A Trip to the Library

Parker and I have been going to the local library for about 4 months now. Pretty uneventful. Mostly trying to convey to him that he needs to be quiet at the library. Just like at church when we go to see Jesus. (But at church, I lie to him and tell him Jesus is sleeping and he gets it) I can't think of anyone who would be sleeping at the library. So he has his little shoulder bag that we keep the "bi-bary" books in along with his own personal library card. The routine is the same, we park, we enter, he pushes the elevator button to go down, we go to the board book section, he picks out which books he wants, puts them on the counter, ever so sweetly hands the librarian his card and we pack the new books into the bag, we push the button to go up in the elevator, we go home and we read and re-read the bi-bary books until mommy and daddy are so sick of them and then we go back. We go to the library at least every other week. Well this past trip to the library went a little differently. Fast forward to him so sweetly handing his card over and mommy packing the books in the bag, 2 to 5 seconds tops, I turn around and he was gone! I could hear him not being quiet and listening to his echo in the hallway but I could not see him. "ah-ha, ah-ha" over and over. I "run" my pregnant butt as quickly as I can to the voice, peak towards the elevator, closed, thank god! I can still hear him "ah-ha", I race past the bathrooms and into a little room at the end of the hallway, no Parker to be seen. Then I hear it-the fire alarm blaring away-waa, waa, waa, waa. I realize there is one place he could be-the elevator! I race back towards the elevator, hit the "up" button and the door opens. My sweet little boy cocks his head to the side and says "hi momma". By this point I have 3 librarians behind me laughing! I am in shock and gritting my teeth saying "get out of the elevator" without every parting my mouth or moving my lips (only mothers can do that you know). So I sheepishly turn around and say-can you shut off the alarm? Are there any forms I need to fill out? Should we call off the fire department? They say not to worry and we get in the elevator and proceed on home.

I am starting to rethink those leashes parents put on their kids. I used to think they were inhumane but I am starting to realize the practicality of them.

I told this story to my brother-in-law's mother today and she tells me she had to leash him up and attach it to the garage! She also said he was the kid she put a sign on saying "don't feed me". Apparently he would wander the neighborhood asking for food! So I guess it could be a lot worse!