It Was a Full of Fun Tuesday

The girls posing on the outside stairwell of the library. Zach didn't join them as he was too busy looking through his book about the Civil War that he'd just checked out with his new library card.

The photo below is of the Phillips County Regional Library. They're going to move it into another building later but I'm sure going to miss this old place. It was built in 1891 and has all atmosphere, the smells, cubbyholes, and dark corners that I remember from libraries that I've been in here, in the U.S. and in England. Another building was built and attached to this one (not seen in this photo) around 1920 to house the Phillips County Museum. I suppose they will remain in the building.



I'm going to have to sit these children down and have a little discussion about using their imaginations to entertain themselves a little this summer, cause trying to think of ways in which I can keep them entertained, is exhausting!

Zach and MeriKate nitpicked and argued with each other through the chores I had to do for the improvement district and through the other stops when we finally drove into town. I stopped the truck, at least twice, with threats to put them out and make them stand on the side of the road until a new Nanaw took pity on them and stopped to pick them up. At one point I also threatened to tie their feet behind their head. I even used one of my old threats of "beating them naked and hiding their clothes"! They've wised up about the threats and none of them stopped the bickering and arguing for more than a second or two. It was a relief when I could finally allow them to escape the confines of the truck.

But that didn't last all day.

Mr. John Darnell, a local Civil War expert, presented the children's program about the Battle of Helena at the Phillips County Regional Library in Helena. The little children's reading room was almost full with children sitting on the floor, and Grandma's, great-Grandma's, Momma's, and other visitors, sitting on the child-sized wooden chairs around them.

Zach and the adults really enjoyed all the information that Mr. Darnell was so knowledgeable of, the younger kids mostly enjoyed being about to touch and try on so many of the Civil War items he was showing them. Every hat was tried on (except for this one child who's Momma insisted, in a loud voice, that he not put another person's hat on his head.) and every item was touched and smelled by the kiddies. You could tell that Mr. Darnell really knew his stuff by allowing the kids to do this, because little children will forever remember touching and trying on that Confederate, or Union soldier's hat, but they won't remember, for very long, all the details about the discussion surrounding it.

Next week we'll be going back to the library to see a Magic show.


MeriKate and Jilly Beans decided they'd come spend the night with us, so after Zach's Tae Kwon Do class, we stopped by the grocery store and arrived home a little after 7. The kids took sandwiches and had a picnic on the swing outside while Nanaw ate a sandwich with the pouting PopPop who, I reckon, was upset because I wasn't at home all afternoon cooking him a 3 course meal. (that's ok, I'll feed him up tonight with a load of spicy food that'll give him gas for days and that'll shut him up, or at least give me a little revenge for him daring to say anything).

After we get a few chores done this morning, I'm going to put out the drawing paper, crayons, and colored pencils and instruct the kiddies to draw Nanaw something bright and colorful. That should keep them busy for an hour or two.

Now, I'm off to mop the kitchen floor. I hope everyone had a great day yesterday and has a super-duper Wednesday!