Just Another Trip to the Library

There's something magical about libraries. For me, it's the rows upon rows of books just waiting to be read, the free movie selection, the quiet reading area to relax and peruse magazines, not to mention the peaceful quiet. Unfortunately, this magic only exists when I go to the library alone. With Ben, I frantically throw children's books and Thomas the Train movies into my bag as quickly as possible before he self destructs.

We have a wonderful library with a lively and engaging story time each week, which we faithfully attend. But for some reason, my normally fun, easygoing child seems to melt down quite often at the library. I'm talking full on knock-down, drag-out fits, not seen quite anywhere else. I don't know what it is, but the library seems to work a different sort of magic on Ben. The voodoo, demon possessing your body type. He likes to go, but doesn't like having to be quiet or restrained in any way. This also poses a problem in church, as you can imagine.

This week's trip was a doozy. I can laugh at it since I'm chalking it up to the fact that he's a little under the weather and suffering from post-travel jet lag. It was more embarrassing than upsetting. He tried to take a book away from another kid and I wouldn't let him, so he threw himself onto the floor and launched into a fit. I left him there to work it out, which led him to a bigger fit. We tried a time-out in the corner, but he kept on screaming, so I ended up having to haul him out, leaving my huge bag of unchecked books on the floor by the door so we wouldn't set off the beepers. I was in a conundrum as I held a kicking child who I wouldn't take back in, but didn't want to leave my bag. After a few minutes, a kind librarian came out and asked if she could help. She was gracious enough to check out our books for us and bring them out while I tried to calm Ben down. Then we high-tailed it out of there for a major time-out at home. He was fine as soon as we got in the car and wanted to "try again," but we'll have to wait for next week to do that. I'm just hoping the good magic rubs off sooner rather than later.