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| Lucy is unsure of how to present her craft. |
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| Jacob also doesn't seem to know which end is up! |
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| Close up of the floor model. |
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Valentine's Day Craft at the Library
Tuesday night's Pajama Time at the library included a craft. Now that Jacob and Lucy are going to PJ time, we get twice the craftiness to bring home. I didn't go to the library, but I got to take these sweet pictures when Mommy and the kids got home:
The theme was Hugs (as a lead-in to Valentine's Day, no doubt). Both children had a good time and Mommy reports that they were well behaved too. Hopefully we'll get to PJ Time on Thursday and have another craft to show off!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
First Library Visit of 2011
Friday we went to story time at our favorite branch of the Howard County Library, Savage Library. And our favorite librarian, Miss Ellie, ran the show. We were very happy for the old, familiar things. "Snow" was the word of the day. One of the books Miss Ellie read was Ezra Jack Keats' "The Snowy Day," which Jacob immediately recognized. He shouted out, "We have that book." Jacob was happy to hear that story again. If only he had some enthusiasm for singing songs and dancing during story time. But at the end, we had a craft to do. Jacob was super enthusiastic for it. We glued a tree and snow flakes to a plate. Then we went to a sparkle station to sprinkle glitter on the plate. The glue pick up quite a bit and it came out pretty well. Jacob looks pretty serious about it. Lucy helped out too. She pointed to where we should put the snow flakes.
We look forward to many more visits to the library this year!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Santa Claus is Coming to the Library
Last week it was Frosty the Snowman; this week Santa came to visit at story time at the Savage branch of the Howard County Library. A good time was had by all, including our friends Patricia, Zahra, and Saree. We started with a jingle bell song which Jacob clearly loved:
Lucy liked the bells too, though she wasn't as proficient as Jacob:
After some stories and more songs, we started the craft. This craft was super simple: put some stickers on a blank ornament. Jacob was completely uninterested, which I blame more on his general unenthusiasm for stickers than on it being a craft. As we crafted, Santa arrived, to the delight of most of the children. He talked for a bit about how he'd be quiet when he came to visit all the boys and girls and how he loved the cookies people left out for him. He advocated carrots for the reindeer since they are so healthy. Lots of vitamins and such.
Then he went to another room for photos. Lucy was ready to go:
In the room, Patricia took our picture while we (meaning me) took the picture of her and her lovely daughters. Alas, I only have our picture to post:
All in all, we had a great time at the library. We can't wait for next year.
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| He rang the bells so fast, they're blurry! |
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| Where did Daddy hide those bells? |
After some stories and more songs, we started the craft. This craft was super simple: put some stickers on a blank ornament. Jacob was completely uninterested, which I blame more on his general unenthusiasm for stickers than on it being a craft. As we crafted, Santa arrived, to the delight of most of the children. He talked for a bit about how he'd be quiet when he came to visit all the boys and girls and how he loved the cookies people left out for him. He advocated carrots for the reindeer since they are so healthy. Lots of vitamins and such.
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| Santa delivers his PSA (the blond in front is not Jacob) |
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| Ready...set... |
All in all, we had a great time at the library. We can't wait for next year.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Not So Frosty Reception at the Library
What a difference a year makes! Last year, we went to the library to see Frosty the Snowman, which was a lot of fun but also traumatic for Jacob. This year, they repeated the program. So we decided to go again, with completely different results.
The first difference was that friends came along: BJ & Amy & Colin and Teresa & Jeremiah. They all had a good time hanging with the Reningers.
The program started as usual with stories and songs led by our favorite librarian, Miss Ellie. We even sang this song to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot":
Then, last year's moment of dread approached: The Craft. In the space of a year, Jacob pulled a complete 180 when it comes to crafts. He tried to get the kit while Miss Ellie was explaining how to do the craft. I tried to get him to wait, but he was too impatient. The kit included a tongue depressor with a ribbon at the top, three cotton balls, a tiny red scarf, and construction paper hat, eyes and mouth. With glue stick in hand and a marker to autograph his masterpiece, Jacob went to work with this result:
Lest you think Jacob did this craft under duress, take a look at his reaction to completing the craft:
Afterwards, Frosty made his appearance. My has he grown since last year. I guess snowmaggedon had its benefits.
We even got a group photo with Frosty:
Even our godson Jeremiah got to sit with Frosty:
Alas we did not get a picture of Colin, but maybe next week for Santa!
The first difference was that friends came along: BJ & Amy & Colin and Teresa & Jeremiah. They all had a good time hanging with the Reningers.
The program started as usual with stories and songs led by our favorite librarian, Miss Ellie. We even sang this song to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot":
I'm a little snow man, short and fat,
Here is my broomstick, here is my hat!
When the sun comes out to play,
Down, down, down in a puddle I lay!
Then, last year's moment of dread approached: The Craft. In the space of a year, Jacob pulled a complete 180 when it comes to crafts. He tried to get the kit while Miss Ellie was explaining how to do the craft. I tried to get him to wait, but he was too impatient. The kit included a tongue depressor with a ribbon at the top, three cotton balls, a tiny red scarf, and construction paper hat, eyes and mouth. With glue stick in hand and a marker to autograph his masterpiece, Jacob went to work with this result:
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| Unfortunately, Frosty did not survive the trip home :( |
Lest you think Jacob did this craft under duress, take a look at his reaction to completing the craft:
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| A thing of beauty is a joy forever! |
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| Many parents had to restrain their children from mobbing the celebrity |
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| The photo doesn't show it, but Lucy was terrified! |
Alas we did not get a picture of Colin, but maybe next week for Santa!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Halloween Library Storytime
Tonight I was lucky enough to take Jacob to the Pajama Time story time at the Savage Branch of the Howard County Library. The theme tonight (as you may have guessed from your calendar or from the blog title) was Halloween.
We arrived a little bit late. As we entered, we discovered that Miss Rita had a partner who was translating the books into American Sign Language. Thus we learned signs for orange, black, bat, pumpkin, and a whole host of other spooky words. The story time was almost completely stories, i.e. we didn't sing or dance. But there was a craft!
We formed a big circle and the assistant handed out supplies. We got a purple paper plate, orange yarn, a cardboard bat, a cardboard pumpkin, a cardboard bat, and a cloud with "Happy Halloween" written on it. Jacob grabbed a glue stick and we attached the cloud to the middle of the plate. Then we had to tie the orange yarn to each of the decorations (they had holes punched in them) and then to hole in the bottom of the plate. Getting yarn through a hole was pretty tricky, but Jacob succeeded more often than not. Sometimes he would just get a little bit of yarn in and then let go. The decoration would fall and pull the yarn back out. Luckily, Jacob didn't get frustrated, we just laughed over it. I had to tie the knots since we haven't taught Jacob that yet. When we got home, we showed it off to Mommy:
We arrived a little bit late. As we entered, we discovered that Miss Rita had a partner who was translating the books into American Sign Language. Thus we learned signs for orange, black, bat, pumpkin, and a whole host of other spooky words. The story time was almost completely stories, i.e. we didn't sing or dance. But there was a craft!
