It's Friday! It's Friday! PART 1

This past week has been a bit unusual and busy. I had a mind to "Get it ALL Done"! Tuesday as usual was our homeschooling co-op day and we are usually worn out after that. Wednesday, I took all the older kids to get their hair done at my stylist because she offered to give us a family discount. Nathaniel and Ben were beginning to have Afros and Seora and Maggie needed a makeover do. The boys went first while Seora and Maggie flipped through magazines to find that perfect hair cut. Finally about 2 1/2 hours later, I walked out with four stylin' teens. I should have brought Eli but really I can still cut his hair and he would have driven us crazy in the salon. Poor thing I really do need to cut his hair soon. He's beginning to look nappy.
Maybe tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow. (oh, I said that yesterday)
As you already know, Thursday we went to the dentist and they all have clean teeth.
Friday was a big day for us as well. We had Library Day, Picnic/Park Day and Homeschool Skate Day all rolled into one.
About every other Friday we head for the Library and go through the same rituals. Ben runs to the shelf and randomly picks out his books and is ready in 10 minutes. I send him back to pick two more books that he has not already read. Eli heads over to Clifford's house in the Children's section to pretend he is a dog. Seora heads to the teen drama section and carefully chooses her books. Most of them involve orphans, Princesses and happy endings. Seora loves the library and tells us every time, "I could live here". We smile because we know it is very true. She loves books. Her arms are usually full. Maggie checks out the teen drama section and is usually quick to make her choices and almost always picks out a high school or teen novel. Nathaniel heads over to the Informational section and plops down on the floor and spreads out all the books he can find on football, countries or machines. I usually have to remind him that he needs to pick a chapter book to take home. I know the librarians probably sigh when they see him come through the door. The return carts suddenly fill up when Nathaniel shows up.
Graham for the most part already knows when he enters the Library what books he is getting. He heads straight for that chapter book and then gathers several of the History in Comics books and finds a comfy chair and reads.
Me?, Well, first I find Eli several books and then plop myself in a chair under the sunny window and rest in the quiet. Until Eli calls my name wanting me to see him in Clifford's house. I mumble," that's nice" and put my head back again until Ben brings me his books to approve. This process goes on until all the children have their books approved. Then we typically have a chaotic checkout as Nathaniel suddenly wants to check out all these books on Russia -- "The Russian Govt." "Facts and the Politics of Gorbochev", "How the Soviet Union was a Solid Nation".... etc., you get the point. I tell him no and send him off to add them to the already overloaded return cart. (This DOES happen every time) Man, it feels like deja vu!
Then we converge on the check out desk and Graham and Nathaniel get into a fight because they touched each other. Then all the kids have fees and we have to consolidate so I can pay with a check. Graham reminds me his card is lost and I have to add his books onto my card and all the while Eli is a wild man, whining he is hungry and hangs on Seora asking "where's my books? Why do I have that one? Did you get a movie? "
So... My few moments, in the chair, in the sun, in the library, of quiet time were only to gear up for the chaos of checking out!
BUT..... this time I had a plan. I collected all the kids' cards before I went in and sent them each to their own place and then I paid their over due fines WHILE they were looking for books. I then distributed their cards back to them. I got Graham a new card and renewed Maggie's.
I looked at some watercolor art from a children's illustrator, pulled Eli out of Clifford's house and helped him pick some books out, sent him back to Clifford's house, looked for a book on CD for Nathaniel. Yep, there he was on the JAS aisle in the floor with over a dozen info books spread out. Poor Librarian. Reminded Nathaniel he could take no books home on Russia and then
I found my chair in the sun, in the library and read a non meaniful children's book before I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of the rays on my head.
Eli gave me a few moments before he called me to look at him in Clifford's house. As each of the kids brought me their books to approve, I gave them their card and told them to go ahead and check out before they sat down to read. I was relieved to see that Nathaniel came with no books about Russia but books about WW11 and The Constitution of America. I guess the Librarian was relieved too because her carts didn't get as overloaded.
Because they weren't checking out at the same time, nobody was fighting. I sent somebody else to check out my books and so when everyone was ready, we walked out all cheerful and happy. I felt a little proud of myself and smuggly announced to myself as the guy on the show, "A-TEAM used to say, " I love it when a plan comes together."