An Ikea Idea...

ABSOLUTE FAIL!!!!

Sometimes it just isn't going to happen.  I usually cut my losses and call it quits - immediately. Except that is when I am in IKEA and I can't figure out how to get out of the huge building without walking down the "path" to the check out registers...

Jocelyn & I decided we'd go to Ikea today for a little family activity and so that we could check out the bookcases in person.  (remember we don't have enough real furniture in our house).  I am not a huge fan of going to the actual store because it is a bit overwhelming.  I am a huge fan of many of the products, the prices and the food (frozen yogurt, Swedish fish and chocolate!!!).  Yes, it was an amazingly gorgeous day today, but we thought this might be fun.  We could go have an adventure and some lunch/snacks. We'd come home and then Jocelyn could go to the office, Vera could nap and I would do something fun with Jonah - probably outside... 

WHATEVER!!!!

For whatever reason, this was one of the worst shopping experiences I have ever had with both kids.  We had a bit of an off morning after a "not so stellar" evening, but I brushed it off.  (Jonah got up a few times last night, Vera did too.  Everyone slept till 8am which is weird.  And Vera only took at 15 minute morning nap...)  When we got to IKEA at 11:45am I figured everything could be solved with $1 frozen yogurt!!!  I thought wrong.

At least I got to eat the yogurt.  And Vera's, she didn't want it.  Jonah enjoyed his.

Then we started on the IKEA shopping path.  We had the stroller for Vera and the shopping cart for stuff (or Jonah).  Basically, from the first steps in, one kid, the other kid or both kids were crying, screaming, yelling, whining, or screeching their heads off.  Maybe they were feeling as overwhelmed as I often feel in that store... or maybe they were just tired (I think that might have been it).  I would figure out something to quiet them (a binky, a toy,  a tape measure, moving seats...) and they would get quiet for like 4 minutes and then it would start again.  We basically were like "ABORT MISSION, ABORT MISSION" but it was super crowded and like I said, you sorta need to follow the path out of the store...

We walked by the bookcases so at least we got to look at them and get an idea if we wanted to buy them -- and take the super helpful measurement paper home.  I also managed to throw a bunch of stuff into our cart that I am sure we don't need but at the time I felt like I must have - including Swedish fish and chocolate.

Just in case you wanted actual examples of the performances of my children I will give you some.  At one point, Jonah, managed to crawl out of the shopping cart, smack his sister in the face (she was sitting in the stroller) and run under a dining table with chairs for eight.  All this while crying and screaming his head off.  Of course Vera was screaming too - because he smacked her.  I gave Jocelyn the stroller with screaming Vera and tried to get Jonah - which led to this really embarrassing display of parent and child antics.  I would have just walked away - and I sort of did that, but there were a ton of onlookers and a ton of people in the crowded store - as such that tactic was just not going to work.  We were at it for more than 5 but less than 10 minutes.  It felt like 10 days!

Once we recovered from that, Vera was just done and seriously would not stop crying huge wet tears until we got out of the store.  I mean the hysterical crying, open mouth, screaming kind of crying.  So that when people walked by us, they would audibly say," oh poor baby what is wrong with her?"  To which I wanted to scream, I have no F'ing clue because if I did I would try to fix it idiot???  But I didn't do that, I just threw another $1 hot pink flower ice cube mold (see here) into the cart without stopping...

We approached the exit with hopeful eyes - Jocelyn pushing the cart with the crap we don't need, me pushing the stroller with a crying Vera, and Jonah on my shoulders... don't even ask.  At least, there were no lines at the check out.  The place is like Disney World.  They move you through pretty fast, so we bought the stuff in our cart even though we were ready to ditch it at the exit. 

As soon as we got outside, the kids quieted down?  Jonah sat on a bench eating the Swedish fish and I changed Vera's wet diaper.  She just looked at me with tearful eyes and pouted.  They were exhausted from their 70 minute displays of parental torture... so were we.  We packed into the car.  Yep, 15 minutes into the ride home - both were asleep.

We got them home and into their beds - still sleeping.  Minor victory.

Jocelyn rested for a bit and went to work.  I figured I better take a nap too, I figured it was going to be a long night.

We all slept for 3 hours.

We woke up and everyone was in much better moods!  We played, made dinner and ate dinner together (spaghetti and Trader Joe's meatless meatballs).  Jonah and Vera had a bath together.  We played some more.  Vera went to bed right on time.  Jonah had a little more trouble going to sleep, but he finally got there.

The day started like hell and ended with a sigh.  That is just how it goes some days.  But the thing is - there is always tomorrow... we get to try it all again tomorrow!  And tonight I get to eat my Swedish chocolate bar in peace... and I have those great ice cube molds (fish, stars, flowers, sticks, etc.) for a future summer project!

we were so excited!  They knew we were coming!

Jonah was excited too- Look mommy and mama, a picture of Vera's stroller!

she didn't want the frozen yogurt-I should have known something was wrong...

a moment in time...

Outside and they are regrouping (debriefing) amongst themselves over previous public displays of parental torture... (PPDOPT)