Tuesday at The Demel...and My Own Personal Heart of Darkeness

Nothing sweeter than chubby hands on a cup of cocoa

Don't ask me about the weather.  It's depressing.  A week ago, I was exposing as much skin as is considered decent in an attempt to soak up as much vitamin D as possible...and its a good thing.  Because this week, I've been donning wool and wishing I would've remembered to wear a scarf.  After spending my Monday traditionally getting the house back in working order for the week; shopping at the market and purchasing a vaccuum, (because I refuse to sweep 170 square meters of apartment for one more day.) We met up with the Walsh clan on Tuesday to indulge in some brunch and hot chocolate at The Demel with the girls.

It was an experience.  But I'm so glad we did it.  Our kids my be in love with the beach and the playground...the gelato stands that grace every corner, but I want them to have this too.  They might still be littles, but there is something precious about taking them on these grown-up outings.  We contained them in the cafe for as long as possible and then let them loose in Heldenplatz and the Burggarten.  After letting them run laps, we thought a trip to the butterfly house might be a perfect cap to our day...until the winged creatures started dive-bombing my girls...or at least, that's what their story would be. 

B is walking with her eyes covered...poor, traumatized girl!

Audrey and Bailey both fed off of each other, shrieking in terror every time a butterfly would come within a yard of them until they dissolved into blubbering messes.  In my defense, I did try sitting down with them on my lap, explaining the beauty behind a butterfly's design, their grace and potential tickle-factor if they were to land on a person.  NOPE.  They were not buying it.  Butterflies are evil.  Take note.

The horror!

So, our Tuesday funday kind of turned into a flop, but we had the rest of the week ahead of us!  I had been steadily checking off the list I had assigned myself at the beginning of the week and one large task was staring me in the face...looming in the shadows and whispering my name when I woke in the morning. 

IKEA...

Oh, what a love/hate relationship! I have been ironing out a shopping list since we got into our apartment and I knew it was time...time to face the monster.

Wednesday morning I woke up, girding my loins for what was to come.  I got ready for the day and attempted to keep the girls as happy as possible while I packed our bags and felt the deep seed of dread take root in my heart. 

Shopping at IKEA with two small children?  I might come out a different person--a darker person--for having to lug around enormous area rugs while herding cats kids.

Just as I was about to step out the door, relief came via my friend Megan...or Saint Megan as I now refer to her as.  She lives minutes from IKEA...MINUTES! And told me to bring the girls over to watch movies with her kids while I tackled the home-furnishing beast. 

And suddenly the world was a brighter place.

We rode the train out to Megan's house; she fed us lunch and made sure I had my bus schedule, shopping list, and maps of the surrounding area.  I was set.

I spent the next two hours of my life power-walking through IKEA, lugging an ungodly amount of furnishings with me, sweating like a pig.  When I got to the check-out, the cashier asked me if I had more than one card to put my purchase on, since most debit cards here only allow a thousand euros in purchases in one day...so I put one gargantuan rug back, paid for the rest of my stuff and then booked it to the transportation desk, where I had to inquire about an ATM, since I had just spent every penny of my daily allotment and also every euro in my wallet.  I returned, cash in hand, and arranged for it all to be delivered to our apartment that night.  And I did everything in German.

I'm not often boastful of my speaking abilities...but, goodnight! Those three conversations alone were worth the money I paid for my German Minor...and I can tell you, they only touch briefly on home furnishing vocabulary in college courses.

I returned to pick up my children who were now euphoric and sleepy from their afternoon spent watching movies, eating strawberries and devouring popcorn. 

If it weren't for Meg, I probably wouldn't have made it out alive.  I'd still be curled in the fetal position on the floor of the children's section of the IKEA showrooms while my children demolished the place and then raided the cafeteria. 

I was so close to my own heart of darkness.


Going to IKEA is like childbirth...I think I need some time to forget the excruciating pain before I'll brave that again. 

A tasteful area rug...paid for with sweat and anxiety