I had the pleasure of welcoming my little grandson into the world and seeing his parents lives change right there in the delivery room. The first thing I remember my son-in-law saying to his new son was, "I can't wait to buy you a little red wagon."
For years, I've wanted to buy my kids a red wagon and it just never was on the top of my shopping list. But the day my grandson was born the wagon shot right up toward the top of my list - for my kids. That was almost year ago! The little girls have bikes, big wheels, scooters and lots of strollers so I couldn't really justify it in my mind to buy another big toy with wheels. Unless.... hmmm... maybe I could...
Yes, the wagon is an American classic. The kids must have one. I decided I would get them one if I got rid of the double stroller. I wasn't using it much anymore, just a bit here and there. Gracie is 6 years old now and over the weight limit for the stroller so it isn't much use to me unless I use it for Libby and a grandson, or Libby and a friend. This wasn't happening very often. The double was taking up space more than it was being used lately.
I bought my double stroller, a 2007 chocolate mint Graco Quatro Duo, used off of Craigslist back in 2008. It was in excellent condition, and the seller told me she owned it for a few months. They were still selling the same model at Babies R Us, not even a discontinued stroller. Nice! Rather than spending $250 for it at the store I picked it up for $100. I used it extensively from 2008 until recently and it is 2012 already. Three and a half years and a lot of miles went into that used stroller. It served us well. I sold it on Craigslist for $80 to a lady with a toddler and a newborn. I hope it serves them well too.
Since I ditched the double stroller, I promised myself that wagon! It took me a few months, but I finally came through with my shopping promise and went out on a wagon shopping spree. I've been looking at them online for a long time trying to decide which model to get and I've perused Craigslist too. The used wagons on Craigslist are worn, broken, and rusty. I want a new one. I had the hardest time deciding between a solid plastic body with seats and straps and cupholders or the foldable cloth wagon. The one with seats and cupholders resembles a double stroller that you pull instead of push, the foldable wagon seems to have more interior room in the bed of the wagon. hmmmm.
I went with the foldy wagon based solely on the fact that it will fit in the trunk better making it easier to take with us. I decided to just go buy it before I changed my mind. Off we went to Sams Club where the wagon was $54. Bam! We own an American Classic!
I love it! The kids love it too! It weighs a lot less than the double stroller and it is much more compact when folded than the double ever was. It holds 150 pounds too! The double stroller held 100 pounds (40 lbs in each seat and 20 in the basket). All in all, it's a great trade!
Now, I just have to figure out how to pull it. I know how to pull, but pulling and walking at the same time is a skill I have yet to master. Pulling the kids in the wagon, I cannot see them. That's kind of annoying, I will need to make sure Charlie doesn't climb out while we're walking along. What if Libby drops her blanket? Guess we'll get used to the new lineup.
The handle is not attached to the wheels in any way so there is no way to steer the wagon. How do you steer this thing? It wanders left and right behind me and I am sure to drop the kids right off the curb if the sidewalk isn't wide enough. Yikes. Maybe they should wear helmets. There is a steep learning curve to becoming a wagon puller. Who knew!
We're all pretty excited about our upgrade from the stroller to the wagon even if I don't have my wagon driver's license yet. Just takes practice I guess. Question of the day: Which park should we take it to so I can practice my wagon driving skills?
