WE SURVIVED!

Oliver, Pip, Vicky, Hal and I all returned from a trip to Ikea intact and only a little frazzled. Are you amazed?! We are. Please also bear in mind that we went to the new Southampton store that had only been open a couple of weeks and was therefore rammed with all the good southern shore folks who'd never seen the blue and yellow confusing circular store at close range before.

We managed to cheekily bypass the enormous queue to the car park, only to find that navigating the store with two adults, three children, two buggies, food for everyone, nappies for most, and uncontrollable, squeaking trolleys was 'challenging'. And we hadn't even started shopping yet.

Pip wrestling with the trolleys.

Still we got what we went for and for some reason I had to prove a point - to who I'm not sure - by then building the shelves when we got home. The kids didn't get fed until gone 6 and I was too knackered to actually do anything that evening aside from collapse into bed at just gone 9pm.

But just look at the organisational magnificence that stills my beating heart whenever I go into the lounge...

One, two, three: Ahhhh.....