On Saturday, we were running low on our supply of baby wipes (not that we need a lot anymore cuz she’s been pooping clay-like balls since she’s been on peas that we can just pick up in one neat non-stick wad) so we took Allie on a Costco run. Mr. W is impulsive of a shopper, but now he’s impulsive for bigger-ticket-items for his baby girl. I couldn’t talk him out of buying her a 3-stage tricycle or a jogger stroller that converts to a bicycle trailer. So Allie got some cool new rides.

The tricycle by Little Tikes, I had to admit reluctantly, is fun and functional. There’s a flexible sun-shade that can be moved to block sunlight from any angle. The detachable steering wheel panel has buttons and signals with sound effects and lights. Each time Allie turns the wheel, the turn signal clicks and blinks just like in a car. She’s a little young for even the first stage (no pedaling required, there are stationary foot rests for her to rest her little feet on), as she can’t even reach the foot rests. The trike at this stage is controlled by a parent pushing/turning a steering stick behind the trike, and the steering is surprisingly easy and responsive from that apparatus.

There’s even a zippered storage pouch and a cupholder on the parent-control stick for the parents, plus ample storage for toys, etc. on a little bin attached to the back of the trike. I’m not sure the differences between stages 2 and 3, but I suppose at some point the parent-steering is removed and the kid can pedal him/herself around. Maybe the interactive effect with steering wheel comes off so only the handlebars are on the front. Here’s a video demo of our little walk.


Here’s the conversion jogger/bike trailer. It’s big enough and has the seatbelt arrangements for two kids, which for a 6-month-old like Allie means we’ve gotta find something to stuff in there on her left and right so she doesn’t fall over on her side during a bump. She’s young for this thing, too; Mr. W did a turnaround run at our cul de sac and when I saw Allie coming back up the driveway, her eyes were wide, she had her arms outstretched with hands facing behind her like she was trying to hang into something (but there’s nothing to hold onto) at the back for support, and she had slid down and was slumping in her seat. This isn’t going to work, there’s just too much room and too little support in there. But the unit is cool; the back wheels are removeable and click on easily, and once off, the entire thing collapses pretty flat for storage. A big window/entrance in the front has a zippered screen to block flying rocks, perhaps, and a transparent vinyl window can be rolled down and zippered over the screen to waterproof the cabin when necessary. The front wheel and axle can removed and an included metal arm attachment popped on to attach the unit to the back of an adult bicycle. We didn’t try this part, yet, and I didn’t try the stroller myself, so I don’t have much feedback on that.

I tried to get Mr. W to save some money by not getting these things, yet, but he said that Costco’s inventory is sporadic so if we don’t get these now, they may not be available once Allie is big enough for them. She can just grow into them. Allie’s gonna be one spoiled girl when she gets her first car at age 13. Every kid should be so lucky as to have an impulse shopper for a loving daddy.