Library Art Day - Lois Ehlert

As homeschooling gets to be more "popular," I'm amazed at the resources made available to students during the day. It's awesome, really.

One of our local libraries has a class twice a month geared for kids five and up. And WHEW, we are finally there. The class is in the afternoon and I have zero children who need a nap or a rest or a diaper or a snack. Okay, so I still pack snacks. Can't help myself. I get hungry.

Anyway, this series of [FREE] classes is focused on children's book illustrators and their style of art. During the session, the kids listened to a story written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert, talked about her style of art, and then were sent off to create their own collages.

I particularly like outsourcing our art classes as my skills, they are nil. And it was nice, so nice, to have someone else in charge of the chitlins for an hour during the day. 

Oboe Night At The Library

Pa had to impress the kids at Symphony Story Time at the library.

He was the only one who could get his straw-meets-dixie-cup to sound like an instrument.

Kinda helps that he was a music major in college.

Cheater.

But beyond his skills as an instrumentalist, he is also a Wise Daddy. Seems the oboe player from the symphony was passing the instrument around for each of the kids to try.

Oh...oh...OH!!

That Pa kept the germs at bay and whisked our sweet boys off to home.

Where the kids just passed around their "oboes."

And germs. Can't forget the germs.

Little Drummer Boy

Looks like that symphony story time at the library had an impact on the Campers.

Yeah, "impact" is a good word.

"Total Obsession" might be another.

These boxes have been in my bedroom for a week now, stacked in all sorts of "drum set" kinds of ways. We've seen drum show after drum show after drum show. And each show has its own name and its own set of rules for how the audience is to behave.

Oh, and there's drumming at the dinner table too.

My personal favorite.

Doesn't help that Pa's been showing the boys Blue Man Group and Stomp videos on YouTube.

You know what person I'm going to recommend that the library invites next?

A mime.

Symphony Night At The Library

I have some sort of unhealthy addiction to the library. The events! The resources! The easy access to other kids' germs!

And all this for free!!

Oh but anyway.

Our local library is having Symphony night once a week during the month of January. Each time they invite a Real Live Orchestra Member to strut their stuff, all the while complementing the program with books and hands-on activities and crafts.

Oh, I love me some musical instruments, and how about those real! live! drums! in the library!!

Here is the Zig, trying out some sort of percussion type of thing.

I'd give you the actual name of the instrument, but I was with Susie in another section of the library, practicing my "shhhhhhh" sound at the girl.

Didn't work.

(Pa was with the boys. Because I KNEW you were wondering.)

And then the Campers, making his own maraca.

Ziggy was so thrilled with his maraca because it was filled with rice! And beans! And "macaroni-and-cheese!" And he wanted to know if I could cook it for him as soon as we got home.

Now there's a boy after my own heart. Who wants to play the maraca, when you can eat it instead?

And here's a nice display of the instruments that the kids got to try:

Speaking of sharing germs, I noticed that after we arrived at the library that the Zig was producing an enormous quantity of eye gunk out both orbs.

What is it with me and sick kids and special events at the library?

Oh groan.

I saw no pinkness in the eye, just a lot of boogs.

So who knows.

But I'm thinking I'll need to write apology notes to about eight thousand parents rightthissecond.

And hand them out next week. When we take our germs, oops I mean kids, to the library and learn about the oboe.

Until next time, remember to wash your hands. Well. You never know who is lurking in your library.

I Guess This Is Another Form Of Sign Language

Sister Susie and I headed to our first-ever, Mommy and Me kind of class Saturday at the library. We were going to learn sign language together, and have a great time "bonding" (me chasing, her squawking) all the while learning to communicate. It was going to be lovely.

The Door Nazi was in full force, giving me All Kinds Of Grief over dragging in an additional child (Zig) than I had signed up for. I'm not sure exactly what she said, but it was something about the Fire Department coming and hosing me down for my audacity to fill the room past capacity.So as I was de-coating the kids, I noticed that Sweet Sister Susie's hands were covered in blisters.

It might have been nice to have noticed this a half-hour previously, before getting everyone suited up and in and out of the van.

But that is never how life goes for the likes of me.

And then I looked at all the other, sweet sweet infants, sitting there so nicely with their first-time moms (no offense! no offense!), and all I could picture was the Suz slobbering all over the whole class and passing on her lovely virus.

I may be a lot of things, but Evil Incarnate I am not.

At least on most days, those not ending in "Y."

So, I bundled the kids back up and headed out the door.

And those blisters, they are sign language for sure. A sign that the Sis likely has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, and that Being Cooped Up In The House With A Contagious Kid was going to be in our near future.

Puppeteering!

Took the boys to the local library for a puppet show. I thought for sure they'd be bored out of their gourd, but they surprised me!

There was singing and dancing and shaker-shaking, all the things the boys just *love* to do. But I saw them smiling, and sitting still, and they even interacted with Miss Puppet Lady after the show.

Did I ever tell you how much I love the library??!?

The Story Guy!

Our local library hosted a storyteller--Rick Huddle--who you can see standing in the background (of the first picture) between Campers and the Zig. We were glad to get out of the house on a Saturday afternoon, and I especially enjoyed leaving Pa and Sis home while they took a nap. They can both get a little unmanageable when they have to sit still and be quiet for more than two seconds anyway.

