Posts Tagged ‘Ikea’

I’m DONE!! I just screwed my last screw and my new storage set up is now complete!!

This new ‘move from a hobby to a business’ furniture change over involved THREE trips to Ikea – one to check everything out and buy some, second to get the stuff that went on sale two days after my first visit, and finally to return two draws (I bought too many) and pick up the doors that were out of stock until today.

I now LAUGH at all the “do we go this way… no we’ve been past there before…. oh I’m lost” comments. I can navigate that place with my eyes SHUT and I know all the short cuts. I did actually chuckle out loud as a lady clued in that I knew my way around and quickly scurried in behind me as I took one short cut, then another. I heard her sigh a “oh theeeeeere it is” sigh as she increased her practically tailgating distance behind me  and found what she was looking for.

I was NOT laughing however when I lost Diesel today.  There was a little wooden trolley thing he was playing with that I just could not get him to put back. Not surprising as he never lets his sisters toy trolley go either. So, while he was busy racing around the kids section, I stopped to check out a mirror for Savannah’s room. Then I noticed I couldn’t hear his trolley noise.

Then I noticed I couldn’t see him. I checked everywhere and couldn’t find him.

Then… I found his trolley. Discarded in front of the stairs / escalators, my stomach dropped and my heart stopped. Like a scene from a movie where a kid has been snatched, the toy trolley was just …. abandoned. In the middle of the walking area.

I immediately ran over to an Ikea lady and told her I had lost my son. She said she would call someone and picked up the phone. Very casually she asked me how old he was, like this was no big deal. I replied 21 months. Her face dropped and she yelled out to another lady “Whateverhernamewas CODE 300!!!” Straight away this other lady was beside me, phone in hand asking what he was wearing, how tall, how old, his name, hair colour, etc. I felt sick.

Never have I been able to visually picture what my child was wearing so vividly. A red top with ‘Robots vs Aliens’ on the front, dark gray track pants with two white stripes down the outside of each leg, brown shoes with two velcro straps on each foot. Mousy brown hair, 21 months, about yay high.

All that ran though my head was that wooden trolley … just sitting there. I couldn’t even think that he had just wandered off. He had to have been snatched. That trolley, he wouldn’t just leave the trolley. Someone had my baby.

I have NEVER been more happy to be wrong. The little shit darling had left his trolley there as it was too hard to take down the two flights of stairs to the market / collection area. After you’ve gone through all the display parts of Ikea, you head down stairs to the market hall where you collect the smaller items – plates, glasses, cushions, storage boxes, etc. Then you hit the warehouse self collect and check out.

Well Diesel had not only taken himself down to the market hall (did I mention TWO flights of stairs?!), he had also decided to do a spot of shopping while he was there. The Ikea lady trying to keep me calm heard the noise first, but as it reached my ears the squeal of excitement was an instantaneous recognition.

I ran over to the top of the stairs to see him happily coming back up – a pizza cutter (plastic) in his left hand, a large blue plastic spoon in his right. He was squealing as he was coming up the stairs on his own and doing just fine. How I managed to go down the stairs without my jelly legs completely giving out is still a mystery, but I did. And I grabbed him in a massive hug.

Diesel of course had no idea what the big deal was and became frustrated that his new toys were being smooshed in between our bodies and he wanted to show me what he had found. I took his hand and started up the stairs. He held the Ikea lady’s hands and as we made it up the top, he thought it was time to do that swing thing that parents do with a child in the middle. He was having a blast.

Thank goodness the restaurant and couches were at the top as I don’t think I could have taken another step. I noticed all the other adults around collectively breath a sigh of relief as I collapsed in a chair with Diesel climbing up beside me, proud as punch and loving all the attention. Seeing a frantic mother calling out for her child gets your attention. Seeing that same mother with a staff member crying and looking white causes a lot of concerned but helpless looks.

After some water for me, and apple juice for Diesel, it was time to collect the items I needed and go HOME!! I was still frazzled at the check outs and it would seem that the Ikea ‘lost child’ system worked as I approached the check out chick to receive a “Hi Diesel, you gave your mum such a fright!”. She recognized him by his outfit. And possibly because I had buried him in a deep trolley he was never getting out of LOL!

Thankfully the trip home was far less eventful and my doors are now attached to the storage unit. As I had to shuffle a few shelves around I noticed I could really use one more shelf at the bottom … then I slapped myself at even thinking of going back to Ikea again!! Maybe after a stiff drink or 10!

Photos of the new set up to come soon. Need good daylight and it’s already dark now. But I am in LOVE with how it all looks!!! Perfect isn’t even close …