Story-time

Story-time at the Library for 3-5 year olds. Tuesday mornings 10 am.
Sounds great, what a good idea. Hear stories, sing songs, do a project. This is perfect for Marc, Luc, and Sarah. Maybe I could read a book while I watch….Well, that was my first thought….

Tim was thrilled. He could play on the library computers (all the big kids are in school) so he wouldn’t be on a time limit. Off he went.

Marc and Luc wanted to play trains. I carefully explained the benefits of story time and dragged them both to the proper area. It was a new situation for Sarah so she clung to my leg. I couldn’t let go of Luc for fear he would run to the trains. I actually got four coats, and four sets of mittens and gloves extricated without letting go of anyone. (or anyone letting go of me).
I instructed the kids to get carpet squares and sit by the other kids. To my complete astonishment, Marcus complied, grabbed his square and sat right down. Sarah would not move from my leg, and where was Lucas? He was sitting by the moms, in a grown up chair, between two women he had never met. One of them was reading a book. Lucas’s arms were crossed, but he was quiet. I left him there, and walked to Marcus, dragging a girl on my leg. I put her carpet square down and she let go of my leg, but not my hand. She knew the librarian who said “Hi sarah,” and once the story started, she was fine. Marcus lasted through the first story before he began to lie down, touch his neighbors, kick his boots, sing (when no one else was) and shout. Meanwhile, I had gone to talk to Lucas. I talked him into sitting on my lap, but he was not going by those other kids and had started to loudly protest.

At the same time, I heard Sarah’s voice, “Sit up, Marcus!” Okay, put Luc down, sneak over to Marc and tell him to listen. He is now stomping like a dinosaur, and not sitting. (No one else is stomping like a dinosaur. The stories are about bugs. A little girl is staring at him like he’s a maniac.)

I bring Marcus over to Lucas. Lucas is now crying, and I have come to the conclusion—THIS IS NOT WORTH IT, plus I am disturbing others. The woman with the book has raised an eyebrow in my direction. But Sarah is now having much fun, singing the itsy bitsy spider and listening to the story. I tell Sarah I am taking the boys to the train area.

The boys are happy. The mom feels defeated. All the other children are in storytime except for a one and a half year old and his mama. We discover her son and my son are both named Lucas. She is pregnant and shares it’s a boy. They had the name Marcus picked out, but thought Lucas and Marcus sounded strange together. “Oh, those are my boys’ names,” I blurt out. She does the polite, “oh really,” thing and the conversation fizzles. I pick out books for the boys.

More kids show up at the trains. The other mom encourages her son to share, “Lucas, you need to share.” My son looks right at her, then hands a train to a new kid. I guess there are advantages to name-sharing, and this makes me smile.

Sarah exits story time smiling and skipping. “She even stamped my hand!” She proudly displays her hand. Even the boys oohh and ahhh at the ink-bug on the back of her hand. I guess we are coming back next week for story-time. Maybe I’ll bring a book to read.