HotWheels (fo' Kids)

Hey gang,

Adjusting to life with two dependents has been a relatively painless affair thus far (I stress thus far).

There's less sleep to go around, sure - and less free time on hand - but that's got to be expected. Another foreseen headache that comes with adding on another tax deduction to one's filing is the additional purchases in order to accommodate the new arrival. We had to pick up a toddler bed for the Cannonball so that the new kid would have a bed to sleep in. We had to move into a new house in order to make room for an extra head under our roof. We had to update our wills and purchase additional car seats.

And now, we've obtained a new stroller.

This will be a product review, of sorts, for those of you out there who may soon be in the same situation as the Houghs. Pay attention.

There are certain things Dads may get more excited about then Moms. For me, its strollers. I like to think of them not so much as 'strollers,' but as 'tactical child transportation vehicles.'

With our first kid, I researched the bejesus out of them before finally settling on the Chicco Cortina Travel System (which I would highly recommend to anyone out there preparing to re-procreate the species - its awesome). Had it not been for the need for an additional seat, I wouldn't have felt the need to replace it. Alas, since babies can't necessarily sit on one another's laps for extended periods of time, we had to upgrade to a double-tactical child transportation vehicle, and the hunt was on yet again.


I look for certain things in my tactical child transportation vehicle. Enough cup holders to facilitate kids' milks and dad's beers, undercarriage compartments for diaper and camera bags, bitchin' racing stripes, etc. If Dad's going to be pushing around a tactical child transportation vehicle, then Dad's going to look good pushing around a tactical child transportation vehicle.

After a couple months of trying out several different floor models in various stores, spending countless hours browsing online, and receiving a generous donation from my Mom and Step-Dad (thanks again, guys), we finally settled on the Graco Quattro Tour Duo Stroller.

Why its called 'Quattro' Tour Duo Stroller, I don't know. It only has two seats, not four.

Adjustable seats and shades, plenty of storage space, folds up easily, not too heavy, handles awesomely, lots of cup holders and snack trays, fighter pilot handle bars, and - of course - bitchin' racing stripes. I'm a big fan of this tactical child transportation vehicle. If you're planning on making more than one baby in the near future, pounce on this vehicle. Totally worth it.

Slainte,

Brian