We formed a big circle and the assistant handed out supplies. We got a purple paper plate, orange yarn, a cardboard bat, a cardboard pumpkin, a cardboard bat, and a cloud with "Happy Halloween" written on it. Jacob grabbed a glue stick and we attached the cloud to the middle of the plate. Then we had to tie the orange yarn to each of the decorations (they had holes punched in them) and then to hole in the bottom of the plate. Getting yarn through a hole was pretty tricky, but Jacob succeeded more often than not. Sometimes he would just get a little bit of yarn in and then let go. The decoration would fall and pull the yarn back out. Luckily, Jacob didn't get frustrated, we just laughed over it. I had to tie the knots since we haven't taught Jacob that yet. When we got home, we showed it off to Mommy:
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| The bat is hiding behind the pumpkin for some reason! |
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Busy week at the library!
Actually, it's been a busy week at several libraries. We started with with the end of last week, where Jacob's latest craftiness produced these wonderful sheep at Pajama Time:
Our next library adventure was on Monday. We went to Storyville in Woodlawn with Granny. See the photos here, since too many were taken to post on the blog. Jacob had a great time in spite of accidentally biting his lip while removing the drum. He got a little bloody. The family bathroom was no help since it was too environmentally friendly to have paper towels or tissues. I had to use a wipe from our diaper bag to clean up the blood. He really enjoyed working the grill and the cash register, which I guess means a fast food restaurant career is not out of the question. Maybe it'll be his day job to support his drumming passion.
Today (Thursday, September 30, 2010) we went to 3, 2, Fun at the East Columbia Branch of our local library. We were supposed to get a ticket from the children's desk to let us in, but we went the wrong way so Jacob could see photocopiers and the globe. An announcement on the library's PA system caught Jacob's interest and we ran into one of the children's librarians who helped convince Jacob it would be fun. We made it to the room a little late--Jacob still had to stop at every copier along the way and got two drinks from the water fountain before we made it to the right room. The theme was zoos. A story about ordering a pet from a zoo kept both Jacob and Lucy enraptured. Jacob also played along with "Old MacDonald" and a couple of other songs. At the end, he got his usual hand stamp on a piece of paper. While Jacob and I were busy negotiating that with the librarian, Lucy started cleaning up the room! She took all the bean bags that were on the floor and put them on a table. Lucy probably got us a guaranteed ticket to come back to story time at any time, ticket or no. Good job, Lucy!
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| Jacob has to protect the sheep from the hungry dinos on his pj's |
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| Jacob's picture shows the sheep a little better & juxtaposed with a random toy on the floor |
Today (Thursday, September 30, 2010) we went to 3, 2, Fun at the East Columbia Branch of our local library. We were supposed to get a ticket from the children's desk to let us in, but we went the wrong way so Jacob could see photocopiers and the globe. An announcement on the library's PA system caught Jacob's interest and we ran into one of the children's librarians who helped convince Jacob it would be fun. We made it to the room a little late--Jacob still had to stop at every copier along the way and got two drinks from the water fountain before we made it to the right room. The theme was zoos. A story about ordering a pet from a zoo kept both Jacob and Lucy enraptured. Jacob also played along with "Old MacDonald" and a couple of other songs. At the end, he got his usual hand stamp on a piece of paper. While Jacob and I were busy negotiating that with the librarian, Lucy started cleaning up the room! She took all the bean bags that were on the floor and put them on a table. Lucy probably got us a guaranteed ticket to come back to story time at any time, ticket or no. Good job, Lucy!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Taken Home from the Library
Last week Jacob made it through another craft and came out smiling. The theme of pajama time was Grandparents. The craft was a hug:
Jacob tried to model it for me when he got home:
It's a little big to hold out easily but he was very proud. He hasn't decided which grandparent to give it to. Possibly he'll forget about it before he sees any of them.
The day after Jacob's craft, I received an email from the staff at East Columbia. I had been participating in the summer reading program, submitting the titles I've been reading along with short reviews. At the end of the summer, they drew for prizes, and I won a tote bag full of books and other fun items:
Six books, three post-it note pads, a reading light, a lanyard, two CDs of audio book samples, a notebook, a key ring, a free ticket to Toby's Dinner Theater, a bookmark, a carbine clip, and (of course) a tote bag. Pretty awesome! I'll definitely participate next year.
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| The barely visible text is "I love you this much!" |
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| Check out the heart hiding behind the left hand! |
The day after Jacob's craft, I received an email from the staff at East Columbia. I had been participating in the summer reading program, submitting the titles I've been reading along with short reviews. At the end of the summer, they drew for prizes, and I won a tote bag full of books and other fun items:
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| What a haul! |
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
We may have to bring Lucy to the next craft...
Has jealousy reared its ugly head in our home?
Two weeks ago, Jacob made a craft at the library's pajama time. The theme was reptiles and the craft was making a snake. Snake making turns out to be quite easy, following these four simple steps:
The next day, Lucy got a hold if it and tore him limb from limb. At least it would have been limb from limb if snakes had any limbs. Here's a reconstruction of Snakey, post-Lucy:
Try as I might, I could not put Snakey back together again. It's just as well, since we probably would have a strict "No Reptiles" policy in the house if we thought about it.
Tonight, pajama time was craftless. Jacob still managed to come home with something, though. He habitually checks the vending machine slots at the library. My impression is that he thinks they are buttons needing pushing. Today, he found two cents:
Jacob's will probably ask to go to the mall tomorrow so he can throw the pennies into a fountain. Surely that's a better fate than what Lucy might have in store.
Two weeks ago, Jacob made a craft at the library's pajama time. The theme was reptiles and the craft was making a snake. Snake making turns out to be quite easy, following these four simple steps:
- Take a colored paper plate.
- Cut it in a spiral.
- Paste on two yellow circles for eyes.
- Paste on some red yarn for the tongue.
The next day, Lucy got a hold if it and tore him limb from limb. At least it would have been limb from limb if snakes had any limbs. Here's a reconstruction of Snakey, post-Lucy:
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| Okay, maybe treading on me wouldn't have been so bad. |
Tonight, pajama time was craftless. Jacob still managed to come home with something, though. He habitually checks the vending machine slots at the library. My impression is that he thinks they are buttons needing pushing. Today, he found two cents:
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| Watch this magic trick! |
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Crafts at the Library
Jacob has wholeheartedly embraced making crafts at the library. Tuesday night he went with Mommy to Pajama Time at the Savage branch. This week's program included an ocean theme and a craft. Consider the result, dubbed "Jellyfish #1" by the artist's wily PR department:
It's a fine piece of work if you ask me, not even considering the two and a half year old nature of the artist. Consider the undulations of the tentacles and how the eyes follow you where ever you go in the room. The masterwork has already found its place on the highest shrine of pre-school art, the refrigerator. Jacob was quite enthused about the results as well:
On Thursday, Jacob went with Daddy to Pajama Time, again at Savage library with the ocean theme and craft included. Here is his second effort, captured from the artist's own perspective:
Lacking inspiration from his Oahu t-shirt and the guiding hand of Mommy, this work is considered less accomplished and thus is named "Jellyfish #2." Notice the muted colors in the tentacles and how the eyes follow each other. Nevertheless, he swims with his older brother on the refrigerator.
