Episode 64: The sweetest ride at the park

There are certain things in life that automatically bring a sense of pride no matter how old you are. One of those things is a sweet set of wheels, even if it doesn't have a motor and requires that someone push you. Above you will see what has become easily the coolest thing Av owns, her Step 2 sports buggy. This, I am finding, is pretty much the toddler equivalent to you or I coming home with a kick ass '67 Monte Carlo, or maybe a slick new Corvette.

Since she has been old enough to sit up on her own Av has loved taking rides in wagons (and sometimes laundry baskets on the kitchen floor), so when the weather first started to warm up I decided to take a trip to Walmart and see what they had to offer in the way of affordable toddler transportation. Much of the need for such a wagon stems from the fact that the baby does not currently have a stroller at our house, but even if she did I doubt she would be content sitting in it for a walk to the park anyway. She is not a stroller kid, which is good because I am definitely not a stroller dad.

While most of the more traditional wagons go for upwards of $100, the Step 2 sports car was a very reasonable $39.99, and quite honestly, looks a hell of a lot cooler than a wagon. Specs include a cup holder, arm rests a (fake, obviously) GPS system and a decent amount of leg room. I even added a few after market things after I built it, like that sweet robot sticker on the hood. When I bought the sports car I knew she was going to have a good time with it, but I was worried about its practicality. I wasn't sure how well it would contain a squirmy kid with no doors, and I was nervous about how much physical stress I would be under pushing it long distances. Both of my concerns were quickly answered on the first trip as the seat belt (which I installed myself, thank you very much) prevents any real chance of escape and the back handle is high enough where I don't have to crouch down to push.

As for Av, she couldn't love it more. She has a great time being pushed around the 'hood pointing at dogs, and she gets to keep her juice right in the cup holder. Some times she will kick one of her feet up on the dash and lean back like Dr. Dre, or throw her arm on the rest and just chill. She knows how cool it is, too, which I love. She definitely gets that "yeah, you know you want one" face when she sees other kids.

As you can tell we both already know that the sports car is pretty sweet, but it wasn't until we really started to park it up for the new season that I got a real idea of just how sweet it is. This kid is literally the envy of every infant and toddler we pass, many of whom have been transported in more luxurious, and expensive strollers or wagons. I can't say I blame them, either. The sports car not only looks like a real car, it is open, unlike a stroller, for maximum wind in your hair exhilaration. It has a steering wheel, which most wagons do not have, and there is only room for one person, making it completely impossible for any snot nosed siblings, cousins or forced friends to bum a ride.

Literally every time we take it to the park some kid comes over and tries to jack it. We usually park it next to a tree or a picnic table where we have set up, leaving it vulnerable, and I always smile a little when I hear "No, no buddy, that isn't ours." Yesterday was the best, though, when a little boy named Vinny- who ironically looked like a mini car mechanic- came over and pretty much started drooling over the thing. He kept pointing at it, looking at his mom and looking at us in complete envy. I told him he could sit on it and he did, loving every moment of it. He even tried to follow us home when we left. I can't tell you how many moms have said something along the lines of "well, it looks like we're going to have to get one of those" or asked me where I bought it. It is one of the few times that I don't mind interacting with moms at the park. You may be some sort of house wife married to a high powered something or other with a Lexus and a savings account, but my kid's $39.99 sports car kicks your $300 stroller's ass.

The absolute best part is that I am almost positive that they don't make this particular model any more. The one I bought was the last one at Walmart, and I couldn't find any pictures of it on the Step 2 website for this post. In a few years it will be like owning a De Lorean or a Bugati. I even find myself going at it with a roll of paper towels and some cleaner whenever we get back from a walk. Gotta keep it lookin' good, you know.

It is always nice when you see your kid having a little pride in something you gave them, and it is even nicer for me that it hasn't fallen apart yet given that most other times I have attempted to assemble something from scratch have ended with a screw driver being hurled at the wall amidst a profanity-laced tirade. Like I said, we may not be able to compete with the families from the rich part of town when it comes to 'jobs' or 'houses,' but you know what? My kid doesn't have a nanny and has never once been forced in to the humiliation of a tandem stroller, so take that and good luck dealing with all the crap that pansy is going to take when he starts going to public school.