Library

Number 63- check out the events calendar at your local library... you'd be amazed at the activities that are offered for free!

I'm just going to say it, the library is fun! And not only is it fun, but most of it is FREE! We have been taking advantage of ours lately for this very reason. My kids' favorite activity right now is storytime. They LOVE sitting down with me on the couch or in their beanbag chairs and reading book after book. They are always upset when it's time to be done, and as a mom and a teacher nothing makes me happier. Two nights ago my mouth and throat were dry from reading for so long, but I didn't care I kept right on going. I think that the greatest gift we can give our kids is a love of reading. It will make their lives richer and fuller in so many ways.

We read until we pass out!

Our local library has the summer reading program, which I will post about another time, and it even rewards it's patrons for checking books out of the library during the summer months. Everytime you check books out at the library you get a scratch-off ticket. The very first time that I received a scratch-off ticket just a couple of days ago, I scratched that silver off with the penny that the librarian gave me and then I saw it. Winner! I never win anything and the fact that I won 2 free books from the library just made my day. It was late as we were leaving the library so I have yet to collect my prize, but when I do I'll definitely be posting it. I wish I had a picture of my winning ticket but the librarian took it. Hindsight right?!

The reason I was at the library that night was because I had signed The Sponge up for a FREE drama workshop for kids. (Isn't the library wonderful?!)

We were the first ones to arrive and she was a little nervous and clingy, but once she saw the props and the other kids started pouring in she was in her element. Now, some of the moms stayed for the workshop, but I have come to notice that if I'm with The Sponge when she's in a class, such as her dance class, she watches me and tries to talk to me and doesn't pay attention to what she should be doing, so I bowed out and I'm glad that I did. While I was looking for new CDs, books, and movies when she was in the workshop the sounds of the singing, laughing, and "drama" from that conference room were filling the whole main level of the library. I could even pick out The Sponge's voice from time to time amongst all of the chaos and it made me smile. I was a little sad because I could not see what was happening and truly be a part of this experience with The Sponge, but when I asked her how it went and she enthusiastically said, "IT. WAS. AWESOME!" I knew that I had made the right decision.

Sometimes even though we want to be right there with our kids every minute (and I do when it comes to the extra-curricular type of activities- oh, and I usually tear up watching them participate and succeed at ANYTHING---I'm a little emotional okay?! (: ) we need to step back and let them gain some independence and have their own time to just be themselves, fail, succeed, whatever, and experience life.