The time has come, I suppose, to expand Jacob's craft experiences beyond the library and onto other venues. Lowe's and Trader Joe's awaits. Recommendations are welcome.
It's a fine piece of work if you ask me, not even considering the two and a half year old nature of the artist. Consider the undulations of the tentacles and how the eyes follow you where ever you go in the room. The masterwork has already found its place on the highest shrine of pre-school art, the refrigerator. Jacob was quite enthused about the results as well:
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| A thing of beauty is a joy for ever--J. Keats |
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| The highchair may not have had the best angle |
Lacking inspiration from his Oahu t-shirt and the guiding hand of Mommy, this work is considered less accomplished and thus is named "Jellyfish #2." Notice the muted colors in the tentacles and how the eyes follow each other. Nevertheless, he swims with his older brother on the refrigerator.
The time has come, I suppose, to expand Jacob's craft experiences beyond the library and onto other venues. Lowe's and Trader Joe's awaits. Recommendations are welcome.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Found Another Library!
At this point, you probably think that all we ever do is go to the Howard County Library and the occasional play date. We've done some other things this week.
We went shopping on Monday morning (day before yesterday as I write) and back to the same shopping center in the evening to use our "buy one, get one free" coupon at Meadows Custard. The daily special was a custard called "Dirty Turtle," which sounds bad but tastes good. If you've ever eaten the candy called "turtle," you know it's a blob of caramel with five toasted pecans stuck into it and coated in chocolate. The pecans look like four legs and a head, hence the name "turtle." Such a description hardly does justice to how tasty such candies are. Anyway, this custard was clearly based on the candy and we weren't sure where the "dirty" part came from. The custard is chocolate with caramel flavoring and toasted pecans. They were the best toasted pecans I've ever had. We should have bought a pint, or a gallon, or the recipe.
Yesterday (Tuesday morning) we had a fun play date. Lucy is on the verge of walking and tried to show of some skills. She pushed a little ride-on toy around the first floor. The host's younger sister is about six months old and is on the verge of crawling. She tried to show her skills by chasing after some toys. The older children got along quite well. Jacob had so much fun he forgot to ask Patricia for her cell phone!
Today we went to visit mommy at work. We didn't see her office, instead we met out by the planes in the parking lot. No fooling, check them out:
She had some leftover snacks from a party, so we all had some cookies and grapes. Actually, Jacob didn't have any because he couldn't be bothered from playing with the rocks underneath the planes.
Since we were half way there, we went on to the western branch of the Anne Arundel County Library. They have a lovely children's section right by the entrance. The play area was fenced off by a train and included Legos, board puzzles, bead mazes and stuffed animals. Jacob and Lucy had a fun time playing with the stuff and the other kids. One little girl kept coming by and patting Lucy on the back. We rode the elevator to the second floor and walked around the grown-ups section. Jacob wanted to play with every computer we walked by. Luckily no one was using any of them. He is getting better about whispering in the library which is gratifying for me. Then we headed home for an early lunch and nap. The library was a fun discovery and will be a good stopping off point on the way to the comic shop in the future.
Tomorrow we are off to Costco and to our local library to return some items that are due. It's shaping up to be a fun week.
We went shopping on Monday morning (day before yesterday as I write) and back to the same shopping center in the evening to use our "buy one, get one free" coupon at Meadows Custard. The daily special was a custard called "Dirty Turtle," which sounds bad but tastes good. If you've ever eaten the candy called "turtle," you know it's a blob of caramel with five toasted pecans stuck into it and coated in chocolate. The pecans look like four legs and a head, hence the name "turtle." Such a description hardly does justice to how tasty such candies are. Anyway, this custard was clearly based on the candy and we weren't sure where the "dirty" part came from. The custard is chocolate with caramel flavoring and toasted pecans. They were the best toasted pecans I've ever had. We should have bought a pint, or a gallon, or the recipe.
Yesterday (Tuesday morning) we had a fun play date. Lucy is on the verge of walking and tried to show of some skills. She pushed a little ride-on toy around the first floor. The host's younger sister is about six months old and is on the verge of crawling. She tried to show her skills by chasing after some toys. The older children got along quite well. Jacob had so much fun he forgot to ask Patricia for her cell phone!
Today we went to visit mommy at work. We didn't see her office, instead we met out by the planes in the parking lot. No fooling, check them out:
She had some leftover snacks from a party, so we all had some cookies and grapes. Actually, Jacob didn't have any because he couldn't be bothered from playing with the rocks underneath the planes.
Since we were half way there, we went on to the western branch of the Anne Arundel County Library. They have a lovely children's section right by the entrance. The play area was fenced off by a train and included Legos, board puzzles, bead mazes and stuffed animals. Jacob and Lucy had a fun time playing with the stuff and the other kids. One little girl kept coming by and patting Lucy on the back. We rode the elevator to the second floor and walked around the grown-ups section. Jacob wanted to play with every computer we walked by. Luckily no one was using any of them. He is getting better about whispering in the library which is gratifying for me. Then we headed home for an early lunch and nap. The library was a fun discovery and will be a good stopping off point on the way to the comic shop in the future.
Tomorrow we are off to Costco and to our local library to return some items that are due. It's shaping up to be a fun week.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Longest Drive Ever!
Now that enough time has passed, I can talk about our morning excursion last Wednesday. The original plan was to go to the Savage Library and then on to Annapolis to hang out at the mall there, go to the comic shop and buy some groceries (Lucy and Jacob go through milk faster than light through a vacuum). Jacob had a completely different agenda in mind.
Jacob spent the morning begging, whining and flat out stating that we were going to the "Millis Mall," which translates to Arundel Mills Mall. This continued through breakfast and snack time. Eventually, he started throwing toys to make his point. I told him after the second toy that he'd get a time out if he threw another. He picked up another toy. He smiled. He threw it. Then he said he wanted time out in mommy and daddy's room. He was pretty smug about it, too. So I put him in his own room. Then he really pitched a fit about being in the wrong room. Lucy and I hung out for the two minutes then released him from his prison. Now he was upset and we were running late for running errands.
So I decided to concede and draft a new plan: we could go to the Elkridge Library and the Mills Mall. So we loaded up in the van and headed out. After about 10 minutes of driving, Jacob fell asleep! At 10 in the morning! Quite annoying, so I decided we would just drop the books that were due in the outside box. Not having been to the Elkridge branch before, I drove past it and had to turn around. So it eventually worked out. Then I saw a Shell gas station, which is offering a gas discount with a grocery store frequent shopper card. The card didn't work, so I had to pay full price. After that, I told Lucy we would head home and put Jacob in his bed.
Driving back down I-95, a truck with a smoking engine was pulled over on the curb. Everyone in front of me had hit their brakes to slow down and look, so I had to hit the brakes too. I braked hard enough to wake up Jacob 5 minutes from home. He started crying and demanding the mall again, so we turned the car around yet again and headed back north to the mall.
We finally got there and followed our usual routine. We visited the coin-operated ride-on machines, riding them without coining them. Lucy rode on some of them for the first time. Then we walked over to the book store and hung out in the kid's section, which features a Thomas train table. On our way back to the car, we looked at the waterfalls and the fish tank in Bass Pro Shop. Jacob was finally satisfied and we headed home for lunch.
