Ikea and the Mississippi River

Thursday we went to check out the brand new Ikea store which has opened here in the Twin Cities. For the parent in need of a break, there's shopping, food, and a place to leave the kiddos so you can be by yourself. I, however, couldn't bear the thought of my precious babies in there with those hulligans. So they didn't go. We were with part of our playgroup which also helped. We ate for under 3 dollars, then picked up some things for the house for under $20. It was great fun. UNTIL....

Kids were throwing balls in a ball pit at my Reagan as hard as they could, not listening to him or Karina asking them to stop. After I asked, they began pelting passers by, all while their mother looked on. Later Karina hit the same mother with our stroller while in another part of the store. She of course turned to appologize at which time I said (AS LOUD AS I COULD) "If she thinks it's okay for her kids to throw things at mine as hard as they can, don't appologize, HIT HER AGAIN!" Not my finest moment of Christian Charity. This was after Piper threw a screaming fit when we left the ball pit. Now, this was not one of Piper's usual little fits, it was a total meltdown. Took me almost 10 minutes and a public spanking to calm her down. Not her finest moment as a toddler or mine as a mother. While I'm not opposed to spanking, I was angry and frustrated, and one should never spank at that point. I just so wanted something to break through her tantrum and get her attention. My friend whom I was with can't abide watching spankings and when she saw it, she left, in fear she might say the wrong thing and upset me. So, it was part good day, part bust.

Today we went with friends to an exhibit of art along the Mississippi River at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. After that, we went to see the Mississippi River which starts here in Minnesota. Then the kids painted a Panorama of the River. After all of that activity we adjourned to our friend's house for chocolate ice cream cones and play time in the backyard. The kids were filthy.

Of course, I was late getting home, which meant Dominic was late getting to his second shift at work. But he's never late, so he wasn't mad. I think our days were very educational and fun. As for Piper's fit, these are the stories I'll tell later to embarass her, right? I've decided that it's only fair, after all, she embarassed the heck out of me!