Biblioteca

We have an ongoing battle with the library.  Namely, Mateo loves it and Natalia hates it.  Or, rather, she may not hate it, but it causes her to turn into a wild, whining, clingy kid who wants to throw books and shriek and get in her brother's personal space and just generally be difficult.  I'm not sure what to do about it, because I can't give her a timeout in the stroller without a tantrum ensuing, which is obviously not cool in the library. 

However, trying to appease her never works no matter what I do.  She's been like this since she was a baby, so I think that she is just not a library kid, or, at least, not for now.  She loves books, but I think she gets overwhelmed and then just goes wild.

Mateo, on the other hand, wants to check out every picture book they have and would prefer that I read each and every one to him first.  The books he wants are getting increasingly longer, and therefore increasingly aggravating his sister. 

I love the library as a post-nap activity, because we can walk there (at least until winter comes) and because it's generally fun for Mateo and I...but not for Tali.  What to do?  I keep thinking it will get better and I hesitate to leave her home with Sacha, who is usually napping after work, because I want to expose her to libraries and books and reading and all that stuff.  But, we all keep ending up frustrated because we're leaving too early (Mateo), too late (Talia), or are just about to pull out our hair in frustration.  

Now that I'm writing this, I'm realizing that Tali gets overwhelmed very easily in general - social situations, at the store, at the library, etc, and maybe it's just too much for her right now.  I wish I could just sit her down with some age appropriate books and let her explore them, but she won't sit still for long enough.  When you include the walk there and back, which she does seem to enjoy, I think the overall experience just barely tips the scales toward positive, so I guess I'll just keep trying. 

It's funny how these issues crop up that I would never have anticipated before we have kids, and yet have become something to seriously ponder when deciding how to spend time with the kids now that they are here.

In other news, we had my mom here all week and Sacha's parents are coming this weekend, so we're all excited about so much grandparent time.  I made potato leek soup for dinner and I'm hoping it will go over well.  It's actually not very wintery - it was somewhat sunny and warm today despite it being November - but a wintery soup still sounds like the thing for a November Friday night.  Happy weekend!