Lucy was very patient through the whole affair and got to eat a quarter of a slice of bread with her lunch as a special treat. Jacob had his usual peanut butter sandwich with fruit on the side. I was worried that nap time would be delayed since Jacob slept in the car, but everything went normally.
Changing plans constantly was a challenge. I'm glad I rose to the occasion, but I hope the occasion does not arise again.
Jacob spent the morning begging, whining and flat out stating that we were going to the "Millis Mall," which translates to Arundel Mills Mall. This continued through breakfast and snack time. Eventually, he started throwing toys to make his point. I told him after the second toy that he'd get a time out if he threw another. He picked up another toy. He smiled. He threw it. Then he said he wanted time out in mommy and daddy's room. He was pretty smug about it, too. So I put him in his own room. Then he really pitched a fit about being in the wrong room. Lucy and I hung out for the two minutes then released him from his prison. Now he was upset and we were running late for running errands.
So I decided to concede and draft a new plan: we could go to the Elkridge Library and the Mills Mall. So we loaded up in the van and headed out. After about 10 minutes of driving, Jacob fell asleep! At 10 in the morning! Quite annoying, so I decided we would just drop the books that were due in the outside box. Not having been to the Elkridge branch before, I drove past it and had to turn around. So it eventually worked out. Then I saw a Shell gas station, which is offering a gas discount with a grocery store frequent shopper card. The card didn't work, so I had to pay full price. After that, I told Lucy we would head home and put Jacob in his bed.
Driving back down I-95, a truck with a smoking engine was pulled over on the curb. Everyone in front of me had hit their brakes to slow down and look, so I had to hit the brakes too. I braked hard enough to wake up Jacob 5 minutes from home. He started crying and demanding the mall again, so we turned the car around yet again and headed back north to the mall.
We finally got there and followed our usual routine. We visited the coin-operated ride-on machines, riding them without coining them. Lucy rode on some of them for the first time. Then we walked over to the book store and hung out in the kid's section, which features a Thomas train table. On our way back to the car, we looked at the waterfalls and the fish tank in Bass Pro Shop. Jacob was finally satisfied and we headed home for lunch.
Lucy was very patient through the whole affair and got to eat a quarter of a slice of bread with her lunch as a special treat. Jacob had his usual peanut butter sandwich with fruit on the side. I was worried that nap time would be delayed since Jacob slept in the car, but everything went normally.
Changing plans constantly was a challenge. I'm glad I rose to the occasion, but I hope the occasion does not arise again.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Good and Bad at the Library
Yesterday (Wednesday) I took Jacob and Lucy to the library. We had some returns to make and a reserve for Angie was waiting for pick up. Also, Angie wanted some more books on potty training to get new ideas for what to do with Jacob. He still has little to no interest in using the potty.
After dropping off our returns, I noticed a free computer, so I thought I'd look up potty training books and we could get them before going to the children's section. What a big mistake that was. Usually, we go to Jacob's section, hang out for a while and then go find books for the rest of the family. Jacob had a little meltdown in the 649.62 aisle. He kept demanding to play with the computers, pulling books off the shelves, and whining without ceasing. Consequently, I grabbed three random books on potty training and hightailed it to the children's area. He calmed down a little bit, but it was very crowded (thanks in part to the triple digit temperatures this week). He picked a puzzle fairly quickly and wanted to go. The hurry was a bit of a shame since I had let Lucy out and she was enjoying exploring the toddler area, cruising the low shelves and playing with the toys. The librarian dutifully retrieved the puzzle for us. I carried Lucy so she wouldn't freak out about being put back in the stroller.
As we headed back into the main library to go to the 30-inch globe that Jacob loves, he asked if we were going to get a book for daddy. I said no, not today. His request made me realize the mistake I'd made. If only I'd have waited to go get mommy's books after the children's section visit, I would have followed proper order at the library. The globe was fun as usual and Lucy didn't fuss too much when I put her back in the stroller there. Checking out went smoothly, though Jacob did want me to pick him up so he could see the receipt print out. He told the librarian that it was just like the printer at the game store. She was impressed. We went home for lunch.
Today, we went to the Savage branch for story time. We arrived just at 10 a.m. so we didn't have to wait for the doors to open like last time. We went in and made a beeline for the children's section. Jacob happily looked through various books and occasionally asked about the computers. He received the usual response: "We can play with computers at home." He seemed satisfied. Lucy was mobilized again to her delight. She even rode for a bit on the rocking horse. Our old friends Miss Ellie and her son Alex showed up. Alex took a turn riding the rocking horse, then as soon as he got off, Lucy raced to have a second ride. She was cute and impressive. Then the bell rang for story time.
Today's story time theme was the circus. Miss Ellie and Alex were there. Alex was acting up, not wanting to sing or sit. I sympathized since Jacob went through a phase like that. Luckily, that phase is over and Jacob enjoyed jumping through the hoop like he was a lion and walking the tightrope (an orange string on the floor). There was a backup on the tightrope, so Jacob only made it halfway across and then stood with the rest of the kids. They looked like they were part of a police line up! A puppet theater presentation of Curious George Goes to the Circus rounded out a fun story time.
But that was not all, because when we returned to the library to check out some books,we discovered Louie from the Bowie Baysox, the mascot of our local minor league baseball team:
Jacob was totally fascinated. He received a high five and an activity book from Louie. We also received a second activity book for Lucy. She has not started chewing on it yet, but I am sure once we give it to her, she will. We went home for lunch, triumphant!
After dropping off our returns, I noticed a free computer, so I thought I'd look up potty training books and we could get them before going to the children's section. What a big mistake that was. Usually, we go to Jacob's section, hang out for a while and then go find books for the rest of the family. Jacob had a little meltdown in the 649.62 aisle. He kept demanding to play with the computers, pulling books off the shelves, and whining without ceasing. Consequently, I grabbed three random books on potty training and hightailed it to the children's area. He calmed down a little bit, but it was very crowded (thanks in part to the triple digit temperatures this week). He picked a puzzle fairly quickly and wanted to go. The hurry was a bit of a shame since I had let Lucy out and she was enjoying exploring the toddler area, cruising the low shelves and playing with the toys. The librarian dutifully retrieved the puzzle for us. I carried Lucy so she wouldn't freak out about being put back in the stroller.
As we headed back into the main library to go to the 30-inch globe that Jacob loves, he asked if we were going to get a book for daddy. I said no, not today. His request made me realize the mistake I'd made. If only I'd have waited to go get mommy's books after the children's section visit, I would have followed proper order at the library. The globe was fun as usual and Lucy didn't fuss too much when I put her back in the stroller there. Checking out went smoothly, though Jacob did want me to pick him up so he could see the receipt print out. He told the librarian that it was just like the printer at the game store. She was impressed. We went home for lunch.
Today, we went to the Savage branch for story time. We arrived just at 10 a.m. so we didn't have to wait for the doors to open like last time. We went in and made a beeline for the children's section. Jacob happily looked through various books and occasionally asked about the computers. He received the usual response: "We can play with computers at home." He seemed satisfied. Lucy was mobilized again to her delight. She even rode for a bit on the rocking horse. Our old friends Miss Ellie and her son Alex showed up. Alex took a turn riding the rocking horse, then as soon as he got off, Lucy raced to have a second ride. She was cute and impressive. Then the bell rang for story time.
