The Library's Most Wanted

This is a rare moment these days. Don't they look sweet? Don't be deceived! There was nothing sweet about our trip to the library the other day. Here's how it went down.

On the way there we had a refresher talk about the rules. Walk don't run, use quiet voices, stay right with Mama, do what Mama says (always rule #1). We repeated the rules, we agreed that we would obey the rules, and we were ready to have fun. We got out of the car and I buckled Stuart into his stroller.

William wanted to stroll Stuart. So he grabbed the reigns, which incensed Catherine so she started yelling that SHE wanted to push Stuart. They started arguing. Loudly. I thought I could diffuse it by announcing that William could push Stuart INTO the library and Catherine would then push him OUT when we left. I told them to remind me when we left that it was Catherine's turn.

William then announced (loudly) that he was a "very very good reminderer," so he should be the one to remind me. Catherine then proclaimed (loudly) that SHE was a "good reminderer" to which William replied "NO YOU'RE NOT." "YES I AM!" "NO YOU'RE NOT!!!" And so on and so forth.

It was like an alarm and big red light was going off inside my head flashing ABORT MISSION - ABORT MISSION - ABORT MISSION!!! But did I? Noooooooo. Of course not.

We walked into the library and they proceeded to break every single rule before we could make it past all the staring glaring people and get all the way to the back to the children's section, the path to which seemed to be about three miles long. We quickly detoured into the restroom where I got in their faces and repeated the rules one more time, along with a warning. I was sure it had all been just one giant misunderstanding on their part. Probably miscommunication on my part, you know.

We left the restroom and made it just beyond the water fountains when every rule was broken again. I exited the library quicker than if someone had yelled "FIRE." I had a screaming two-year-old hoisted under one arm while I was pushing with one hand a stroller with a howling one-year-old and a panicked four-year-old running behind me yelling "MAMA wait up....you're going too fast!"

I'm pretty sure there's now a Top Ten Most Wanted List in the front of the library with our picture at #1. They might even be offering a reward.