3 kids

Suzanne is back today with more pics of baby Lincoln! And an update on life with 3 kids, along with a great review of the Joovy TooQool stroller. 

**********************************

So far, three kids isn’t so bad. It’s mostly like having two kids, except I’m slightly more tired and constantly thinking “Oh my God, did I forget the baby?”

We are still a going-places and doing-things sort of family – the sort of family I always wanted to become and one of the main reasons I had kids in the first place. Kids are a great excuse to do fun stuff and experiencing things with kids makes even a place you’ve been a zillion times fresh and interesting.

Growing up we didn’t do extravagant vacations, but we did do children’s museums and science museums  and living museums and parks and farms and ponds and lakes and lighthouses. We stayed with family when they were around and my parent’s college roommate’s sister when that was the closest friend with a spare room. I have so many good memories of those adventures, it’s exactly what I want for my own kids.

I’ve been Going All The Places and Doing All The Things with my gingers since I emerged from that first-baby newborn fog. They’ve gotten used to me shouting “Put your shoes on and get in the car!” and only ask “Where are we going?” once we pull out of the driveway.

There are a couple of important lessons to remember when you’re in a get-out-and-go kind of mood: pack snacks, bring a good stroller, and if you forget something you can always buy it on the way. That last one is key – we own a lot of shoes purchased at the nearest Target when we got halfway to our destination and realized a kid had somehow lost a shoe. How do kids DO that?

But the stroller thing really can make or break a day trip, which is why I was so excited to try out the new, super-stylish Joovy TooQool. I’m a fan of babywearing (massive understatement) but when you need to tote enough stuff to feed and clean and clothe three children for most of a day you need something to carry that stuff AND the child(ren) whose feet will hurt in an hour.

The Joovy TooQool is not only cool looking, it has been an amazing partner on my recent adventures with 3 kids. I’ve used the stroller as a single with the car seat/ride-on almost every day and I’m just starting to use the full sized seat with Linc, since he’s enormous and it reclines enough for him to nap (and the full sized seat makes a great camera bag carrier when it’s not holding the squish).

Here’s the rundown on my sweet orange stroller.

Pros:

– Easy fold frame: I had no trouble hauling it in and out of the back of the minivan even just a few days post-partum.
– Easy to store: Both seats come off and fold fully in half, so they take up very little space.
– Ride-On Board: I can walk normally with the kids riding on, and easily fold it up with my foot when then hop off.
– So many options! One seat, two seats, one car seat, car seat + seat, car seat + ride on, seat + ride on. The top seat can face either direction.
– Huge canopy: Provides lots of shade for baby’s delicate skin. Plus when it started raining on us at the fair Linc was nice and dry.
– Awesome seats: Cushy seat pads, easy to adjust strap heights, three position foot rest. I wish I could ride in this thing.
– Fits through doors. Anyone who’s ever gotten stuck at the mall with a side-by-side double knows why this is a huge plus.
– Easy brake: I can do it with one foot while wearing flip-flops. That’s the kind of thing you don’t realize is important until it’s too late.

Cons:

– Technically the seats are for babies 3 months and up, so you can’t use the actual seat on a newborn. They do make car seat adapters for Britax, Chicco, and Graco Click Connect infant car seats. (The adapters are the best I’ve ever seen, connecting the stroller directly to the car seat making it way more secure than the buckle strap on a frame some strollers use.)
– The second seat (the one in the back) is lower, so the rider can’t necessarily see right in front of them. Caroline doesn’t mind at all and Evan slept in it just fine in New York City, but a picky toddler might complain.

I had the pleasure of meeting Pam, who works for Joovy in person in New York. She was incredibly nice and has answered every possible question about the stroller and the brand I could think of. They’ve built their family business on quality products and excellent customer service so you know this is a stroller that will last from your first baby to your last. I plan to use and love my TooQool long past baby number three. Or four. Or five? Baby fever is real, guys, even when your baby is only 2 months old.