Thursday, July 24, 2008

Tough Day at the Library

We had a bunch to do yesterday...Lots of odd chores...Swim Team in the morning...and then a major library run. Now it would seem that a day in the library would be a lovely thing, right? Well, yes and no.

See first we had to go home, gather all the books (we never have less than 50), decide what HAS to go back today, what we want
to keep, what we've already read even if it's not due, separate the piles into "stuff to go BACK" to Library A, "stuff to RE-check out" at Library A, "stuff to go BACK" to Library B and "stuff to RE-check out" at Library B. Then we have to choose who is having which color library bag (we use reusable grocery bags), gather those up, make sure every one has water for the car, get buckled and go...well get buckled and realize someone has to use the facilities...
AND then GO!

At Library A...we have to deal with snarky librarians who A.) feel that we shouldn't be allowed to check out a book more than once (???HUH???), and B.) Don't feel that it's THEIR job to check the book back in so that it can be checked out again...said librarian WOULD RATHER that we checked the books in, put in a request for them and came BACK again...(um, I live approximately 30 minutes away, my thoughts are "Sure, no problem, sweetie, I completely understand that you would rather me drive away AND drive back so that you don't have to CHANGE SCREENS on your computer"...okay really thought, "GET A GRIP").

Anyhoo, during THIS lovely transaction, the girlies were checking out a COOL fish tank (thankfully) and so were none the wiser. I DID get to recheck my library books and I DID make her go get my holds for me in the other room. After which I went to look at the fish with the girls. Bean, understandably, got a touch bored with the fish and asked if she could walk into the children's department that shared a wall with the tank...basically it was on the other side and I'd be able to see her THROUGH the fish tank. I said, "Sure, no problem"...off she went. So we stood there for 5 minutes or so, checking out the wonders that a wall-sized fish tank hold for small children. I decided it was time to go...waved to Bean and started to head out. She came along at first, BUT THEN, Bear had another question or two and Bean thought she'd head back. Well, I ANSWERED the question, grabbed Monkey Face's hand and said, "Let's go"...and we went.

This is the part that gets a little fuzzy. I counted heads...walked away from the fishtank...then outside the doors to the little "friends of the library" shelves in the hallway outside the library, but still in the building. I counted heads again. I told them I was going to see if there was anything of interest and turned to ask Bean to hold hands with Monkey Face...looked again...spun in a circle like I was chasing my tail...she was nowhere. So I dropped EVERYTHIHNG (library bags, books) grabbed the two I HAD and raced back inside...as she was RACING out. Bless her little heart, she had been feeling SO independant and then well, not so much.

I discovered as we turned BACK around, all three children firmly IN HAND, that there HAD been another kid sort of WITH me...but it was just a little girl that was the same approximate size as Beanie. At least I felt better that I wasn't losing my mind and technically we didn't LEAVE her...had she LOOKED out the door she could have seen me, but you know that sick feeling in the pit of your stomache when you think all is well and then realize that it's not...well she is still stickin' close to me today. S'okay, with me, my heart dropped a little, too.

Now that we were all together, I was able to gander through the shelves...and I did find a little gold...Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent by Bill Peet (we love Bill Peet) in hard back and My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara for a quarter each. WOO HOO. And for just a little more icing on that cake, I found out that my library is having it's BIG sale in a week or so...WOO HOO...I LOVE BOOKS! But I REALLY love CHEAP books.

Then off to Library B...where things went more smoothly with the staff, but where Bear decided that she had had ENOUGH and THEN decided that completely obnoxious was a personality she would try. When I said, "Okay, no books, we're going home", she melted down. Thankfully, I'd reserved some Strawberry Shortcake books for Monkey Face, so I didn't lose her, too.

But I've learned my lesson...this is what happens when you do a BIG library trip after lunch and it crosses that 1:00 pm hour. Now quiet time is NOT until 2:00 pm here...but apparently 1:00 has it's own special KIND of magic for little girls. Bean was just glad that they FINALLY fell asleep. :D

See ya around...

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