I Hate Burlington Coat Factory

We found our Graco stroller at Burlington Baby Depot. They had so much crap in the aisles, you couldn't even fit a stroller down the aisles of the baby section. Come on!! We had Oliver and Wesley with us. They tried to shoplift some infant toys, and I almost let them just because I hate the store so much. The only fate worse than Burlington Coat Factory is driving to Maple Grove for Babies R Us. The stroller is one with the clip-on car seat, but fairly light-weight (also known as 'cheap'). I couldn't find any strollers at Once Upon a Child (which I also hate) or craigslist.

I found a bassinet on craigslist that involved driving 45 minutes one-way, partially on extremely muddy dirt roads, only to get the bassinet that is stained and ripped, which involved getting my mom to clean and repair it. But I saved at least $50!!! And that's worth any price.

I think the new baby's material needs are now met. Kayla suggested a quad stroller for the lot of them, but I think we might go with her other suggestion of leashes for the twins. Can you imagine - toss new baby into a sling, and hold two 2-year-olds on leashes! More likely, we just won't leave the house for the next few years, which will be fine. We'll pen the boys into the backyard with a fence, let them leave the property only when on leashes, set plates of food out on the deck for them, and have them sleep in barred cages - I mean cribs. Look for us to rejoin the human community by 2009 or 2010!

Twins...always together, and someone's always about to get hit with a ball or something

Wesley is sweeping up the entire outdoors (it's a mess out there!)

Oliver's new photo face

Remember snow?

Have stroller opinions?

Please offer opinions...

I want a cheap umbrella stroller for the boys. Looks like a single one can be $12-20 - don't know about a double. Which stores are best?

I need a single stroller for the new baby. Why would I want a frame stroller that the car seat fits on? That's only useful until the baby outgrows the carseat, right? Why not get a Graco stroller that allows for the clip-on carseat, but also can be used after the first year? (That's what we have for the twins - a regular stroller that they still use, but it also accepted the car seats).

I am excited to try out a single stroller - they seem sort of lightweight and stubby, compared to the limousine-length double stroller. Might be easier to maneuver and lift in/out of the car!

Bad Things You Can Prevent By Purchasing Items From the One Step Ahead Child Safety Catalog

sunburn
sun hurting eyes
skin cancer
feet hurt by hot sand
not knowing the UV index
poop at the beach
drown
not learn to swim as a 4-month-old
be afraid in the water
be unable to swim in the backyard
get bored
get bit by a bug
have sun in his/her eyes
not have friends
be understimulated
be slow to develop as an infant due to boring toys
not sit up
not do sign language
crawl away
skid on knees on wood floor
not read
be scratched by diaper
be soggy in diaper
feel bulky in diaper
sleep on wet sheet
have diaper rash
have a temperature
have misshapen head
poor digestion
unable to breate
harmed by conventional diaper wipes
be assassinated by a blanket
be murdered by a crib bumper
wear the wrong size shoes
teeth on inappropriate items
be woken by a light
be afraid of the dark
be crushed by a dresser
have dry nostrils
have poor potty hygiene
be unable to reach the toilet
slip in the tub
choke
have poor nutrition
have unmassaged gums
spill crumbs
be forced to eat bread crusts
eat old baby food
be unmemorialized in portrait or clay
tip bowl
not nurse
be unmonitored
be unsoothed
wear tight onesie
have shirt untucked
have germs on toys
unsafe bedtime
sleep in silence
fall down stairs, off balcony, into garage
burn self in kitchen
fingers stuck in VCR
fall out a window
harmed by corner of furniture
eat an electrical cord
go unaspirated
be hurt by hard toothbrush
have ear infection go unnoticed
be colicky
pinch fingers in door
stick finger in computer
stick finger in outlet
pinch finger in cabinet
pinch finger in drawer
fall into the toilet
die in house fire
burn on fireplace
bump head while crawling
spill juice
drink uncooled juice
germs on grocery cart
be changed on the bare floor
walk without parental assistance
travel without own bed
walk wihtout a leash
fall out of bed
make a mess with art
wear a dirty bib
be tired
have dirty shoes in the car
be bored in the car
be unsupported in the car
be without an FAA-approved flying vest
sun in eyes while in car
"painful dangling legs" off carseat

Does anyone have an unlimited amoung of money I can borrow? Lives depend on it.

P.S. I'm not making light of childhood dangers...my home is quite safety-proofed, but we haven't yet eliminated the danger of corners, light, or the lack of an FAA-approved flight vest.