November 3, 2006 Masha

Yeah, But What Stroller Would Mary Use?

From rock stars to rabbis, a circuitious route has brought me, Mommy Masha to the Magic Beans family. I’m looking forward to bringing you news from overseas. I’m leaving for a two and a half month stay in Jerusalem and I’m seriously sweating which stroller to take. Advice from family and friends has made it all the more confusing.

“Must take your Valco!” attests one group. It’s true, there is no way after having been conditioned to use my beloved Valco (smooth ridin’ hassle-free pushing) that I would be able to handle the Jerusalem streets without it. We bemoan a cracked sidewalk? We’re talking about slabs of stone that were ancient when Mother Mary was pushing along her little messianic treasure, okay? Got shocks? So yeah, done deal, take the Valco.

But the VALCO? “Do you know how many stairs you’re going to have to deal with?!?” One neighborhood, Har Nof, is built on the side of a mountain. Stairs are built all-l-l-l-l the way up and down and up and down for folks to get around and around. Ummmm, twenty-how-many-pounds? And that’s without my toddler inside the stroller. And what about the crowded marketplaces? No, not Whole Foods. Marketplaces. Narrow passageways teeming with people in a hurry. (Ever run into an Israeli in a hurry? And you think Boston drivers are meshugah?) Anyhow, we’re talking tight spaces. I can just see me and the Valco navigating thru a tiny corridor, tethered donkey in front, bagel cart behind. Size does matter. And what about climbing in and out of cabs and packed buses? Okay, so my trusty Maclaren Quest it’ll be.

Wait. Stop. Same as the top. I’ll be doing tons of walking. I would like to walk without having to start and stop every third step, stuck on a stone. Plus, I don’t know what studies have shown regarding the lasting effects of perpetual vibrating and rumbling-jerks on toddlers’ internal organs. Hours later and, “Mommy, my insides go bouncy-bouncy.” Oh-Uh. Quagmire. One week till departure date. Up nights on e-Bay and Craig’s list looking for a $40 dollar Bugaboo. (Oh, wait! The Bugaboo doesn’t collapse? Gotta’ break it in two? Okay, maybe not for travel.)

Wandering the Brookline streets in despair, that’s when I see her. I catch a glimpse inside Magic Beans. (Oh, the Magic Beans window, there they are, those sweet strollers, all lined up like puppies at the pound.) There she is, the little Micralite, cute as can be. She’s the hybrids’ baby sister. (hybrid copyright Sheri 2006) A shrunken Mountain Buggy with Bugaboo-esque wheels, weighing in at 14 pounds! The runt of the litter, or a lean mean strollin’ machine? Can this modern mini stand the test of time . . . If so, she will surely become THE best option for travel and trunk . . . More to come!