Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Just over halfway through our last week of Summer Reading! We can do it...maybe making it a little weird along the way! And Happy Birthday to bestie L's Lauren; our little girl isn't so little anymore. She turned the big 12 this year! Lauren and I will be celebrating in style in August when I go home--just Lauren and I doing dinner and a movie. Love that not-so-little-anymore Peanut!

Oh my sweet and gentle Moses! I spoke with Janet Ingraham Dwyer , Youth Services Consultant at the State Library of Ohio yesterday!! And, get this, SHE IS COMING TO STICKS LIBRARY to consult with us on 1. how to best utilize our very limited space for the kids/teens and 2. to offer suggestions on programming and unique ways to market ourselves to draw in more kids, and teens. Prairie Dawn has been worshiping Dwyer from afar since we saw her speak at a conference this past spring and we're both SUPER EXCITED, but I thought P.D. was going to faint when she heard me invite Dwyer to sit in on a story time. Poor P.D. is so nervous now. Did I mention how FREAKING EXCITED WE ARE!! So thankful for that great news, but even more thankful it's Friday. Going to be a busy busy day--due to a staff family emergency this week and another staffer on vacay, I've been on the desk EVERY SINGLE day since arriving back from my lovely long weekend. I love working the CIRC desk, so no worries...

I, like probably 99% of Americans, am so tired of all the political talk, ads, campaign hoopla, etc., that today instead of blogging about elections or cutesy picture books about voting, I've decided to NOT TALK ABOUT POLITICS! Instead, I will be sharing about how having a kitten is like having a baby...or a spastic toddler (which I loving call Hemingway) No one tells you about the responsibility or what they'll need or that: They cry when they're hungry They want what you're eating, not the dry, fish-smelling kibbly stuff in their bowls Their medical bills cost more than yours You make sure that they get their flea medicine once a month when you can't even remember to take your own damn vitamins every day Their, "Who cares if it's 3a.m., I'm wide awake," attitude Their new "thing," involves them walking across your throat, YOUR THROAT! at 3a.m., and then trying to lay there inconspicuously, as though they're a scarf and you wo...

I don't know what's worse: how much time someone spends putting things like this on the internet, or how much I enjoy finding and posting things like this? Found all these pictures through a google search of f"funny photos."

This exhausting week in LaLa Library Land: Monday my 15-23 months old group was so much fun! (I am going to miss this bunch of parents when their kids move up to the 2 year old group). Our current theme through January is Favorite Children's Authors. I chose to start with Eric Carle, who is my favorite illustrator, and thus introduced the kids to The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear (both favorites of mine). The kids loved the stories and that for Brown Bear, Brown Bear, I actually had enough copies for everyone. We also pulled out our huge parachute for the last 5 minutes of class before toy time and had so much fun. The kids excitement and laughter is so contagious. Had my last Ancient Civilizations group Wednesday, where we learned about Pueblo Indians . After talking about the who, what, where and when's of the Pueblos, each kid began the task of making coiled bowls (w/Crayola air dry clay--WONDERFUL!) Then while we let the bowls dry a little I read some...