Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Last week's storytimes found us reading books about farms (you know I love farms!). In the midst of one of our books, which had something to do with pigs, a 4 year old interrupted me to ask, "Did you know that Mama Preying Mantises bite the heads off the Daddy Preying Mantises?" It's funny, but I literally looked down at the book in my hands, as if I missed something, reading on auto pilot or something. Once I collected myself I said that I did know that and asked where she had learned that (making sure to leave out the part about how it happens after they mate). "Oh, we heard about it in a book." I got such a kick out of that kid and her comment and wondered all day what her parents read to her. Working with kids can be so funny sometimes. Also, for some reason, her comment made me think of this .

While bestie Mummy Dearest and I were driving in the car with Little Fish and her cousin M, the subject of going to the doctor when you're sick came up. M said that she didn't want to go to the doctor because they, "put people to sleep." "Oh, you mean like when someone has surgery and they go to sleep for a little while?" asked her Auntie Mummy Dearest. "No. They put you to sleep like when they put cats and dogs to sleep." I was already trying not to laugh during this entire conversation, but this was just too much! I was literally shaking and holding my breath, afraid I'd burst out laughing and hurt M's feelings. And as I was shaking and desperataely trying to hold back my laughter I could hear, in the silence, Mummy Dearests' own stiffled laughter. Ah, kids are wonderful entertainment.

I love poetry. And I love Billy Collins. And I love kids. So what can be better than putting together a Billy Collins poetry reciting toddler? Too cool! (Mummy, thanks for sharing this!) "Litany" You are the bread and the knife, The crystal goblet and the wine... -Jacques Crickillon You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine. You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. You are the white apron of the baker, and the marsh birds suddenly in flight. However, you are not the wind in the orchard, the plums on the counter, or the house of cards. And you are certainly not the pine-scented air. There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air. It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge, maybe even the pigeon on the general's head, but you are not even close to being the field of cornflowers at dusk. And a quick look in the mirror will show that you are neither the boots in the corner nor t...

Here are some great and unprompted things that some of the Farm kiddos have said recently. I got these great milking "muck boots," (which look something like these ), for when I milk the cows every week. Upon arriving at dinner, after I had milked, I stopped at a table to talk with M who was with her kiddos M & S, when M (age 2yrs.) glanced down and said, "OH MY GOD, Monster, I love your boots!" in her most sincere voice! It was so adorable I had to laugh. TSO and I were dropping Mummy and kids: Big and Little Fish off at their new apartment, en route to the Farm, when Big Fish (almost 5yrs. old) made the profound observation: "Mom, first came dinosaurs, then Jesus, then Johnny Appleseed and then us, right?" Oh, my God. TSO, Mummy and I were trying so hard not to burst out laughing, for fear we'd stifle Big Fish's curiosity! Where do kids come up with some of these things!?

We have these two brothers who come to Library X for all of our programs and to get books every week, accompanied by their really nice parents. What is amazing about these kids is how damn smart they are. Albert (name changed) is 7 and in 2nd grade and Neal (name changed) just turned 5 on Saturday. What is so amazing about these smart kids, is that they aren't just smart, they are Jeopardy-high-school-champions-in the-making-smart; so smart that they say-things-and-make-you-feel-stupid-kinda-smart. Anyway, we had our Star Lab this weekend--which of course the Einstein Bros. came to. Star Lab is a portable planetarium made of a huge, inflated bubble which enables the presenter to show the stars and consellations on the inside of the rounded dome. It was a very cool way to look at the night sky. The guide pointed out stars and consellations as they would appear in the night Spring sky. Then once we had a feel for the location of the consellations she showed us how the consellations w...