ikea

 I have eaten the same bad Ikea ice cream cone on three different continents. This is not a bragging claim. If you have spent much time at Ikea, you will understand. I have a mixed relationship with Ikea. I like the simplicity of their design and the products geared towards small spaces but as someone who always preferred playmobil to legos, I don't consider assembly to be play. That said, when the girls broke their loft twin bed because they both chose to sleep in it together, I decided to go to Ikea buy a frame for our spare queen mattress instead of replacing the twin. I knew they would end up in the same bed and I also know that whatever I buy will most likely end up broken or in a shipping container in a few years. 

We had a free Saturday, no afternoon games and Rocky away climbing, so I took advantage and gave the kids the good news: Ikea Saturday. They were thrilled. Playrooms, ice cream and possibly new stuffed animals. We managed to only do the first two and I consider it one of my greatest victories this week.

I clearly have selective memory when it comes to Ikea with four kids. Because as I walked through the door and immediately lost Oskar, I was inundated with horrible memories that I had clearly repressed (taking home an Ikea christmas tree tied to our car with some spare twine, on Bangkok expressways to name just one). We got all our stuff and headed to the garage to load it into the car.

It was at this point when I realized I had not play enough Tetris in my life. As I tried to find a way to fit the boxes for a desk and a bed into a seven seater car while still being able to use five of the seats I was at a loss. Eliot and I moved boxes around and still couldn't get it to work. Then some very nice strangers stopped and offered to help. I told them in German how strong we were and that they didn't need help, but they either didn't understand me or saw right though my facade and went ahead and loaded the boxes in.

After some meatballs, a missing shoe found, some broken dishes, a broken ice cream machine and a trek to find a working one before Oskar went nuclear, we left the restaurant and squeezed into our 4 1/2 remaining seats. I called a friend and asked if I could pay her son to assemble our furniture and by that night we had a new bed for the girls and Rocky had a new desk for his office, which he claims I have immediately commandeered. 

 Next Saturday we are going hiking.