My mom, my kids*, and I took a trip to IKEA while she was visiting. I thought I only needed storage bins, but… well, you know how trips to IKEA go. What with lunch in the cafeteria, the kids’ section, the obligatory ice cream cone pick-me-up, and all our own shopping, we somehow spent four and a half hours inside the store. With two kids under two!
We got some sign that we had overstayed our welcome when — in our last 15 minutes at IKEA — a number of things happened:
- As I attempted to swipe my credit card at check out, Gil emptied the entire contents of his stomach all over me. We’re talking rivers of milk.
- Lena, bored of waiting for me to mop up myself and Gil after this episode, charged into the men’s bathroom and giggled at our attempts to coax her out.
- I loaded Lena into the car and said, “Does something smell like dog poo?” and then looked down to find Lena had be stomping in a pile of it and the whole mess was now all over her shoes, my pants, and—worst of all—the back seat of the car.
- It started raining.
But of course there are no pictures of these unforgettable memories. I only managed to take pictures of all the happy times, and that’s what I really want to remember anyway, right?!
* “My kids.” I have kids, plural! Elliott and I still smile every time we say it. Geez Louise, life is crazy.
