Double or Nothing

 
We have a new car seat, a wipes warmer on order, a borrowed swing, Eloise's crib and bouncer ready to go, but what to do about a stroller for two kids continues to be a mystery. The thing is, Eloise is still into her stroller. Like, really, really into it. Our Bugaboo Cameleon was down with a broken brake for about six months and now that it's been repaired (thanks Papa!) she is completely obsessed again (while it wasn't working she simply 'made due' with our other strollers). Eloise has always been a stroller happy kid and to this day she is enjoys reclining in her stroller when we're out. At three she is perfectly capable of walking, but a stroller, the Bugaboo in particular, is by far her preferred mode of transportation. It definitely helps that the stroller seat and canopy are fuchsia, she doesn't seem to have quite the same love for our all-black Valco.

{bugaboo cameleon}

{valco tri-mode}

We've been talking to Eloise about giving the stroller up to the baby but it's not going well. Currently her response is, "Not my pink stroller, that's just for me. The baby can use the black one." We've thought about adding a Bugaboo Wheeled Board to the Cameleon and using the Toddler Seat attachment on the Valco but I'm afraid Eloise is going to insist on being in the prime seat of the stroller just like her new sibling. We won't be making any serious purchases until the baby actually arrives but I'm afraid we may be looking into a double stroller.

{bugaboo donkey}

With a collection of three strollers already there is no way we are adding a double-wide double to our fleet. I would prefer to sell two of our strollers for one that can be used first with both kids, then just one once Eloise grows past her stroller stage (which can't be that far away, can it?). The double stroller I am coveting is the Bugaboo Donkey, which functions as a double stroller with two seats in Duo then telescopes to a single in Mono. It's stylish, functional and of course, completely out of budget. Go figure.

Walka-walka!

Chris has a new love, and it's our Bugaboo Stroller.

It wasn't love at first sight though. In the beginning he thought my desire for another stroller was ridiculous and unnecessary, but this all changed in Toronto. Our fantastic Bugaboo Cameleon became home base for all-day-long outings in the City and Eloise would demand to "walk-walka" in her stroller as soon as we got up. During our time in Toronto this stroller was simple to maneuver down escalators in the subway, light enough not to break (too much of) a sweat when faced with carting it up flights of stairs and easily held everything we needed for a day of exploring.

Eloise loves being in the Bugaboo so much that as we get ready to leave the house now she likes to sit in her stroller and puts the straps on herself (well, tries to anyway). Eloise loves that she can see everything from the upright position in the Cameleon and she's happy to recline and nap in there too. I love that you can customize Bugaboo strollers with different fabric sets (hello Bugaboo + Missoni!) and accessories. Ours clearly could use a little pink.

I asked for a Bugaboo for my birthday this year after a bad experience traveling with our gargantuan Valco Tri-Mode Ex stroller during my last solo trip to Toronto. Don't get me wrong, the Valco is a great stroller for running and walks outdoors, but it is practically hazardous basically anywhere you're faced with less than a six-foot turning radius. If the Valco is an SUV, the Bugaboo is a crossover.

Thanks to Craigslist a hardly used, navy blue Cameleon has been my new best friend for months. I think it's pretty sweet that Chris is smitten now, too.