summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Thursday, February 12, 2009

strollers, prams, and carriages

I love them. I have too many of them. The mommy of 6 at http://ohcrapthelifelessonsofamomof5.blogspot.com/ would like some advice on what is the best one out there....I cannot help because there is no best one. There are hundreds with nice features, though.

My dream job would be to be a stroller tester. The company would send me a free one, I would try it out, critique it, send back my report, and keep the stroller. I would of course have to rent one of the storage things, but I would bring a few lawn chairs, go over to the storage thing, sit down, and just look at all my nice strollers. Sound crazy? I cannot explain my obsession with prams. It started a long time ago.....

I wasn't even married when I visited my sister who was living down near Baltimore Maryland. She was pregnant for her first baby. We went to a ToysRUs store. They had some strollers clearanced. Some how it made sense for Cheryl to buy one, and for me to buy one too! Because I might need it someday! Someone should have just shot me then.....Anyway, that stroller did not work at all for my baby Emily. It was one of those old-school type, chrome tray on the bottom, fringe on the canopy....baby slips right out..so, Paul bought me a Century stroller from KMart. I loved it. I had a nice red gingham umbrella stroller with a hood, too. Then, I bought another umbrella stroller that reclined.....didn't love it....got a different one....then another stroller....then, Paul came home with a Simo pram from Norway. He just wheeled into the living room....I thought it was a joke, but no, he bought it from a lady who had lived in Norway, and brought it home with her....he bought it at a yard sale for $50, including a sleeping bag and a dune. It is lavender with huge white wheels. It is a fixture in my room, all the babies sleep in it for a few months. Anyway, I discovered ebay, which is just too bad for everyone in my family who hates all the strollers I have.

Through the years I have aquired: A silver cross pram, with a seat and basinette, a Jane from Spain pram, a PegPerego Giovonne with seat and basinette, a brand-new English pram that I re-sold on ebay, (sniff, sniff, sob), two Geisslein prams from Germany, a PegPerego Pliko, Aria, and Venezia, a nice Aprica, two Combi strollers, at least 5 different Gracos, an Inglesina Magnum with the big black wheels, plus an extra seat for it, the Inglesina Zippy with the basinette, a McClaren Volo, a Kidco reclining umbrella stroller with basinette, three Emmaljunga Viking strollers with basinettes, two of which I have given away, a really nice bouncy brand new Chicco stroller pram, which I sold very cheaply to a friend, a double Peg-Perego front-back stroller, the side-by-side double Emmaljunga, a fold up Simo from Norway, and probably more that I don't remember right now.

The Inglesina Zippy is my favorite right now.

I have given away some of these, but there are pram pieces in all the closets, in the foyer, in the downstairs hallway, and in my bedroom. People here want them out. I saw a really cool Norwegian pram , the Simo Nordic Cruiser, on Ebay last week, gorgeous black frame with big black wheels, bouncy suspension, basinette insert, it sold for $35, with $30 shipping. I was only pointing it out to Paul, and several nosey older kids started yelling at me that we DO NOT need any more strollers!!!

Oh, I also had the Bumbleride Queen B, ruby red, which I bought brand new, and gave to my niece, Susan, for her baby William.

And that is my stroller story. I probably won't be buying any more.....so sad, just so sad. I think it has been my indulgence through the years of sleepness and busyness. Buying a new one, having it come from the UPS or FedEx truck, cleaning it up, making a new cover, whatever, getting to know "it", then moving on to a new one......crazy, yeah.....sort of like an old man with his Lionel train sets, or a middle aged woman and her basket collection, or figurines, or whatever. Only prams and strollers are so BIG.

I would be interested to hear from anyone else who has a fondness for prams and strollers, and what your favorite is.

8 comments:

Standinginhislight said...

ha ha, I am of mom of 6, and I didn't even know what a pram was??? *blush* I googled it to find out. Would love one, but have never had one. ;^) Thanks for the educational moment, lol.
Love your blog btw!
~Sheri

Anonymous said...

