Eleanor Sings

This was so cute I have to share it. I was driving somewhere and Eleanor was with me. She was singing the ABC song and making up her own words. Suddenly she yells, "Spanish!" and starts singing in "Spanish." I think there was even one real Spanish word in there. Then she yelled, "Family!" and started singing all the names in the family. She included "mom" and "Suzie" and even Evelyn (my brother Ben's oldest for any who don't know.)

Lessons I've Learned from My Children: #1 Embarrassment is No Longer a Feeling It's a Way of Life.

I always wondered what was up with parents. Why aren't they embarrassed by anything? They can do the dorkiest stuff and not care at all. Now I know why. Children. They root that embarrassment stuff right out of you. They teach you how to suck it up. Of course, then they grow up and are embarrassed for you.

I have always loved the library. One of the first things Jeff and I did when we moved here was to get library cards. Well, when I first started bringing the kids to the library...it was kind of a disaster. They didn't tear any books or scream their heads off (although that's been known to happen since then) but it was kind of embarrassing for me. Our main branch has a stage kind of area where they do nursery rhyme time with the kids. Well, the steps are hollow and when kids run on them the people in the conference room and offices next door can hear it quite well. So of course every time we went to the library the kids would run on the steps and we would get in trouble. (What are these people thinking putting the Children's Room next to the conference room? I know it's a library but, hello, it's the Children's Room.) It was seven or eight trips to the library before the kids finally figured out that they needed to walk quietly on the steps or not at all. It was embarrassing to me to get scolded by the librarian every time we went to the library. Then while I was trying to help one child be quiet the other would go running out of the room and try to get on the elevator. Also, I forgot to mention, Sam was getting potty trained. I think he only had one accident at the library but that was enough. Surprisingly, they had nothing to clean with and had to call someone up to the Children's Room. You would think they would have a bottle of carpet cleaner behind the desk or something. Again, it is the Children's Room. Despite all of this we continued to go to the library. What was I going to do? Not go? Don't be ridiculous. Sam and Eleanor are usually pretty good now but Peter is still learning how to behave in the library. Luckily I no longer care what anyone thinks of us. We are doing our best and that's what matters.


On our way in to the library.



Peter using the computer in the Children's Room.