Today's story time theme was the circus. Miss Ellie and Alex were there. Alex was acting up, not wanting to sing or sit. I sympathized since Jacob went through a phase like that. Luckily, that phase is over and Jacob enjoyed jumping through the hoop like he was a lion and walking the tightrope (an orange string on the floor). There was a backup on the tightrope, so Jacob only made it halfway across and then stood with the rest of the kids. They looked like they were part of a police line up! A puppet theater presentation of Curious George Goes to the Circus rounded out a fun story time.
But that was not all, because when we returned to the library to check out some books,we discovered Louie from the Bowie Baysox, the mascot of our local minor league baseball team:
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Jacob Makes a Breakthrough
Special guest blogger - Mommy.
Executive Summary - Today we had an amazing breakthrough - Jacob overcame his fear of story time crafts!
Jacob used to like story time at the library. Who wouldn't? There are stories, songs, dances, sometimes even puppets and bubbles and crafts.
Who wouldn't like this? Jacob.
He's always been very dubious about story time crafts and the dreaded hand stamp at the end of story time. A hand stamp, in Jacob's mind, is basically a boo boo and he can't understand why the other children are lining up to cheerfully receive an injury. For some reason, crafts (sometimes simple crafts are offered at the end of story time) are also a no-no. Jacob has been known to scream "No craft! No craft!" when we try to coax him to the craft table during story time. I've always marked this down as some sort of general fear of all things related to Martha Stewart. In Jacob's mind, perhaps there's a slippery slope - one day you're attaching stickers to a bookmark and the next you're knitting custom lampshades.
Recently, Jacob has been refusing to attend story time at all. However, I felt strongly that this was ridiculous and that he would love story time if we could just coax him in. So, I've been making a special point to take him to Pajama Time, a nighttime story time, after dinner on Tuesday and Thursday nights. We've only been going for 2 weeks now, but Jacob loves it. He has a smile on his face pretty much the whole time. The story leaders are very energetic and dynamic and the other kids are all following along enthusiastically. This week we even broke through the craft barrier and Jacob "made" this charming 4th of July hat.
OK - so his contribution was mostly in getting glue stick all over me and the hat in general. But, at least he was trying. Also, he never screamed "No craft". He did, however, refuse the offer of a hand stamp at the end.
I'll close with a quote from that great patriot, President Whitmore:
"And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: 'We will not go quietly into the night!' We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"
Let's all celebrate our independence from craft fears.
Executive Summary - Today we had an amazing breakthrough - Jacob overcame his fear of story time crafts!
Jacob used to like story time at the library. Who wouldn't? There are stories, songs, dances, sometimes even puppets and bubbles and crafts.
Who wouldn't like this? Jacob.
He's always been very dubious about story time crafts and the dreaded hand stamp at the end of story time. A hand stamp, in Jacob's mind, is basically a boo boo and he can't understand why the other children are lining up to cheerfully receive an injury. For some reason, crafts (sometimes simple crafts are offered at the end of story time) are also a no-no. Jacob has been known to scream "No craft! No craft!" when we try to coax him to the craft table during story time. I've always marked this down as some sort of general fear of all things related to Martha Stewart. In Jacob's mind, perhaps there's a slippery slope - one day you're attaching stickers to a bookmark and the next you're knitting custom lampshades.
Recently, Jacob has been refusing to attend story time at all. However, I felt strongly that this was ridiculous and that he would love story time if we could just coax him in. So, I've been making a special point to take him to Pajama Time, a nighttime story time, after dinner on Tuesday and Thursday nights. We've only been going for 2 weeks now, but Jacob loves it. He has a smile on his face pretty much the whole time. The story leaders are very energetic and dynamic and the other kids are all following along enthusiastically. This week we even broke through the craft barrier and Jacob "made" this charming 4th of July hat.
OK - so his contribution was mostly in getting glue stick all over me and the hat in general. But, at least he was trying. Also, he never screamed "No craft". He did, however, refuse the offer of a hand stamp at the end.
I'll close with a quote from that great patriot, President Whitmore:
"And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: 'We will not go quietly into the night!' We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"
Let's all celebrate our independence from craft fears.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Library Summer Reading Program
On Saturday, we went to the East Columbia Branch of our local library for the kickoff of the Summer Reading Program. We signed up Jacob and Lucy for the Wee Splash reading program, which included tickets to a local minor league baseball game in August and our favorite, coupons for Chick-fil-A. We also participated in lots of fun activities.
At one of the craft tables, Jacob had the chance to decorate a fan. He didn't use any of the stickers but he did doodle on it with a purple pen. Outside, he put some dirt and seeds in a cup. Unfortunately, we've already lost track of the cup, so the seeds may not get to grow.
Jacob and Lucy listened as County Council member Calvin Ball and his daughters read stories at 10 a.m. Unfortunately at 10:10 the overhead speaker announced that the bubble lady show was starting immediately. The children went wild for the bubble show and the poor councilman was left reading to his own kids. My only consolation is that Jacob lost interest about 10:05, so he and I had already wandered away. The bubble lady was impressive. She made gigantic bubbles while the crowd oohed and ahhed. I took Lucy and got in line for the balloon guy during the bubble show. The line had little to no progress, so we didn't get a balloon there. As we checked out, Lucy swiped a balloon from the front desk. I guess she really did want one.
Unfortunately, the only pictures we got were on the way out with my cell phone of Jacob with an unrecognizable mascot/gigantic cat. A prize will go to anyone who can identify this creature:
Jacob tries to avoid an embarrassing photo op by sneaking past
Lady tries to convince him it won't be embarrassing
You judge the result; all I can say is, "Jacob, I'm sorry"
At one of the craft tables, Jacob had the chance to decorate a fan. He didn't use any of the stickers but he did doodle on it with a purple pen. Outside, he put some dirt and seeds in a cup. Unfortunately, we've already lost track of the cup, so the seeds may not get to grow.
Jacob and Lucy listened as County Council member Calvin Ball and his daughters read stories at 10 a.m. Unfortunately at 10:10 the overhead speaker announced that the bubble lady show was starting immediately. The children went wild for the bubble show and the poor councilman was left reading to his own kids. My only consolation is that Jacob lost interest about 10:05, so he and I had already wandered away. The bubble lady was impressive. She made gigantic bubbles while the crowd oohed and ahhed. I took Lucy and got in line for the balloon guy during the bubble show. The line had little to no progress, so we didn't get a balloon there. As we checked out, Lucy swiped a balloon from the front desk. I guess she really did want one.
Unfortunately, the only pictures we got were on the way out with my cell phone of Jacob with an unrecognizable mascot/gigantic cat. A prize will go to anyone who can identify this creature:
Jacob tries to avoid an embarrassing photo op by sneaking past
Lady tries to convince him it won't be embarrassing
You judge the result; all I can say is, "Jacob, I'm sorry"Saturday, March 6, 2010
Best Kept Secret at the Library
Starting this month, our local branch of the Howard County Public Library is giving away a free cookie and a cup of coffee on the first Friday of the month if you take out at least three items. The only trick is that they are doing this from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., so you have to go during the day. Jacob, Lucy and I went yesterday morning to check out some items and check out some cookies too.
