Witches

"I don't like witches"

This comment came from one my most favorite little 3 year old patrons. She was pointing to a little reading scarecrow we have up as part of my Read-to-Me Preschool Reading club decor.

Me: "Oh, its not a witch sweetheart. It's a scarecrow."
Cutie: "What is dat?"
Me: "It goes up to keep the birds away from the farm. But this is one very nice, it is smiling and reading a book!"
Cutie: "What is this?" (pointing to the straw body)
Me: "It's made of straw."
Cutie: "I don't like witches. There is a witch in there."

There was also a long story which I can only assume was about a witch she saw somewhere, but there was too much preschool talk in there for me to get it lol It was so cute, though! And then she came in today and I wondered if she would remember and sure enough she walked right over to it and told me,

"I don't like witches".

Check!

Do you what is very hard to find? Cheap chess boards! I have been looking to replace our old library chess club boards for a while. but let me tell you, they don't make 'em like they used to. I searched Toys R Us, Target, Christmas Tree Shop, all the other usual suspects and all I found were board that were $20 and up! Or marble. Or Simpson's. Or Magnetic/146 Game Combo/Travel Extravaganza! We finally found a decent one in an online board game store, but that was after looking at online chess board stores who wanted to sell me weird vinyl roll up boards that looked like they wouldn't hold up or store very well. Also added a few chess/checkers combos. I did this because I have had several requests to play checkers, which we don't have. I have tried to improvise by giving them chess boards and Connect Four game pieces, but they kept eventually playing Connect Four which is actually a very loud and annoying game to have in the library.

Anywho, the kids will be very pleased with the new boards. We have a long standing Chess Club for Grades 4-8 which is nice group of mostly boys. I thought I would not really like working with middle school boys, but it turns out we have a pretty good relationship after all. It's really very similar to working with 2 year olds, which I love to do. Same silly behavior, same listening issues, same want for all type of attention, good or bad. I do like them though, they are generally very nice group of kids. Watch out when the competition gets fierce though!! Who knew chess could turn into a very loud spectator sport?

On a similar note, these kids are such good kids that I recruited them to teach younger kids how to play. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade chess club (called 1-2-3 Chess!) was the first time we had tried a chess club for a younger set, but I had gotten requests for it so I thought I would give it a try. It was a huge success! The older kids are really good teachers and some of the kids who had never played before we playing each other by the 2nd week! I was actually really impressed by the teaching skills of a few of the kids. It's amazing to watch. They are so patient and have great strategy in teaching them step by step and making sure they are really learning. I don't really know how to play chess (I know, I know, how can I run the clubs if I don't know how to play. Shut it!) so I wouldn't know how to teach it, That's why having these kids volunteer was so crucial. But they all come every week and I had more kids asking to help teach every week. I was up to a one-to-one ratio pretty quickly! It's also a great mentor program, as some kids asked to work with the same child every week. You could see them really bonding and talking as they played. I'm going to get a bit teary now lol So I must now try to find a way to reward all my volunteers, so I'm off to the store! Checkmate!

V is for Video Game Vendetta

I need a mini-rant right now. I think I am beginning to hate hand-held video games. Or, rather, I hate how kids act when they have these things in their hands. They completely zone out and act like rude obnoxious little twerps to everyone including and especially their parents.

In a pizza shop one day, this exchange:

Father: " So then I think we will head over to the batting cages before dinner and then after that...."
Son: (looking down at his little gadget and walking slowly into other people) "Could you like, stop talking?"

WHAT!? And what did the father do? He stopped talking!! Who is in charge here?

In the library we have a mom, daughter and son looking for books. Well, to be fair, mom and daughter looking for books for son. Son is completely immersed in video game and cannot spare a second to look at me and tell me what he wants. So mom keeps asking him what animal he wants to do this report on and he responds with grunts and "Hmm." So mom and I go on a search, all the while son is zoned out in front of the game. Mom brings him book after book, to which he gives a cursory glance and a random grunt. My fellow librarian said my face was turning red as I tried to control my rage. The mother not once told her son to "PUT DOWN THE FREAKEN GAME AND DO YOUR OWN FREAKEN HOMEWORK!!!!" Which is what I really, really, really wanted to say. It was so infuriating.

When did parents stop telling their kids to be respectful? And when did they start taking abuse from their own offspring? I don't want to judge here, but I just feel like if I were in that situation I would have taken the game out their hands, turned it off, and told them to get on task. I know my parents would never have taken that kind of behavior from me. Am I just destined to be a very mean parent? Oh well, at least my kids will have a semblance of manners.