It Is A Small Truth . . .

but a truth nonetheless, that you feel more at home after moving around some furniture and making an IKEA trip of your own. So that is what we did on Saturday. We had to come up with a high chair and wanted some other things, like a rug for Joss to play on in his room. We walked straight up to Kinderparadies and signed the three oldest up, then Rob told them that we only wanted to leave them for half an hour (half an hour?! are you kidding me? In the history of the world, when has any trip to IKEA taken half an hour?!? We'd still be wandering around sofabedland by then). We did, however, know what we needed, and we took only fifty minutes to find everything on the shopping list.
Then it was time to show off my packing prowess. Paper napkins and plates and cups in the panniers. Stuffed animals and pillows with the glass items in back. Bulky items and childproofing in the IKEA back hanging off the stroller, and the rug and highchair strapped into the front. Pretty good, huh? Joss didn't mind giving up his stroller at all for the trip home. Yay for the stroller!
We ate at the IKEA cafe and played at the outdoor play place and were grateful that children were expected. Once we got home, Joss took a nap. But when he got up, he was sick, sick, sick (ear infection, what else?) so Rob took him to a sort of children's InstaCare center, where he was until about 8:30. Then he took Joss over to the pharmacy that was open late (which was of course a bus ride away in another district). They two of them didn't get home until almost 10:00pm. But they did have the most cultural experience of the day. The pharmacy which happened to be doing night duty was called Zum Alten Loewen in the 8th and it was the first building in Vienna to have gas lights. This happened in 1835 and caused such a sensation that the Emperor Franz Josef himself came over to see what the fuss was all about. Since they had three separate prescriptions for Joss, we were pretty excited about the pharmacy ourselves!
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Comments

Lois said…
I must admit that I have never been to an IKEA in my life (add that to my list -- see, it's not just Walmart!). They have play areas? Cafes? What the heck?

Hope the little one feels better soon.
1:42 PM
Mary Ann said…
Lois, it's funny. When we got off the plane in the airport, you were the first person I saw. Or at least I thought you were. The woman who came to met us from the AAInstitute looks exactly like you except that she wears red boots and very european glasses. They'd look good on you, just in case you were thinking of getting glasses!
9:46 AM
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