geistvox

I let Lily watch a string of children’s programs while I put some clothes away, email a client to let them know I’m tied up for the day and test out posting via email on Wordpress. We play a round of Cariboo; she only has problems with the number cards. I load up a bag with some snacks, a tax payment to mail and the digital camera (which I won’t end up using… I never do when I actually think to bring it).

We drive up to the Midland library branch to pick up some new books and choose Lily’s second prize as part of the Summer Reading program. She recently fell in love with the Library Lion, a lovely book our friend Jessica had sent. So Lily just had to have the little foam lion when we chose her first reading reward.

We sit down at one of the miniature tables and Lily starts flipping through the books laying there. I grab a mix of board books and bigger, paper-paged books. Most of the board books are too simple, focusing on animals and shapes and colors, all of which we have down pat. These days it’s a matter of finding a balance: a story that isn’t so long that it will loose her attention and that is an enjoyable enough story that mom and dad will want to read it over and over. I think I do better this time than our last visit.

Lily gives a dandelion to some girl sitting at the same table.

After we pick out some books and read a few, putting one back after Lily looses interest in it half way through, we check out our books. I love the library’s self-check kiosks.

Then it’s time to pick out her second prize. There isn’t much in the bucket for the 0-3 set: some sippy cups, some little Clifford the Big Red Dog books in Spanish and more foam animals. She ends up picking an elephant to go with her lion. I notice that there is also a gorilla and a bear. Lily gets two more prizes before finishing up her game board. I think we’re going to end up with the full animal set unless I can convince someone to let us pick a prize from the next age group’s prize bucket.