Most cars don't have the proper connections. using the two inner connections from the outer seats is not recommended, or approved per latch/isofix.

Helpful
 

A spare wife is also helpful, and can help with the spare children issue.

Yup. Unless your car manual specifically says you can LATCH in the center, you cannot. I think only certain Fords and Mazdas permit it. Mainly because the connections must be a specified distance apart and car manufacturers are only required to provide LATCH in two seats, so they generally don't bother putting in and testing anchors in the center.

You CAN do a center installation with the seatbelt and still use the tether and you can tether Britax seats both forward and rear facing.

It's not the latch -- the seatbelt is just as effective, and no harder to tigthen. It's not having the tether, and even without the tether, the seat seems more secure in the outboard position with back of the front passenger seat just against it. It's also much easier to take her in and out without bumping my head or hers.

As a practical matter, you can of course LATCH in the center, but center LATCH installations have not been tested, although in theory the protection should be the same so long as the distance on center is the same or close to what it is in the outboards. But of course, b/c it's not tested, no manufacturer - whether carseat or auto -- will say it's ok.

By balancing on the one knee you have buried in the seat, with the rest of your frame jammed between the car seat and the roof of the SUV (and/or sticking out of the open door).

All the while pulling as hard as you can on those damn straps, in sequence, while your face is red and you are cursing liberally. Until that motherf-ing seat WILL NOT move!!

It is very hard.

And then, your wife takes the car seat up to the fire department for inspection, and you receive the news that: "The firemen said that you did a very good job for someone who didn't know what he was doing . They said it didn't meet code, but the seat wasn't going anywhere."

Fuckers.

S_A_M

P.S. Ah, good times.

P.P.S Looks like I'm lucky my children aren't dead. We had to forward-face them both for height reasons shortly after they turned one.

The Nordstrom lady said the same thing about my bra.

Presents
 

So... what will the young ones be getting this holiday season?

Santa is bringing the Chicklet a Radio Flyer Walker Wagon, a Fisher Price Learning Table, some board books and wooden peg puzzles, bubbles, some Kindermusic scarves/chime balls/egg shakers, a shape sorter, and some other smaller stuff I can't think of right now.

ETA the Chicklet will be approximately 9 months.

Presents
 

Please post ages with present stuff. I am this very minute wrestling down a panic attack reading your very specific list when I haven't a clue what mine will be getting.

Presents
 

Books (oldest is totally book crazy - this is by request), art supplies of all stripes, some sports equipment, and a load of plastic crap they've been itching for that will fall apart within a couple of days. Nothing so far that is particularly out-of-the-ordinary, so ideas would be nice.

More importantly, what do the women posting here want - I need ideas.

Presents
 

My little ones (girls about 3 and 1.5) will be getting a wooden play kitchen set with all the accessories, some lemonade stand/pretend market thing. My wife has spent the better part of 40 hours researching this stuff, and I'll probably wind up spending 10 putting them together in the garage. And then then the next 4 years hearing them bang all the parts together.

eta: before you get all protest-y that I'm reinforcing gender stereotypes, you should know that my suggestion was play power tools. I got shot down.

Presents
 

You're letting your wife get away with reinforcing gender stereotypes?

I wonder if in households where the husband is a carpenter, and works at home, little girls would actually want a tool table instead of a kitchen.

Presents
 

A babysitter.

Presents
 

Brazenette, aged 3.5, is getting (against mommy's wishes), Baby Alive.

Other than that, I think that the kids digital camera by Little Tykes is a definite.

Beyond that, I have no idea.

Presents
 

Little Tikes makes one too? I can vouch for the Fisher Price kids camera--actually takes reasonable pictures outside. The flash pictures are less consistent. Make sure to get a sd card, too, as the onboard memory is fairly small.

I though that 3-spot LATCH was the norm. My bad.