the library

since lucy was at preschool today, i took my niece, emma, and jayne and molly to the library for story time this morning. we got there a little early so we could pick out some books to check out, and then we went up to story time. they sang cute songs, and read a cute book, and made a paper bag cow puppet. jayne was cute singing along, and making her puppet, but then came time to check out the books and leave.

that didn't go well.

as we're making our way to the front of the library, jayne decides she's done walking and wants me to hold her. well, i failed to mention that at this point i'm holding molly in one arm, and carrying our bag of books and diaper bag on the other, and holding the end of the monkey leash that i have on emma. i couldn't have held her unless i was to sprout a couple extra arms, so i told her no, that she would have to walk because i couldn't hold her. jayne didn't like this, so she decides to tell everyone in the library what she wants by screaming and crying at my heels. people are starting to stare at this point, so i kinda smile (grimace, really) and just keep making my way to the checkout counter all the while threatening jayne with various things (one of which was that we wouldn't get any books) if she didn't stop throwing a fit. some lady decides to try to help and tries to hug jayne and pick her up. i'm sure she was just trying to be nice, but anybody who knows jayne would know that this did not go over well. jayne just starts screaming even louder (if that's possible). by now, everyone is staring, including the librarians at the counter who have literally stopped checking out books to people and have taken to just observing what's going on infront of them. i finally follow through with my threat, and i dump out the books that we were gonna check out on the counter, and start my trek to the doors while everyone is still staring. meanwhile, emma decides she's not ready to leave yet, and proceeds to throw herself onto the floor and whine. so, lets recap, i've got jayne screaming and crying at my heels because she wants me to hold her, emma on the floor and whining because she's not ready to leave yet, and molly who, at this point, is a little perturbed because she's been jostled about a bit during all of this. some one does offer to help me out to the car, but all i really wanted, was just to be away from all of the staring eyes and get outside as soon and quickly as possible. somehow, i manage to get emma off the floor, and we make our way to the doors (jayne's still screaming behind us). we make it across the street, and the parking lot (emma throwing herself to the ground atleast 2 more times), and into the van. once in the van, i was just too mad to even talk to jayne, so i just turned up the radio really loud. i looked back at one point, and emma was all bobbing to the music, and that kind of made it hard to stay mad, but i still didn't turn it down until we got home. the fit was still in progress as we were getting into the van, driving home, and even getting into the house. i put jayne in time out for 3 minutes, and then i finally got my chance to talk to her one on one about the whole thing. i'm not sure what supernanny would say about this whole experience, but i think she would have been proud of the fact that i never did give in and hold jayne at all during all of this.

oh the joys of children. they certainly make life interesting...