Priceless IKEA, an indoor playground!

Everybody loves IKEA! Word on the street is that the new IKEA in Charlotte, NC opens this week. GO! It is my favorite place to be (except when it is crowded)!

Hours after Cara and Poppa left, Karen and Brady picked us up for some IKEA fun to help lighten our loneliness with the sad goodbyes. Nothing too big we had to have, just thought it would be fun for the kids and the moms and we knew we could grab a cheap lunch and let our little ones play. And play they did!

All of the kids room displays were heavenly for our toddlers. They jumped on the beds, played in the kitchen, snuggled the stuffed animals and opened all the drawers! Connor and Brady especially loved the little tents and kiddie chairs. The set up was perfect for us to let them have at it while we stood guard at the display entrance. Everything was plastic and safe and seemed to beckon our children in.

We pried the kids away from the actual store after an hour of hard play and took them to the cafeteria for lunch of chicken nuggets and Swedish meatballs. (IKEA is a Swedish company). There was a romping corral even there so Karen and I were able to eat in peace encircling Brady and Connor. What fun!Near the end of lunch Brady and Connor started hugging each other. But it wasn't necessarily a gentle squeeze, but a full on tackle of a hug that had 3 definite stages (corresponding photos to the right):

Stage One: A smacking tight squeeze of a bear hug.
Stage Two: Midair tumble
Stage Three: Falling on the ground still locked in an embrace and laughing hysterically!

To top off the lunchtime fun, the kids meals (price 2.5 euros) came with small ice cream cones. The ice cream incentives were handy to get the little ones back in their carts so moms could finish shopping.

Connor: "Brady, will you be my Valentine?"

Brady: "Sure! Ready for an ice cream smooch?"

Both: "We LOVE IKEA!"