Tie-Dye Fun!!!

Last Thursday (I know I haven't posted for awhile because I was out of town), the tweens and I had a tie-dye explosion at the library.  I only had four register, which had me quite dismayed beforehand but to my surprise 14 attended!

The tweens tie-dyed pillow cases and made tie-dye cupcakes, which was definitely the best part.  I had seen pictures on Pinterest but didn't really know how to make them myself but with some experimentation the cupcakes turned out fabulous.

There would be more pictures but the tweens ate them way too fast!

Tie-dye cupcakes after coming out of the oven.

The tweens mixing the colors together.

Colored mix (made with food coloring) ready and waiting for the tweens.

You Can't Always Get What You Want

As a librarian, I always hope that attendance number will remain high and consistent throughout the entire summer.  Last week was amazing and I had hopes that we would maintain those numbers.

I guess my hopes were too high.

On Monday, we had 14 teens signed up to dissect owl pellets.  Now, that's not a huge number but I was happy with it because I scheduled it because I was hoping more boys would come.  A few hours before the program, however, the township switched our picnic grove.  With the confusion, only six teens ended up coming.  What a let down...

Then last night, I had 25 kids signed up to make glow-in-the-dark t-shirts.  That's a big number and glow-in-the-dark paint in that quantity is not cheap.  Well, seven cancelled within the hour before the program, which is fine because it became a more manageable number since my volunteer wasn't coming either.  It turned out that only eight showed up.  Where were the unaccounted for 10?

I don't know if it was the weather - not wanting to leave the pool or air-conditioning but it was frustrating.  Every teen gets a reminder call to, so they knew about it.

Here's to a better week next week, which actually starts tonight with a sleepover of 30 tweens at the library.  I'm feeling tired already.

All in a week at the library...

People often ask what a typical day in the life of a librarian consists of and the answer is that every day is different, which is one of the reasons I love my job so much.  Each week is no different.

For instance this week, we used our creativity, practiced relaxation and learned crime scene investigation skills.  What a week!

On Monday, the girls made magazine picture frames by rolling colorful pages from magazines into tubes and gluing them on to a shoebox lid.  I was worried they might have trouble but the frames turned out awesome.  They are pretty expensive to buy in the store.

Then on Tuesday the tweens relaxed and learned some new yoga techniques. It was the first time for many of them and they all had a great time, especially during the wall hands, which even the librarians did!  We were supposed to try it outside but it was too hot.

And finally on Wednesday, all of the teens went to PTI to learn crime scene investigation skills from one of the department instructors there.  They learned how to match fingerprints, analyze handwriting samples and determine what evidence was used for a break-in.  I learned that I have a rare fingerprint, which only 5% of the world's population has...interesting.

It was a fun week and I'm excited for next week - owl pellet dissection lab in the park and glow-in-the-dark t-shirts!

Happy Summer Reading!

June 1

For many, this date is insignificant but for me is the start of an event that defines the next three months for me. 

TEEN SUMMER READING!

For the last six months, my colleagues and I have been planning for summer.  We have experienced a range of emotions from stress to excitement.  We have anticipated June 1 since January. 

The evening went well overall.  We expected a bigger turnout but the weather, graduation and another major event in the area prompted different results.

Now, that it is over I'm met with those same emotions - stress and excitement for three months of three-four programs a week. 

Let the summer begin! 

Payback

This weekend, I spent the night at the library with the children's librarian, three high school volunteers and 27 TWEENS! For those of you unfamiliar with the new terminology, a tween is between the ages of 8-12.

All I can say is that Friday night had to be PAYBACK for the stunts I pulled as a teen and the stress I caused on all of my chaperones from retreats, youth group or choir trips.

For those of you lucky enough to know me during middle school, I was loud, immature and obnoxious. I know I drove my chaperones nuts on the aforementioned trips. One minute I was where I was supposed to be the next, I was on the other side of Lutherlyn, sled riding with no snow, which resulted in a trip to the ER. I was the kid hanging upside down from the bunk beds, jumping on the beds, running through the snow barefoot, chugging a two-liter of Sunny D (hello sugar high at 2 a.m.) or screaming like a banshee to make my presence known. Yes, I was a holy terror and proud of it during those years. I hope I have matured somewhat since then...I know I have.

Ahh middle school...I never want to relive you at all!

The funny thing is that it took me almost an entire year to realize why some of my teens drive me nuts. Well, its because they are me at that age. Annoying and loud! The screaming started promptly at 8 p.m. after the kids had been acclimated at the sleepover for approximately an hour. I was ready for some heavy painkillers to stop my headache by 9 p.m. Then the running started... Running and screaming. The children's librarian and I assumed we could get them in bed and watching a movie at midnight. Who were we kidding? Did we remember being that age? That was our youth and inexperience with children, since we have none of our own showing through. Midnight came and went. 2 a.m. came and went. 4 a.m. came and went. The screaming and running dissipated and with each hour of the night more fell into a sugar coma but some remained wide-eyed and ready to tackle a new activity. I think I slept all of three hours that night. And those were not a restful three hours.

I now have a new found respect for all of those chaperones that had to put up with my antics. It definitely takes patience to deal with middle school kids. Mine is growing and I should have more of it knowing that's exactly how I was at that age too, even worse. So, to all of my confirmation retreat chaperones, choir trip chaperones, Cedar Point chaperones, youth group leaders and librarians...my apologies. I got a taste of my own medicine. I don't know how you did it all those years.

Well, I have about six months to recover and prepare for the next library lock-in. Less sugar and more running games so that they are exhausted and ready for bed earlier!

Ahh the ever eventful life a teen librarian...