Want to get in the holiday shopping spirit? Avoid IKEA!!!

I experienced my first Christmas shopping trip of the year today.  Trouble is, I've been so wrapped up in single parenting, selling my house, tying things up at my job and getting ready to move to Colorado, it completely escaped me that it would be busy.  And I chose IKEA of all places.  Shopping on a Saturday during the holiday season at IKEA = disastrous.

I had well-laid plans.  We were to meet friends there for lunch at 12:30 and then do some light shopping before we headed off to a baby shower.  But then a real estate agent called and 2 hours and a clean house later put me at IKEA an hour late.  That was just the beginning of a bad experience. Here are a few highlights for your reading pleasure:

- We've been in the cafeteria line for about 10 min when Ben announces he has to go to the bathroom, and he can't hold it.  Single parent remember, so we lose our place in line and 10 minutes and pee wiped off the wall, seat and floor later (Ben's aim seems to be suffering greatly with no male role model) we start at the back of the line again.

- We're so late we're short on time so instead of chilling in the playland, Ben sticks with me.  Add twice as much time and twice as much whining and complaining to our already ill-fated shopping trip. 

- I don't know when to call it quits so pick up some bibs and bowls for baby shower gifts.  The lines are insane and of course I pick the one with the slowest checker that seems to only service problem customers.  In the next half hour, Alex becomes increasingly impatient and demonstrates this by repeatedly smacking me in the face.  With full hands and hoards of people, my regular corrections are out so instead I give him a time out from me by putting him down.  Which as it turns out is what he really wants and runs off, at which point I leave my place in line to chase him.  Repeat this about 20 times. Oh yes I get back in the same spot every time.  If someone had called me on it, I very well may have smacked them in the face. Just when I'm at the end of my wits, I'm the next person in line. And then the childrenless young couple in front of me decide that they didn't get the price they wanted and are in the process of haggling it over with the clerk who's unsuccessfully attempting to page a manager.  5 minutes go by and I am seriously about to offer to just pay the difference myself when they get the price they want. In case you were wondering, I'm doing my Christmas shopping online this year.

Luckily the rest of the day went much better and we had a lovely time with good friends. As much as I'd like to do my usual and share some cute kid-ism this post is all about my need to vent.  Check back in when I have a husband again:)