LOVE LOVE strollers. And prams. I, unfortunately don't have any prams at all. I do have the peg perego full size stroller that i love, but i dream of one day owning a pram with removable seats...sigh. So if you see any good deals please pass them on to me. I also have a cheap umbrella stroller, a volo, a sit and stand double stroller.

My thing is bottles, lol i get such joy out of new bottles.

Cassandra said...

OOOHHHH! I love Prams too!!! I thought i was 'bad' lol! only thing is my hubby complains too much so i know i have to sell them on when i buy a new one and i get too many (is there such a thing as too many prams though ;-)) My favorite are emmaljunga's, i love the older style of prams, I had the most gorgeous Black emmaljunga classic with all accessories but it wouldnt fit in our (old) car so i sold it, no sense such a nice pram going to waste i thought, now of course we have a bigger car and it would fit just fine... I went out and bought this funky looking thing for Bailey and i must admit i love that too, compact fold, steers like dream but they are gettinga bit common now and i think i'm a bit of a pram snob as i like prams that arent so common, when i see a nice one i havent seen before (like at the shops with a mom and baby) i want to stop her and aske her where she got it from and if she likes it etc... Crazy huh, anyway i am going to post some pics for you of my favorite pram on my blog...

cheryl said...

I love prams, too, as you know very well. We should write a book. "What To Expect When You're Buying a Pram".. I would advise anyone who was looking for a stroller, to head to ebay. But don't bid on any of the wonderful Prams!! Not worth it, your families will eventually think you're crazy. To be conservative, though, one should have at least 3 carriage/strollers, etc. for a baby. And they should be as eye-catching as possible. (Why not?) A nice pram that converts to or has a stroller seat, a mid-size fold up stroller, and a smaller, lightweight, convenient one for fitting in small places. No
Now, I also like doll prams, and miniature prams, but that's another problem..

Unknown said...

You are very crazy about prams or strollers. You are best suited for stroller tester job. We have got a new Mickey sport pushchair for our baby it is really nice thing to have.

kanda said...

I am right there with you! I had a Simo shipped over from Norway before I even had kids, because I knew it was the best. I'm really tall, and so were my babies, so the bigger the better as far as the pram went. I was able to use it with my kids until they were 5 years old. At the same time I had 4 other strollers, but none was as good as the Simo. Now my kids are past that stage, and all the other prams and strollers are gone, but the Simo remains, awaiting grandchildren.

Maggie Tillman said...

I own a Simo
Pram with a bassinet that turns into a stroller. I need 4 new wheels. do you know where I can find them. Simo doesn't seem to be in business anymore. The pram is from Norway and it is 21 years old. THanks and thank you for your great stories! Maggie Tilllman
maggietillman@comcast.net

Unknown said...

I just found your blog and I know it's now 2012, but I luv Prams, too!! Would only use a pram for my children given to me as a gift from my grandmother born in 1902! When I first recieved this beautiful luxurious ride for my 1st born, I have to admit, I didn't know what a pram was! After you use 1, my 1st was a Emmj. other carriages just don't meassure up! Now that my kids are young adult's& grandma sadly passed@99yrs old, I find myself seeking out a used pram for my brand new granddaughter!? Hence, that's how i came across your blog. I am wishing I did what of the other ladies mentioned in your blog saved mine for grandchildren!? I'm cofident i'll find one, tho! And, it will be for me, as I have bought my daughter in law her carriage of choice,(stress)of her choice, for her baby shower. I tried to talk her into a pram at my expense and she thought I was ridicoulus!? The carriage was to big, to much $, and the colors weren't cutsy pink&gray w/elephant's on it!?! But, everybody has thier own taste and likes and I had to remind myself of this when I felt....Ummm...old I guess!? But, I bet she'll be a lover of prams when I bring home my new used Simo cruiser tom!!!!