We went through our usual routine for visiting the library: we returned some items at the front desk. I looked around to see where the set up for the goodies was but did not spot a coffee pot or a plate of cookies. No worries, I thought, as we headed off to the children's section. They've got a little "log cabin" area where toddlers and infants can hang out, play with toys and be a little noisier. Jacob and I picked out a new puzzle and some books, while Lucy stared at anyone she could see from her stroller. We read some other books too. Finally it was time to go.
We went back to the front desk to check out our books. Encouraged by the fact that five or six different flyers were posted on the check out desk, I asked about the cookies. The librarian behind the desk blinked and didn't know what to say. When I pointed out the signs, she said yes that is today but they hadn't been told anything about it. She went to the information desk to find out more.
Another librarian at the front desk told me that one of the volunteers sometimes brings in baked treats for the staff. That was encouraging news, because I was worried it might be vanilla wafers and yesterday's leftover coffee. She was surprised that no one had told them about it. I was surprised that I was the first to ask about it since it was already 11:45. The first librarian returned to report that we could get our treats at the information desk. We went and took only the cookie, since neither Jacob, Lucy or I drink coffee. The cookie was a home-made, crisp and delicious chocolate chip cookie. Jacob and I enjoyed it. Lucy will have to produce some more teeth if she wants to join in the fun next month.
And I certainly hope next month they tell the front desk workers that there are free cookies for library patrons!
We went through our usual routine for visiting the library: we returned some items at the front desk. I looked around to see where the set up for the goodies was but did not spot a coffee pot or a plate of cookies. No worries, I thought, as we headed off to the children's section. They've got a little "log cabin" area where toddlers and infants can hang out, play with toys and be a little noisier. Jacob and I picked out a new puzzle and some books, while Lucy stared at anyone she could see from her stroller. We read some other books too. Finally it was time to go.
We went back to the front desk to check out our books. Encouraged by the fact that five or six different flyers were posted on the check out desk, I asked about the cookies. The librarian behind the desk blinked and didn't know what to say. When I pointed out the signs, she said yes that is today but they hadn't been told anything about it. She went to the information desk to find out more.
Another librarian at the front desk told me that one of the volunteers sometimes brings in baked treats for the staff. That was encouraging news, because I was worried it might be vanilla wafers and yesterday's leftover coffee. She was surprised that no one had told them about it. I was surprised that I was the first to ask about it since it was already 11:45. The first librarian returned to report that we could get our treats at the information desk. We went and took only the cookie, since neither Jacob, Lucy or I drink coffee. The cookie was a home-made, crisp and delicious chocolate chip cookie. Jacob and I enjoyed it. Lucy will have to produce some more teeth if she wants to join in the fun next month.
And I certainly hope next month they tell the front desk workers that there are free cookies for library patrons!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Lucy at Storytime
The other day at the library's story time, we sang a song which involved hand motions. Since Jacob and Lucy were there, Jacob sat by himself while Lucy sat in my lap. She was facing forward, watching the librarian intently from under her little pink cap. The song (sung to the tune of "Are You Sleeping") went like this: Where is bear? Where is bear? Here I am. Here I am. How are you this morning? Very well I thank you. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Hands start behind your back, with one coming out on the first "Here I am" and the other coming out on the second. You then bend your index finger to simulate the bears talking to each other. At the end the hands go to sleep behind your back. The song repeats with different animals.
Jacob pretty much ignored the hand motions though he did seem interested in the song. I was performing the hand motions for Lucy, who I assumed was having as great a time as I with the interactive song. The song went on and on, first the bear, then a squirrel, then a turtle, etc. etc. I saw a mom from across the way looking at us and laughing quietly. She mouthed, "Her eyes are covered." I looked around to discover that Lucy's hat had slouched forward over her eyes, She was missing everything! So I adjusted her hat in time for the last verse. The mom came up to me later and chatted about it.
So my recommendation at story time is to keep an eye on your child's headgear and any helpful parents in the room.
Jacob pretty much ignored the hand motions though he did seem interested in the song. I was performing the hand motions for Lucy, who I assumed was having as great a time as I with the interactive song. The song went on and on, first the bear, then a squirrel, then a turtle, etc. etc. I saw a mom from across the way looking at us and laughing quietly. She mouthed, "Her eyes are covered." I looked around to discover that Lucy's hat had slouched forward over her eyes, She was missing everything! So I adjusted her hat in time for the last verse. The mom came up to me later and chatted about it.
So my recommendation at story time is to keep an eye on your child's headgear and any helpful parents in the room.
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Scariest Thing at the Library Part II
Like any good sequel, we up the ante for this post about Jacob's visit to a holiday themed library program for pre-schoolers. Last time, the second-billed star was Frosty the Snowman, now we have that jolly old elf, Santa Claus, visiting the Savage branch of the Howard County public library. How did it turn out? Read on....
This trip to the library was like most others. Getting the kids ready meant one last diaper change before leaving (and one last opportunity to adjust outfits, e.g. Jacob was still in his pajamas up to that point). We packed up in the van and daddy remembered almost everything. The forgotten item was the presents for the Marshalls, whom we were going to visit after the library. Whoops! We'll see them again soon.
Arriving at the library. we went in and headed to the children's desk to sign in for the program. The nice lady looked up Jacob's name and checked him off. She offered to stamp his hand which he adamantly refused to accept. The nice lady (who must have experienced this sort of reaction before) kindly said it was alright and to have a good time at the program. Jacob's behavior did not bode well, in my opinion. We walked over to the play area where Jacob played and I picked out new puzzles to replace the ones we returned. Then the bell rang, signaling the time to gather for stories.
We walked into the meeting room. Before Jacob could sit down, the story lady (someone different from the lady at the desk) started handing out jingle bells and a song. Jacob actually stood for the song and did a little bit of the dancing and other choreography that she was leading. He turned around; he rang the bells high and low. This did bode well, in my opinion. She continued with the usual blend of stories, songs and activities. Once Jacob sat in my lap, however, that was the end of his visible participation in the program. He did enjoy it though.
Then craft time came. This week's craft was pretty simple: each child received a set of stickers (with gingerbread men and such) and a red cardboard square with a ribbon through it. The child put the stickers on the ornament. I've come to the conclusion that the only problem is that Jacob thinks the word "craft" is a four-letter word of the unrepeatable variety. He had no interested in an extremely simple craft, the like of which he has done at home. He protested with his usual, "No, no, No, NOOOO!" with a "want to go back to car!" thrown in for good measure.
