Ikea and the In-Laws

I'm in a tizzy getting ready for the arrival of TJ's parents tomorrow. They're staying with us for five nights. Eeeeek. They've never both stayed with us before, and we're not really equipped to accommodate their lifestyle. (They sleep in separate rooms and they often watch tv during the night. They're also not super mobile, and our kitchen and bedrooms are on separate floors.)

In any case, this will be short and scattered, probably. Let's see . . . Eamon is really fighting the morning nap. We'll see how long this trend continues. He's also taken to sticking his tongue out a little to feel his bottom teeth. It's pretty darn cute.

Yesterday Catherine came with us to Ikea. Thank god she wanted to come; I don't know how I would've managed the stroller and the huge frames we bought. I obviously hadn't thought it through. I was so absent-minded yesterday I neglected to pack E's lunch, so we had to stop at Wal-Mart (it was the closest thing) and pick up some baby food and spoons. She fed him in the car while I drove. We had a limited amount of time before he was going to be ready to nap, and Ikea is not a store you can rush through (to put it mildly). We rushed as much as human beings can while happily trapped in the alternate reality that is Ikea. Oh Ikea, why must you tempt me to buy a bunch of crap I don't need? I must admit that I'm thrilled with the cheap framed art we got there, though, and I didn't buy any frivolous items. Our walls are so bare, and it's too expensive to get things framed, but I've been wanting to hang stuff, and I figured I'd use his parents' visit as the impetus to do so. (Plus, last time his mom said something about how it still looked like we'd just moved in. She said it as a compliment, sort of, but it didn't feel like one.) Catherine suggested some bright throw pillows to go along with the prints I bought. Thanks to all that, the loft is looking much less beige. And I also ended up framing one of TJ's old paintings. I ripped the canvas off the wooden frame it was stapled to and taped it to the Ikea matte. It looks fantastic! I hope to frame more of his stuff, and perhaps one day we can get his paintings professionally framed.

I bought a new twin sheet and comforter set as well (not at Ikea) and some curtains to go in my office/the guest room, which will hopefully make the room cooler in the afternoon when the sun beats down on the window. The blinds just aren't cutting it. We now have enough bedding for the twin guest bed as well as the trundle underneath.

Well, I'm rambling about boring stuff, so I better try to get some things done while E naps. I don't know how often I'll be able to post in the next week . . . but maybe more than I think.