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Monday, July 6, 2009

I have a problem. It's an addiction. Maybe a fetish.
Some people have lots of purses. Some people have lots of shoes. Some people collect stamps or coins. Some people have penis envy.

I am a stroller junkie.

I only have three kids but somehow since Emily was born I've managed to own 12 strollers. Yep, that's right. 12. I've had crappy second hand umbrella strollers. I've had giant Mac Truck style triple strollers and everything in between.
When we go places as a family, Sean likes to people watch. He'll rate the men, he'll rate the women, he'll comment on people's kids throwing fits. But me, I'm just looking at their strollers.

So currently in my garage I have two umbrella strollers. One we bought in Niagara Falls years ago when we went for a holiday but forgot to pack the stroller for Mary. I also have another umbrella stroller that was freecycled to me. In my infinite wisdom I thought I could attach the two (they used to sell clips to attach umbrella strollers together) to make a double umbrella stroller for those days when I had my little daycare baby and had to pick up kindergarten kids. It didn't work and that stroller just collects dust in the garage.
I have Connor's stroller, the one we bought when I was pregnant. See, we had decided after Mary was born that we were done having kids and once the daycare kids all grew up and I didn't have use for a big stroller anymore, I freecycled the stroller we'd had for Emily and then Mary. So I got to buy a whole new one when Connor came along. I also have my new love. It's Joovy Big Caboose. I had a double stroller but now I've got two 20 months olds and a 12 month old in the daycare and well, as much as Connor and the other little one are getting big, they are not big enough to walk all the way to school. So the Big Caboose is a double but it also has the sit and stand platform on the back for baby number 3 (so in essence it's my triple stroller). But that brought a whole new brand of issues.

Every now and then I like to go to the mall. If it's raining and we're stuck inside, a walk through the mall is a nice change of scenery for the toddlers. But that big old Big Caboose does not fit into the van if there are more than two kids in it. Or, times like now, in the summer, when we are going on trips. I need a stroller with three under 2 but can't fit the Joovy in the van. So I searched Kijiji and Craigslist and put my name on the wish lists for all the second hand stores around here for a double umbrella stroller. They are a bit hard to come by and truth be known, though I am a stroller nut, I'm also cheap and refuse to buy one brand new (the exception being the Joovy but since I got that on sale for the rock bottom price of $99 (originally $329) I can't complain) By some miracle I got a call on Saturday from one of the second hand shops. They had one come in and they were holding it just for me!! So my mom, eager for something to do, ran over there for me and picked it up. And now I've added to my collection, a lovely double umbrella style stroller. Perfect for trips to the park, the mall and it fits oh so well in the van.

I know I don't need this many strollers but I look at it this way. I don't buy a lot of shoes. I only have two purses. My wardrobe is pretty small. And even if I wanted all those things, what use would I have for them? I fingerpaint for a living! So my weird stroller fetish is actually productive and helpful to my career. (don't junkies justify their addictions this way?)

I was looking on Kijiji the other day and spotted a really nice jogging stroller. I wonder if it's still available.

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