Thursday is library day. So I sorted through the many books on the shelf and even had the kids gather the library books from their rooms so we could load up the bag and head out to the library.
The shelf looks a little bare once I have the bags full of all the books we need to return. This one cube on our big bookshelf is where library books are supposed to stay. It doesn't always happen. Often we have too many to fit in one cube and the one above also has a bunch of library books as well. A few books also end up in bedrooms and a few seem to live in the car. We have been pretty lucky so far. We haven't lost any books yet. This is amazing considering how many books, cds, DVDs and such we check out.
The kids are always excited to go to the library. For a number of reasons. But the biggest reason is that they get to play the computer at the library. I started this a few weeks ago. The library has a number of computers in the children's section that are reserved for children to use to go onto the internet. I decided to let my kids do this at the library instead of at home since this way all three can be on at the same time rather than spend the entire afternoon asking how many more minutes until so and so's turn is over.
The only downside to this plan is.... Molly. I have to find something for her to do for an hour or so, while the other kids play on the computers. We first comb the library for the books I need. Then I let her loose (free of the stroller) to play puzzles.
She likes this for a few moments. Then she discovers the rows and rows of books on the shelves all around her.
This is where she spends a few minutes pulling books off the shelf and I try to reshelve them back into the right places. It is hard to keep up with such an expert book puller. I often try sit and read a book with her but it is just too exciting, being in such a colorful, book and toy filled place.
She runs over to the little kid computer that has a few games on it for the small kids. I guess she figures everyone else gets to play so why not her.
She quickly looses interest in this since she has no idea what the mouse does. She just likes to copy what she sees others doing. Once she is done she runs back to the shelves.
Audio books this time.
Then she pushes the stroller down the aisles and randomly picks books off the shelves and puts them in the basket. (I think we came home with a few good ones that she picked out)
Back to puzzles again. Today she decided to keep a binky in her mouth. Usually she only uses it for bedtime but I relented and let her have it today because last week she did a lot of screeching while we were at the library. That excited screech is just too much in the "silence" of the library. So for a quieter trip today I figured we would give it a try. It seemed to keep her quieter but not any less busy!
Next we checked in on the other guys to make sure everything was still alright. They were lost in the world of Webkinz or Lego star wars. I don't think they even noticed us walk by.
The library has a display case that is filled with a child's collection of something. It is often legos. It was Littlest Pet Shop or something last I remember. This week it was some little painted figures, mostly cats. Molly took a few moments to look at them and bang on the glass.
Return to the kids and give them the 5 min warning. Molly.... or I should say... I can't go on much longer.
Molly and I sit down and do a coloring page. She is surprisingly good at scribbling. I don't remember the others being that interested in coloring. Molly knows right where the crayon boxes are and likes to take out and put crayons back into the box. I just have to make sure they don't get dumped out and all is well.
Finally all checked out. Each kid has their own bag of books. They have their own sections of the library that they visit to gather their favorites. Sophie goes for the math books like G is for Google. She also picked out another American Girl book to read. Ian loves the non fiction section and brings home books about airplanes, tools and some random animals that he found interesting. Henry filled his bag with a few Clifford books and I believe a Berenstain bears book or two. I picked out a few of the Halloween books from the pulled aside Halloween stash. (I can't believe it is already time for Halloween books!?!)
The shelf is full again. It never sits empty for long. I didn't have many new books to gather for school so most of these are just fun books for us to give a read through.
Sophie wasted no time digging into my book bag to see what I brought home. She loved the drawing book I picked out.
She set right to work on a unicorn. It turned out really well.
Ian too jumped right into one of the books we brought home.
Henry was thrilled with the Halloween books and had me read each one to him before they could be put away on the shelf.
A successful trip to the library. Everyone has had a good time.