I told him Santa was coming, so he waited for a little bit. Santa waited a little bit longer to show up, so we were already out the door and back in the main library before he went into the meeting room. Luckily, he did his bit pretty quickly and then went to another room for pictures with the kids. Jacob, Lucy and I were first in line (everyone else was still crafting, I guess). So in we went. Jacob was unsure of what to do. I told him to give Santa a high five before I was ready with the camera, so this was the result:
The children's desk librarian was there and offered to take a picture of all three of us with Santa. By this point Jacob was done with this activity too, chiming in with his "No, no, No, NOOOO! Want to go back to car!" I wrestled him into position and we got this shot:
Just in case you can't see it, here is the look of consternation at lack of immediate departure:
Once I told him we were leaving, Jacob did say goodbye to Santa and high fived him again. All in all, I thought it was a pretty good visit to the library. If only we could have been good Santas and delivered our presents to the Marshalls, the would have been an even greater success.
This trip to the library was like most others. Getting the kids ready meant one last diaper change before leaving (and one last opportunity to adjust outfits, e.g. Jacob was still in his pajamas up to that point). We packed up in the van and daddy remembered almost everything. The forgotten item was the presents for the Marshalls, whom we were going to visit after the library. Whoops! We'll see them again soon.
Arriving at the library. we went in and headed to the children's desk to sign in for the program. The nice lady looked up Jacob's name and checked him off. She offered to stamp his hand which he adamantly refused to accept. The nice lady (who must have experienced this sort of reaction before) kindly said it was alright and to have a good time at the program. Jacob's behavior did not bode well, in my opinion. We walked over to the play area where Jacob played and I picked out new puzzles to replace the ones we returned. Then the bell rang, signaling the time to gather for stories.
We walked into the meeting room. Before Jacob could sit down, the story lady (someone different from the lady at the desk) started handing out jingle bells and a song. Jacob actually stood for the song and did a little bit of the dancing and other choreography that she was leading. He turned around; he rang the bells high and low. This did bode well, in my opinion. She continued with the usual blend of stories, songs and activities. Once Jacob sat in my lap, however, that was the end of his visible participation in the program. He did enjoy it though.
Then craft time came. This week's craft was pretty simple: each child received a set of stickers (with gingerbread men and such) and a red cardboard square with a ribbon through it. The child put the stickers on the ornament. I've come to the conclusion that the only problem is that Jacob thinks the word "craft" is a four-letter word of the unrepeatable variety. He had no interested in an extremely simple craft, the like of which he has done at home. He protested with his usual, "No, no, No, NOOOO!" with a "want to go back to car!" thrown in for good measure.
I told him Santa was coming, so he waited for a little bit. Santa waited a little bit longer to show up, so we were already out the door and back in the main library before he went into the meeting room. Luckily, he did his bit pretty quickly and then went to another room for pictures with the kids. Jacob, Lucy and I were first in line (everyone else was still crafting, I guess). So in we went. Jacob was unsure of what to do. I told him to give Santa a high five before I was ready with the camera, so this was the result:
The children's desk librarian was there and offered to take a picture of all three of us with Santa. By this point Jacob was done with this activity too, chiming in with his "No, no, No, NOOOO! Want to go back to car!" I wrestled him into position and we got this shot:
Just in case you can't see it, here is the look of consternation at lack of immediate departure:
Once I told him we were leaving, Jacob did say goodbye to Santa and high fived him again. All in all, I thought it was a pretty good visit to the library. If only we could have been good Santas and delivered our presents to the Marshalls, the would have been an even greater success.
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Scariest Thing at the Library
Jacob and Lucy attended a holiday program at the Savage branch of the Howard County Library on Friday. Frosty the Snowman was the theme for the program that included stories, songs, a craft and a special visit from the snowman himself.
Lucy was very attentive during the program and seemed to enjoy herself quite a bit. Jacob went into his usual passive mode. The librarian handed out colored scarves that the kids used as snowflakes. Most of the rest of the kids swirled the scarves in the air like snowflakes in wind and let them fall to the ground. Jacob just held on to his scarf. I helped him to wave it around. He enjoyed the stories and the sing alongs but would not stand up and dance around. He never has before, so I guess it was no surprise.
Then came time for the craft. Everyone who registered had one craft set to put together. The craft was pretty simple: glue a snowman to a stick, then glue a snowflake to a Styrofoam cup, then stick the stick into the top of the cup. The librarian handed me Jacob's kit. When I asked him if he wanted to do the craft, Jacob said, "No, no, no, no, No, NO, NOOO!!" After about 30 seconds of this, I asked Jacob if we should give the craft to one of the other children who weren't registered. Jacob just said, "No craft, no, No, NOOO!!" So I gave the craft to another child while trying to keep Jacob from bolting from the room before Lucy left.
We headed towards the door when Frosty came in. He waved to us. Jacob went up to him and gave him a high five, which made the librarian escort for Frosty (celebrities never go around with an entourage) laugh. Frosty then left to another room, where Jacob reenacted the high five and I was lucky enough to get the picture:
You would think that Frosty would be the scariest part of the program for kids, but they all loved him. Next week is Santa, so we will see how Jacob and the rest of the kids will do.
Lucy was very attentive during the program and seemed to enjoy herself quite a bit. Jacob went into his usual passive mode. The librarian handed out colored scarves that the kids used as snowflakes. Most of the rest of the kids swirled the scarves in the air like snowflakes in wind and let them fall to the ground. Jacob just held on to his scarf. I helped him to wave it around. He enjoyed the stories and the sing alongs but would not stand up and dance around. He never has before, so I guess it was no surprise.
Then came time for the craft. Everyone who registered had one craft set to put together. The craft was pretty simple: glue a snowman to a stick, then glue a snowflake to a Styrofoam cup, then stick the stick into the top of the cup. The librarian handed me Jacob's kit. When I asked him if he wanted to do the craft, Jacob said, "No, no, no, no, No, NO, NOOO!!" After about 30 seconds of this, I asked Jacob if we should give the craft to one of the other children who weren't registered. Jacob just said, "No craft, no, No, NOOO!!" So I gave the craft to another child while trying to keep Jacob from bolting from the room before Lucy left.
We headed towards the door when Frosty came in. He waved to us. Jacob went up to him and gave him a high five, which made the librarian escort for Frosty (celebrities never go around with an entourage) laugh. Frosty then left to another room, where Jacob reenacted the high five and I was lucky enough to get the picture:
You would think that Frosty would be the scariest part of the program for kids, but they all loved him. Next week is Santa, so we will see how Jacob and the rest of the kids will do.
Friday, September 25, 2009
It was the naughtiest of times, it was the nicest of times...
The week has been full of ups and downs for Jacob.
On Thursday, we went to the playground at the Mall in Columbia so he could get out and run around (it's been rainy here for the past couple of nights, so neighborhood parks have been pretty wet in the mornings). He, Lucy and I went almost right at 10 a.m. when the mall opens, thus there weren't many other children when we got there. Jacob was ecstatic to climb and run all over. I kept Lucy in her car seat (which detaches from the stroller) and I sat on the perimeter bench and cheered on Jacob. He was enjoying himself a little too much on the fruit slide. The slide is a large vinyl slide made to look like a pile of large pieces of fruit. It's about four feet tall and I became really nervous when he started climbing over the top to the steep side where he could fall and hurt himself. Coming to encourage him to get down, Jacob kept telling me to stay with Lucy, i.e. leave him alone. Alas, Lucy did start to get upset, so I went to check on her. After a minute of calming her, I turned around and he was not on the fruit slide anymore.
