Do You Throw In A T.V. With That?

Like most childless couples, Hubby the Great and I didn’t have much of a clue when it came to baby equipment. But when I got pregnant we had to get wise. At least we thought we were getting wise.

When it came to strollers we chose a “travel system”. It fit all our needs - a stroller combined with a car seat. We selected the best-selling one Babies R’ Us carried. And we were oh so grateful when The Wee Man’s great-grandparents bought it as a gift for us as it came in just around the $500 mark. A lot of money, to be sure, but we knew that we would get a lot of use out of it.

As it turns out, we love his stroller. It is durable, moves well, and has all the necessities for parents like a large storage rack and cup holders. As for The Wee Man, he digs his ride. He leans back, arm up on the side of the stroller, and acts as if Xzibit himself pimped it out for him.

Poor guy, if he only knew that it appears we have the stroller equivalent of the Griswold Family Truckster.

Apparently the stroller “to have” these days isn’t ours. The one mothers are clamoring for in baby boutiques (forget Babies R’ Us – how utterly common) all over town has a price tag double the cost of ours.

Now, I’m all for style, but when it comes to baby equipment, practicality and functionality usually win out.

When I told Hubby the Great about this stroller caste system and what the going rate was for this Rolls Royce of strollers, he rightly asked if the price included a television set.

“Ha! You’d think so,” I came back with. “But get this. These strollers have crappy storage, no cup holders, and, they’re wide open at the top, leaving the baby exposed to wind, rain, sun, whatever. I can’t figure out what the big deal is.”

“Well for a thousand bucks those things better damn well push themselves,” said Hubby the Great.

Or at least come with a T.V.