Internet dating?

Are you my stroller soul mate? I mean you're from the same country as my first love, but you're red, and I'm a blue or black girl, just ask my car(who is green, but I often lament that she should have been black). You're not as cute as my first love, nor as pristine, but hey, I should be so picky. You are however priced right...and...I do so love your Antipodean roots. You are more compact and that goes a long way, as your predecessor was 42" folded and you are only 36"...which is far more manageable. You are a little bit younger, and maybe not quite as rugged...but you need shipping, and shipping is pricey. On the other hand, there's you...


you're closer...so your travel expenses will be less...and you are the spitting image of my prior love, but once again...RED! Okay, that's a quick fix, I can use the blue cover from my late love, and you'll almost look the same...hey, and I do have some 'spare parts'! You're a bit more, but the convenience is better...oh decisions decisions. Why does this feel like Internet dating?

One last word on this...I have to say the folks at Mountain Buggy are freakin' rockstars...their customer service in New Zealand is awesome, but it's also incredible here in their Colorado office..brilliant in fact! I got swift calls and lots of options and help, sadly I couldn't justify the overall cost of a new frame or stroller, but let me tell you, if you are ever in the market for the most amazing stroller and the most incredible customer service, buy a Mountain Buggy!

HOW TO LOSE $500 IN 4 SECONDS

Back over your super duper awesome Mountain Buggy Terrain stroller like I did this morning. Perhaps I didn't have enough coffee? Or the cold was getting to me, but I had just started using it again because of how wonderful it is in the snow. I pop Paisley in it to pick up Piper at preschool, and today for some reason after putting the girls in the car I 'forgot' that I hadn't put the stroller in the back of the 'Subie', so I proceeded to back up the car until I felt a thud....uh oh. Some days are just like that I guess. Maybe it can be repaired? I don't know, perhaps a good bike shop will know how to do it? It has a very sturdy aluminum frame, and not too many bits and bobs, so it only needs to be straightened and then a new axle pin and one new wheel....oh dear, I think maybe the stroller is toast! BUGGER.

This is really a super bummer, I love this stroller, and it was like new because it only gets used in the snow. Can you tell, I'm really really really bummed.

I called the distributor in Colorado, and they said it might be repairable but we need to take it to an auto repair shop to have it bent so that it can be shipped. A new frame is $300! plus the new wheel(one is cracked), plus shipping! ugh!

One thing I can tell you....these strollers are AMAZING! especially in snow/sand/dirt etc...made in New Zealand..built tough...just not tough enough to withstand a Subaru backing over it!...still, can you imagine what a Graco would look like!

SNOW + PIPER = SNOWANGELS!

It snowed yesterday, and all Piper wanted to do was make snowangels...she talked about it from the moment she woke in the morning, all through breakfast and was still chattering as we left to run errands. By noon she was pretty much keyed up and begged me for "just five or maybe nine minutes in the snow?"...I popped Paisley in bed and bundled up Piper and out we went!

I'm figuring she made a Soccer teams worth of Snowangels and about a dozen snowballs, the latter which were promptly thrown at her mother?....where on earth did she learn that snowballs should be hurled at your Mum??? Thirty minutes later, she was tucked inside, hands warming around a nice hot chocolate with a side of gingerbread cookies!

I'm one who is less enthusiastic about winter in Minnesota, but when I see how much my girls enjoy the white fluffy stuff....it kind of makes it okay.

Piperina Ballerina

This weekend was Piper's first ballet lesson. I'd been looking for a few months and found the perfect little ballet studio just a few minutes away from home. Her lessons started on Saturday but we accidentally turned up to the 5 year old class instead of the 3-4's! She had a great time anyway, and got to try 'tap' as well! Thanks to Angelina Ballerina, Piper is absolutely enamoured with all things ballet, and should a sport be devised that incorporates Kung Fu and Ballet at the same time, then that would be utter perfection! Piper certainly has a flair for the dramatic, and of course dance is a great outlet for that. Lets hope however, that she learns the self discipline her mother never did...I was always more...lets say, 'expressive' hence my short lived career in the fine arts.

Multi tasking...

SPLITTING CHRISTMAS

This year we have decided to spend Christmas in Colorado. Paisley has been home nine months and even though we'd just love to hunker down and celebrate at home with our little family of four, we have decided that it is indeed time to take the plunge and drive across the country to spend the holidays with Mike's family in the Rockies! I'm torn whether to spend the time decorating the house, since we will leave a week before Christmas, and will be back around New Years...but I want to stay 'festive'. At the moment, all we have is a wreath at the door and a Santa on the mantelpiece! Sad huh! I know Nana & Papa will pull out all the stops at their house, their tree is always a wonder. I think it will be amazing for the girls, to spend the holidays with their cousins, aunties and uncle, Nana, Papa and Great Grandma, snuggled around the Wii (I mean fireplace) on Christmas Eve, drinking hot chocolates and eating cookies! Today I pulled out the stockings so that we can take them with us. Guess who else will be stowing away? 'Jingle' of course, he must must must come along, after all, he's still on duty the week before Christmas! Now all I have to do is figure out which gifts to open here before travelling, and which to take with us...and of course, there's always the task of sending Santa a 'change of address' just in case he comes here instead of there...

SCARY SANTA!

Two weeks ago we visited Santa at the Macy's Store downtown...they have a wonderful display each year and this year the theme was Santa's Workshop. We got the Snowflowers dressed in their winter finery and headed off on our little expedition. Piper was completely stoked by the fact she would be meeting the big guy in red, Paisley...um...not so much. We enjoyed the 'workshop' and ended up in line to meet 'Santa' who was frankly kinda scary and pretty gruff with the kids. I think that Macy's need a new Santa next year...Piper was pretty sure he wasn't the 'real' Santa...Paisley was absolutely sure of it, even bunny was skeptical. Next week we'll try a different Santa...I hear the honest to goodness Santa Claus is at one of the local Malls. We'll see. I don't think this will work on the Christmas card this year. Whats the deal with the gardening gloves anyhow? This is Macy's people, the Cadillac of Santa's...oh Macy's, how you have let your standards fall.