So I was trying not to be a Camera Dork, hence the blah pictures. Had Pa been around, he would have been standing on tables getting "just the right shot," but then again, he's the Master Of The Camera and Has No Pride Anyway.

I have enough Pride for the two of us, thankyouverymuch.

This camera face of Zig's is entertaining me far more than it should. I am anxious to look back in xxx months to see how long he can keep the Eye Trick going.

And I don't even know what this face is all about.

But as I was saying, we did enjoy the storyteller. He sang songs, and you know...told stories. And I even saw the kids smiling and laughing, and shock of all shocks, Campers actually left and said he had a "good time." Well write that date down!!

The highlight of the performance for me was the storyteller's "Yodeler On A Mountain So High" song, which I have not heard in a coon's age. (However long THAT is, thank you, Mom, for that wonderful phrase.) It was a real trip to slap and clap and snap and sing right along with him. Took me back to the campfire days, whenever those were. Probably when I was about Campers' age, and no doubt, I probably "looked" about as excited as he did.

They smile on the inside, I just know it.

Story Time Take Two

So we returned to Story Hour at the library, greeted once again by the Door Nazi, who was Manning Her Post as usual.

Sister Susie just loves being trapped in the stroller, as you can see below:

And hooray for craft time. See? This is the second time this year the kids have held markers!

Today's theme was, "Germs are not for sharing." We even came home with Our Very Own Book, donated by the local health department.

I found it especially ironic that Campers spent most of story time hacking and coughing his germs all over the room. If ever there was a need for a hole to crawl in, this might have been one of those times.

[Yes, I am one of those moms now, the Mother Of Three Children Who Desperately Needs To Get Out Of The House, I Don't Care How Sick The Kids Are.]

And just to prove that Zig was there, here's a picture of him. I didn't want you to think that I had left him in the van, or anything. But the picture is not that great because hey, I'm Dorky enough with the Big Camera, hauling it everywhere, and I was trying to spare (myself) the kids any more embarrassment.

But just wait 'til their teen years, and I'll be LOOKING for ways to embarrass them in public. Kinda like the orange stocking hat my dad used to always wear when he'd pick me up after basketball practice.

Fun times ahead, fun times ahead.

Kitty Cats Say "Raarrrr"

Went to story hour this morning, where the boys had Craft Time. I figure they need to glue, color, and staple at least once a year, and the Kind Folks at the library might as well be the ones to head that up.

Speaking of the library employees, our Story Time Lady is quite enchanting. ("Enchanting...your mother was enchanting.")

But maybe not so much the Door Nazi. She greeted us, and then barked out something about name tags. Good idea, I thought. So then she hustles right up to me and snarls, "Did you SIGN IN???!!??" So I explained that no, I didn't sign in because with two talkative squidgets and a squawker in the stroller, it is a bit difficult for a newbie like me to even know the Rules, let alone follow them. So she shadowed me all the way outside the room, and pointed at a sign up sheet on the wall. I added Campers and Ziggy's names, because really, that is who the story hour was for. "No no no, that is not good enough," she barked - - - she must have aaalllllll the names. So I added Sister Susie and walked in the door, again. Nope!!! I was corralled back out, and she pointed sharply at each of us counting "One! Two! Three! Four! I need FOUR names!!!" Oh yes, of course, you need my name. So then I read the instructions on top of the list which said that they must have an accurate person count so that they could abide by the Maximum Room Occupancy Limits.

And I really, really tried not to smirk.

I saw that my family of four put the room to "full," and I KID YOU NOT, the Door Nazi hurriedly shot up a Story Time Closed Ha Ha You Losers sign in place of the name sheet. And true to form, the next couple of moms and kids were turned away from Entering That Door.

Yeah, that went over well.

And there was space for them, of course.

And at that moment I wanted to call our good friend V at our olden days library, and have a nice chuckle over Your Typical Library Employee, who has spent way too much time sniffing book fumes and not enough time chilling out.

So there were lots of Kitty Cats at the library this morning, and one of them went "Rarrrrrrr." And for once, she didn't belong to me.

So Of Course We've Been To The Library. Twice.

Library cards were Saturday, Monday is story hour. And to all of Campers and Ziggy's old story time buddies, you can rest assured that neither of the boys danced or sang, like usual. Sister Susie did a great job "singing" so Pa took her outside so she could fully express herself. Guess that's what happens when story time is right during nap time.

And on my multicultural theme, we have been happily outnumbered by those of other races both times we visited the library--mostly Asians. Guess we "ended up" in the right part of town, eh? The mom sitting next to me this morning was speaking Mandarin Chinese, which was refreshing to hear. I wanted to shout out the three words I knew, but really, that would have been especially lame. So I'll hold out until I know eight or ten, and with my fine language acquisition skills, should be about twenty years from now.

So yay for the library, one of my favorite places. There is interlibrary loan, and books can be placed on hold via the comfort (or not so comfortable) computer chair at home. I'm glad to still have that mom-friendly feature. Now if the librarians would just come read to my kids for an hour or so a day, that would be just super.