Nothin' like a lil' shopping to bring girls closer together

4:00pm, and Avalon was about done.
Irritable, cranky, feisty.
She doesn't nap on the weekends,
but she will sleep if you take her in the car at the right time.
So, I chose to take her shopping at IKEA 45 minutes from our house.
She fell asleep 3 minutes after we left the driveway.
When we got to IKEA, sleepy girl only wanted to be held.
She whispered in my ear. I played with her hair.
I manuevered through the entire marketplace level with her on my hip,
dropping things into the IKEA shopping bag on the other shoulder.
Until we got to the curtain rod section.
That doesn't fit in the bag.
Luckily, there was an empty shopping cart right there. ;)
She helped me push it through the aisles.
Next we went through the self help furniture level.
By this point Avalon was having the best time riding the flat cart.

*don't let her expression fool you...she was having fun!
Looked for the first piece of furniture we wanted for the kids' room.
On sale. Out of stock.
Cruised one aisle over to find the second piece. Also on sale.
Grabbed it.
Got in line. Waited. Got to the front.
Scanned the furniture item. $299?
That wasn't the sale price. I must have grabbed the wrong one.
Went all the way back, and realized it was also out of stock.
Got back in line to buy my other stuff. Twice as many people.
Chatted. Played. Laughed.
Paid.
Bought cinnamon rolls for dinner.
Shared them over laughs.
Held Avalon's hand, grabbed my IKEA bag, my curtain rod, and a nightstand table
and walked across the parking lot in the POURING rain.
And laughed hysterically.
Climbed in the car soaking wet, drove home, laughing all the way.
We had the best time.