4.14.11: Flying wheel

Today was a very sad day for our beloved triple tandem stroller. A stroller we use everyday on our ~3 mile walk. What began as a normal walk quickly escalated into a new adventure. Just two blocks from home the stroller wheel started to wobble. We know this wobble well. This is the wobble that Brant has successfully repaired several times before but it demands immediate action. I knew we had to head back home and tackle our walk with the double stroller + backpack. I called Brant to warn him, he was on his way home.

Just one block from home, life got interesting. One of the rear wheels broke off and went flying sideways into traffic on the street and well...as you can expect...when one side of a triangle is removed, the other sides collapse. So as anticipated, the stroller nearly toppled on its side. Using my super human 'my kids are not flying into the street like that tire' strength, I was able to catch the stroller before the girls' heads hit the ground. A few hands brushing the street and definitely some scared cries, but no injuries. For this I was very thankful.

So now, what to do? I couldn't hold up the stroller for long and I couldn't push it home. So the girls and I had a little talk and decided that we would abandon the stroller and walk home all holding hands together. This 'holding hands' idea is not something we do easily or often, but it has been done occasionally. So knowing that Brant would see the stroller on the street and bring in home (in less than ten minutes) we did it. We all held hands and made it back home. I figured no one would dare steal our stroller, not only because it was broken, but also because we (incl. our stroller) are pretty well known around the neighborhood. I suppose being a spectacle does have its benefits. So now we wait. We wait several weeks to get a new tire and most importantly giant custom bolt (since that is what really broke) to repair our stroller. In the meantime, Brant and I will be getting an even better workout each night as we carry one child and push two others.