everyone was laughing at my stroller--it's a normal double stroller, but it's been...well-used. Although falling apart, I could still fit all three of my kids in it, and rearrange stuff enough to fit four, as long as the fourth was Katy, who weighs less than any of my babies. (Yes, Gideon weighs almost three pounds more than Katy.) And that was very useful while waiting outside of the temple, with Gabrielle's two (Kim was there to watch them), and JeriAnne's three (the youngest is four, so it wasn't that there was a ton of watching to do with them). At the temple waiting for the bride and groom to come out for pictures, I mentioned to Uncle Kim, Uncle Bob, and Mema that we were going to run that stroller into the ground. Then we'd use some money we'd saved up to buy a new one (~$150 in uncashed checks and money orders hanging on my fridge).
It lasted exactly one day more.
We picked Bradley up from work yesterday so we could tour the new office (they move in today). On the way from the old office to the new office, with all three kids in the stroller, one of the back wheels started bowing off more than usual. By the end of the (rather frustrating, because so much still wasn't done, and yet they were moving in the morning) tour, the wheel came off completely. We didn't even bring the stroller home; we left it in one of big dumpsters on campus.
So. I started looking for a new stroller. We could just buy the same stroller, for $87, at Wal-mart:
It's not been a bad one, and we've had it for two summers now. Not too pricey, not too exciting. The kids can get in and out by themselves (well, not Gideon!), and I already know it fits in my trunk. And I can distribute the weight by remembering to put one of the big kids in the front and let the back have the (relatively) lighter baby and the other big kid.
We could get the Sit N' Stand style, $140-ish from various places, including Babies R Us:
This is a fun idea, with a seat in the front for Gideon, and a little bench in the back for the big kid. And it looks light and easy to steer (something my old bus-stroller was not). Problem, though: I have TWO big kids. There is sort of enough room for two, if one sits and one stands. But those back wheels look a little flimsy, especially with as much weight as we'll have back there. Can't have Gideon in the back, so all the weight will end up there.
Did you know that they make triple seat strollers? They do! But most of them are:

- A. made for triplet babies, so they aren't easy to get in and out of;
- 2. very very huge
- iii. between $800-1200

So, not going there.
But wait! Sometime during my jaded browsing, hope suddenly shone from my computer screen. It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was...not exactly small, nor cheap. But at least it wasn't a house payment. Behold the Joovy Big Caboose Stand On Triple Stroller (only $299 with free shipping and no tax, if I buy it today!):
I could put Mercy in the front seat--she could get in and out--Ezra could be in the far back standing or sitting on the little bench, and Gideon could be in the middle seat. Stroller can hold up to 125 lbs! It's beautiful. I want it! (If it fits in my trunk. If it doesn't, well, I'll just need to get a van, right?)
Hence the dilemma. I could buy one just like we had for 1/3 the price. I could spend forty more dollars and buy something different but possibly not as workable. Or I could spend $300 and buy a dream-machine.
What should I do? What will I do?

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