This is where I tell on myself

I have a confession to make: I have a problem. Some of you may choose to see it as an addiction; I prefer the term "collection." You see, today I purchased our fifth stroller.

Before you think I'm nuts, I can explain. All of our strollers are great in certain situations, but not one can do everything I need it to do. I haven't found a single stroller on the market that can be all the things I need it to be: lightweight, easy to maneuver, small enough to fit through standard doorways, easy to fold, able to recline at least a little, and able to collapse small enough to fit in the back of my car without having to fold down part of the third row. So I'm a little picky. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned cargo space; I'm so used to schlepping things around at this point that cargo space is a luxury I'm willing to forgo. For now. 

The very first stroller we got was this tandem double, which can accommodate two infant carseats and also grow with the boys once they're able to sit up on their own. It was a shower gift (thanks, Memaw and Papaw!), and I think our first big twin-related purchase.

I have used it many times and it's great to be able to leave the boys in their carseats and just pop them into the stroller without having to wake them up. I'm sure we'll rely on it more and more as the boys get bigger, but for now, most of the time it's too much of a beast for me to deal with on my own. This sucker is HEAVY. It is way, way bigger than it appears in this photo. And steering it feels like how I imagine piloting a cruise ship must feel.

Our second stroller purchase, and my favorite to date, was this double jogger. (And before you think I'm crazy, my company's fitness subsidy program reimbursed us for half the cost of this one since it's designed for exercise.)

The manueverability of this one is amazing. I can literally push and steer it with one finger, and the shocks and rubber tires make for a really smooth ride, even off-road (so smooth, in fact, that the boys are usually asleep within 2 minutes). This is perfect for walking around our neighborhood and on the jog and bike trail at the end of our street. It's narrow enough to fit through doors at the mall, but barely. Really my main complaint about this one is that it, too, is crazy heavy to lift, and it takes an act of Congress to fold it flat enough to where it will fit in the back of my car with 2/3 of the third row still accessible. (And if I'm honest for a second, Ryan is still the only one who knows how to do it.)

Our third and fourth (which, in my opinion, should technically count as just one) are these single umbrella strollers.

We bought these right before our trip to Georgia because we wanted something easy and lightweight to check at the gate, and something inexpensive so we wouldn't be too upset if they got messed up on the plane. These little babies could not be easier to fold up and get in and out of the car--I can even do it one-handed. And the boys really like them because they can sit up and see everything, and they seem to be less hot than the others. The main drawback to these is pretty obvious: two strollers require two pushers, which isn't always possible.

Which leads us to today's purchase. One of the moms in our neighborhood e-mailed a bunch of us to give us a heads-up that she was having a garage sale in case we wanted first dibs on any of her stuff. When I saw that she was selling this gently used double umbrella stroller for a fraction of its original price, I quickly e-mailed her and claimed it.

I am thinking (and have read, and am hoping against hope!) that this will be the best of all worlds for awhile. It's lightweight, smaller than a yacht, easy to fold (supposedly... I haven't figured it out yet), and narrow enough to fit through a single doorway. And best of all, I can justify the purchase because I know that whenever the boys outgrow it, I'll be able to sell it through my Moms of Multiples club for as much as or more than what I paid for it--these puppies are in high demand.

Reid, Grant and I picked it up this morning, and I am way more excited than any rational person should be. I have half a mind to load up the boys and #5 and go to Ikea or something, just because we can. Crazy talk, I know. Instead, as soon as they wake up and have lunch, we're going to drive to Pearland to see Aunt Sassy and Uncle B's new house that they just moved into yesterday.

And finally, just because no post is complete without a picture of these little stinkers:

We love breakfast! (Grant L, Reid R)

Sorry for the terrible quality--it was taken with my phone (cue Steph and Candi on how I need an iPhone).

Happy Friday!