I looked around and didn't spot him until I saw him climbing the stairs outside of the play area up to the mall's second level. I ran and got him and dragged him back, ignoring his protests. We got back to Lucy and I put him down. He wanted to go back to the stairs, so I grabbed the car seat. Lucy and I followed him, leaving the stroller behind. We walked up the stairs, which I thought was his final destination. Then he started off down the hall, passing store after store. I was afraid he remembered either the pet store (about two thirds of the way down the mall) or the carousel (all the way down the mall). He stopped about half way and decided he was done walking. Which meant that daddy had to carry him in one arm and Lucy in her car seat with the other arm. It was a long walk back.
He made up for his naughtiness at Friday's library story time. Jacob was rather sedate during songs and such as usual. When the scarves came out for peek-a-boo, he actually waited for the lady to come and then get his scarf. He even played peek-a-boo with it just like the lady showed us. When it was time to give them back, he walked up and put it back in the basket. Later, little egg shakers were handed out. Jacob was extra cooperative with that as well. He was even quite polite during the play time with the toys. While he didn't really share any of his toys, he was willing to trade or get a new toy.
After story time was over, Jacob wanted to go upstairs. I told him we couldn't take the stairs because of Lucy's stroller so we'd have to take the elevator. He made a beeline for elevator. We went up and walked around for a bit and then came back downstairs. As we left, Jacob asked for a puzzle. So we walked back in and got a puzzle. He waited patiently on the checkout line. It was a very satisfying trip to the library.
I hope there's more library trips and better mall trips in our future.
On Thursday, we went to the playground at the Mall in Columbia so he could get out and run around (it's been rainy here for the past couple of nights, so neighborhood parks have been pretty wet in the mornings). He, Lucy and I went almost right at 10 a.m. when the mall opens, thus there weren't many other children when we got there. Jacob was ecstatic to climb and run all over. I kept Lucy in her car seat (which detaches from the stroller) and I sat on the perimeter bench and cheered on Jacob. He was enjoying himself a little too much on the fruit slide. The slide is a large vinyl slide made to look like a pile of large pieces of fruit. It's about four feet tall and I became really nervous when he started climbing over the top to the steep side where he could fall and hurt himself. Coming to encourage him to get down, Jacob kept telling me to stay with Lucy, i.e. leave him alone. Alas, Lucy did start to get upset, so I went to check on her. After a minute of calming her, I turned around and he was not on the fruit slide anymore.
I looked around and didn't spot him until I saw him climbing the stairs outside of the play area up to the mall's second level. I ran and got him and dragged him back, ignoring his protests. We got back to Lucy and I put him down. He wanted to go back to the stairs, so I grabbed the car seat. Lucy and I followed him, leaving the stroller behind. We walked up the stairs, which I thought was his final destination. Then he started off down the hall, passing store after store. I was afraid he remembered either the pet store (about two thirds of the way down the mall) or the carousel (all the way down the mall). He stopped about half way and decided he was done walking. Which meant that daddy had to carry him in one arm and Lucy in her car seat with the other arm. It was a long walk back.
He made up for his naughtiness at Friday's library story time. Jacob was rather sedate during songs and such as usual. When the scarves came out for peek-a-boo, he actually waited for the lady to come and then get his scarf. He even played peek-a-boo with it just like the lady showed us. When it was time to give them back, he walked up and put it back in the basket. Later, little egg shakers were handed out. Jacob was extra cooperative with that as well. He was even quite polite during the play time with the toys. While he didn't really share any of his toys, he was willing to trade or get a new toy.
After story time was over, Jacob wanted to go upstairs. I told him we couldn't take the stairs because of Lucy's stroller so we'd have to take the elevator. He made a beeline for elevator. We went up and walked around for a bit and then came back downstairs. As we left, Jacob asked for a puzzle. So we walked back in and got a puzzle. He waited patiently on the checkout line. It was a very satisfying trip to the library.
I hope there's more library trips and better mall trips in our future.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Falling asleep in the car seat: Blessing or Curse?
I'm not sure how much I like Jacob falling asleep in the car seat. Usually it is a great gift for us, but consider what has happened this week.
Wednesday morning, Jacob and I went to play date at Elana's up in Woodstock, Maryland, about half an hour away. We left a little before 9 so we could get there for 9:30. About 9:20, Jacob gave in and fell asleep in his car seat, as he often does. I wondered what to do, because we were just about there and I didn't want to bail out on the play date at the last minute. So I parked in the driveway, got stuff together to take inside and finally bit the bullet and took Jacob out of his car seat. He showed some signs of waking up. After we got inside he started to perk up quite a bit. By the time Elana served yummy pumpkin muffins, Jacob was in full play mode. Having a ten to fifteen minute nap seems to have done him well, because he stayed awake and was chipper the whole time (except when he overflowed his diaper and needed to change everything). We even left without any big conflicts/blow ups with any of the children. It was a great play date.
On the way home, he resisted falling asleep until the very last minute, which was harrowing for me. He didn't quite make it to his bed asleep, so I had to sing him back into sleepiness. I find that singing the same song over and over and over and over helps bore him back to sleep. Luckily, my tolerance for boredom is higher than his.
Today, we were going to the library for story time to be followed by the grocery story for shopping time. We left at 9:40. The library is only ten or fifteen minutes away. Five minutes into the trip, he was out like a broken light bulb. What to do? Should I stay the course and wake him up at the library with another 15 minute nap? Since the babysitter is coming today for her 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. gig, I thought it best to let him continue to sleep in the morning, rather than wake him and have him fall asleep at 12:30 and sleep through the time that the babysitter is here. I hope I made the right choice.
Why has car seat napping become so fraught with peril?
Wednesday morning, Jacob and I went to play date at Elana's up in Woodstock, Maryland, about half an hour away. We left a little before 9 so we could get there for 9:30. About 9:20, Jacob gave in and fell asleep in his car seat, as he often does. I wondered what to do, because we were just about there and I didn't want to bail out on the play date at the last minute. So I parked in the driveway, got stuff together to take inside and finally bit the bullet and took Jacob out of his car seat. He showed some signs of waking up. After we got inside he started to perk up quite a bit. By the time Elana served yummy pumpkin muffins, Jacob was in full play mode. Having a ten to fifteen minute nap seems to have done him well, because he stayed awake and was chipper the whole time (except when he overflowed his diaper and needed to change everything). We even left without any big conflicts/blow ups with any of the children. It was a great play date.
On the way home, he resisted falling asleep until the very last minute, which was harrowing for me. He didn't quite make it to his bed asleep, so I had to sing him back into sleepiness. I find that singing the same song over and over and over and over helps bore him back to sleep. Luckily, my tolerance for boredom is higher than his.
Today, we were going to the library for story time to be followed by the grocery story for shopping time. We left at 9:40. The library is only ten or fifteen minutes away. Five minutes into the trip, he was out like a broken light bulb. What to do? Should I stay the course and wake him up at the library with another 15 minute nap? Since the babysitter is coming today for her 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. gig, I thought it best to let him continue to sleep in the morning, rather than wake him and have him fall asleep at 12:30 and sleep through the time that the babysitter is here. I hope I made the right choice.
Why has car seat napping become so fraught with peril?
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