I found out that our local library has half-hour story time for toddlers a couple times a week. I’ve taken Connor Claire twice, and she really enjoys it.
I was watching her today and — surprise! — I got totally emo. 🙁 She was exactly like she was at Kindermusik — ran out in the middle of the room all by herself, smiling, clapping, dancing and waving to everyone like they were her adoring fans. “I don’t need to hold onto my mom, thank you very much.”
I gotta say, I don’t know where she gets it, because I was scared of my own shadow when I was her age. At some point I keep expecting stranger danger to kick in, but for now she’s outgoing to the Nth degree.
At one point today while we were listening to a story called Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? I looked around the room, which was filled with babies and toddlers, and the PMS must’ve kicked into full effect, because all I could think was, “Oh, my gosh, all of these tiny babies are going to grow up to be people, and somewhere along the way, someone’s gonna be mean to them. Their hearts will be broken. They’ll experience disappointment….” POOR LITTLE BABIES! I CAN’T TAKE IT!
Dude. Yeah, I almost started crying in the middle of toddler story time.
I self-soothed by reminding myself that they’ll also fall in love, travel, explore new things, accomplish stuff…
Hormones. They cray-cray!
Oh, and get this: I also learned that our library has a policy that limits the number of books you can check out at one time to 50! FIFTY BOOKS.
How would someone even do that? Fifty books at one time??
I guess if they brought a big shopping cart or a wagon… Or maybe they could enlist some of their friends to go to the library with them.
Yeah, I wanna check out 50 books at once so I can smell each one, haha! I love the way books smell.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
CL says
September 7th, 2017 at 9:17 pmI think I have around 50 items from the library, including some DVDs and Blu-Rays. Since my library automatically renews items a day or two before they expire, and you can check out items 99 times before having to return, the books and movies can really add up. There is a limit of 10 movies on one card. (If someone requests a book or movie, they put a hold on it and you have to return it by the next due date.) So it’s not that hard to accumulate 50 items on your card, in my experience.
Karen says
September 8th, 2017 at 7:51 amInteresting! I didn’t even think about checking out movies.
I still think that someday I’ll check out 50 books just to see how many I can get through before I have to return them, ha!
Kim says
September 8th, 2017 at 4:26 amConnor is just the cutest! 🙂 You may see her hang on to you a bit when she goes to preschool (or somewhere that you’ll need to leave her alone for a couple of hours) but maybe not. That’s when the tears really well up because the poor, little things have to be pried off their parents’ legs. 🙁 And the thought of heartache is just awful but, I find that people who had it are much more sympathetic to others. People who haven’t are often like “I’d do this or I’d do that!”. No, you wouldn’t. You’d curl up in a ball and sob like everyone else. You just don’t know it! HAHA! And my latest advice (that you didn’t ask for!) is to always carry her when she wants you to. That’s what I miss the most now that the boys are too big (and way too cool). 🙂
Karen says
September 8th, 2017 at 7:49 amNoted. All she wants to do is be carried around 24/7. I call her my upper body workout. 🙂
Kim says
September 8th, 2017 at 10:36 amThat’s the best upper body workout ever. 🙂 Tonight, I’ll see if one of the fellas will let me carry him. I can picture their horrified faces already. HAHA! Enjoy the carrying years!
Suzanne C says
September 8th, 2017 at 12:17 pmGirl, yasss. I took Little Bit to her first day of middle school a couple of weeks ago. When she knew exactly where she was supposed to go, she gave me a hug, walked off… and didn’t look back. I nearly blubbered there in the walkway, no PMS involved.
Tatiana says
September 8th, 2017 at 12:39 pmYeah! for Connor being so brave and intrepid. May she continue to venture further out and explore more with a guardian angel on her shoulder to keep her safe.
Karen says
September 8th, 2017 at 4:53 pmI would like two guardian angels, please, just in case! LOL. You should’ve seen her with the hoola hoops in the play area right after story time… I almost had a heart attack.
Tatiana says
September 8th, 2017 at 10:25 pmGet used to it. I remember the time I saw mine, as a 4 year old, climbing the neighbor’s 6 to 7 foot high pile of fire wood. Or the time in jr. high, I let her fly across the country by herself to attend a summer enrichment camp she wanted to go to. I’m sure you hear this all the time, but they really do grow up fast.
Gina Bullard says
September 8th, 2017 at 2:22 pmHi, Ms. Karen!
Your Baby is growing so much! It is so unreal. Good for you, that your parenting has begotten a secure, whole, unscathed little girl!!! Congratulations!!! I never had any doubt that you would do an outstanding job – and nothing is more proof-positive than her ability to interact positively in social situations! You should give shout outs to you!!! Thank you for sharing your little life with us…
Gina and Gracie
Karen says
September 8th, 2017 at 4:52 pmHi Gina,
Thank you for your sweet note. Sometimes — OK, a lot of the time — I don’t feel like I know what I’m doing, so it’s so nice to hear this from someone.
How are you? I hope you and Gracie are doing great!
Madelynn says
September 9th, 2017 at 9:50 amI’m so glad you are enjoying your local library! I’m a makeup artist turned librarian (Adult Programming Specialist). :]
You would be surprised at just how much is offered at the lib – not just for kiddos but for adults too. Seeing this post is exactly what makes us smile. Promoting literacy, social skills, community and imagination! Great place for you to meet other mommas and dads too. Isn’t the 50 checkout limit great? At my library, we can raise that limit to 125 for teachers.
I hope you checkout tons more activities – for example I’m planning a Bridal Bootcamp series that will include programs on makeup, flower arranging, calligraphy, and event planning – even a vintage wedding dress fashion show.
Seriously, libraries rock.
Laure says
September 10th, 2017 at 3:16 pmMaybe it’s for people who wanna do it Mathilda-style. 😉
Laure says
September 10th, 2017 at 3:18 pmMaybe it’s for people who wanna do it Mathilda-style; pull that trolley home stacked with books. 😉
Trude says
September 13th, 2017 at 3:15 pmNiecey is getting sooooo big! And those little curls! I can’t wait to do this with mine. I just finally signed up with the library here, almost 2 years after we moved. 🙂 50 is impressive, but I wonder if they allow more than 1 e-book? Because then I’d totally get up there, I’m constantly reading 3-4 at a time.