So, I’m preggo, and Everett isn’t walking. And sometimes, Adele doesn’t want to walk either. So, I thought we needed a new double stroller. And, I had a problem grocery shopping. Everett can’t sit up in the front of the cart and if I lay him down in the back, he gets angry (maybe because it’s not comfortable??). So, I tried putting him in the umbrella stroller and hanging my shopping bags from the handles. But it didn’t take many groceries to flip that thing back. It actually happened a few times =( (Mommy fail!). So, I finally found an IndieTwin double stroller in great condition on craigslist for $300!!! (they are over $700 new).

Cute, huh? I thought it was going to be perfect before I actually put my kids into it.

But as soon as I put them in, the seat went back about 15 degrees. Unfortunately, Everett hates it. He was screaming and twisting all aver the place.

After some back and forth with a very nice person at Bumbleride customer service, we determined that that’s the normal place for the seats, so I devised a work-around modification to make it work for us. I took a piece of wood that was hanging out in the basement and put it between the frame and the backs of the seats, thus preventing the seats from falling back to the “reclined” position. Admittedly, with the board in place, you can’t recline the seats. But, I don’t see that as a problem, and if we do want to recline, I can just move the board (it’s not attached permanently. The bigger issue is that it has to be taken out to fold the stroller (i.e. every time I put it in the car), but I still think it’s worth it because it’s pretty easy to put in place and remove.

Want to see what it looks like? I’m thinking it needs a coat of black paint, but you don’t see it when you are standing at a regular height.

And the shades cover it from the sides (I moved them so you could see it for the picture). It doesn’t stick out any farther than the outer part of the stroller, so it doesn’t make it any harder to get through a standard doorway.

And, now, the board is hidden. And, see how upright the seats are now? I used it at the grocery store today and Everett was happy the WHOLE time — well, almost the whole time. He did start screaming while we were checking out, but he didn’t scream while we were shopping! Woohoo! It is so nice to grocery shop without a screaming child!!!

Now, it’s true that this thing is heavy to put into the trunk. And it ain’t that easy to fold up. But, it steers like a dream, even with two heavy kids and a whole lot of groceries in it. Seriously, I bet I could hold a newborn in one arm and steer with the other arm. =)