Stroller Envy

I am suffering from Stroller Envy. Or Pram/Pushchair Envy to be a wee more precise. The Small One and I have been taking a daily constitutional round about our small town. It is highly enjoyable, gets my workout in and The Small One loves it. But, there are a couple of minor drawbacks. One, the sidewalks (where they exist) are quite bumpy. Wide cracks, root growth underneath, you know. Where they don't exist is even worse. Our road repairs consist mostly of chip and seal which is terribly rough.
Now, I am in possession of a delightful Jeep Liberty Sport stroller,

but it has a major drawback. The tires have a rather annoying tendency to go flat. Especially the front one which I have replaced 3 times. I have owned this stroller for about 5 years. Now, before you get confused, yes, The Small One is but two. Previous to her, however, I nannied a dear little boy, my nephew Tristan. The stroller was purchased for him and we used it quite a bit.

I am also the owner of a decent Graco (I think) travel system.

This one also has a drawback or two. The primary one being that it works best with a heavier weight towards the front. Now, for normal people with normal sized children, this is a non-issue. When normal children weigh what The Small One weighs, they are usually still in a baby carrier type carseat, which distributes the weight nicely. The Small One outgrew a baby carrier ages ago, which means her lightweight self sits in the stroller, well, by itself. And she doesn't weigh enough! The front wheels have a tendency to go a bit wonky and then it is so hard to push. Especially if there is anything at all in the basket.
The other drawback? Well, it it has your average small hard stroller wheels. Not fabulous on the uneven, smalltown pavement. In fact, the bumps are so obvious that The Small One likes to listen to her voice rattle whilst being pushed.

I also have my pride and joy, a beautiful vintage pram. Gorgeous. Lovely bassinet/carrycot style. A delight to push around. Large rubber wheels that never go flat. Spring suspension, perfect for the terrain. It's drawback? It is big. Great for walkies, not great for shoppies. It doesn't fit in my trunk. To be honest, neither does the Jeep, really.

So, to the point. I want a new stroller. Mike laughs at me because, well, I own four strollers (the fourth is a plain old umbrella stroller, not hardly worthy of a mention) Now, there are many beautiful strollers on the market. My dream? A Silver Cross Balmoral Pram. Don't worry, it only cost $3000.00. GORGEOUS! The Rolls Royce of prams. I covet. So very British. I will never own one, but that is okay.

My next fave? Well, probably Inglesina, but I can't afford one of those, either. But, in reality, I would take a Peg Perego. Not just any Peg Perego, though. I want this one.

Carrycot, pushchair seat, carseat. What more could you ask for? Big, beautiful wheels, great suspension, large basket underneath, height adjustable handle. (No, I do not work for Peg Perego). Carrycot is perfect in case I have another child someday, but in the meantime The Small One would love the stroller seat. And, in case of second child, the carseat fastens directly to the chassis frame, no sticking it in the seat of the stroller. Nice, huh?

Here is the thing. This set up, brand new, $1000. Hmmm. Tiny bit out of my price range. But....I found one in Vegas for $300! Oh, I want it. So nice for running about the small town. I have been walking to the grocery store, which is a mile away, and it would be delightful for it.

So, yes, here I am, coveting a very pricey stroller and actually considering dropping $300 on it! I could sell my other strollers and pay for about 3/4 of it...I have a couple of bears coming in that need to be turned into rugs. Those would pay for it. I have a wedding gown I have just finished alterations on. It would nearly pay for it. There is another wedding gown about to start that would easily pay for it. And, I haven't specified a Mother's Day present yet, so he hasn't bought one. That would pay for part of it. See how good I am at rationalizing the purchase. Hmmm. I have to think fast as my mom is going to Vegas tomorrow and will pick it up for me if I want.

What do you think? To buy or not to buy? Is it wrong to want a stroller that will make people look twice?