Okay, Cue The Tears

We've been going to Beaverton Library's Toddler story time for over a year now and today was the last day for the summer session. When it picks up again very late in September we will already be in preschool on Tuesdays. So, today was our last day! (For Jooge anyway). I got choked up when I thought about it. We are about to abandon one of our favorite weekly rituals so that she can begin SCHOOL! It is officially the end of an era. I think I might start blubbering.

Shannon, one of the children's librarians, has really made our story time experience. She wears a constant large smile, is patient and fun and does things like making the kids nametags that relate to the stories. She always starts with a song in which kids can volunteer to have the group sing about something special they are wearing. We've volunteered everything from Tevas to leotards. ("Julia has her leotard on, leotard on, leotard on, Julia has her leotard on, at story time today.") And then there was the BOO BOO day. I'm afraid we were trendsetters that day because once we'd sung about the one on Jooge's knee, everyone wanted to sing about theirs too. After that song, kids sit a little taller and shine a little brighter. And the parents? Today when one of the kids blurted out, "Blue shirt" we sang about his blue shirt and I snuck a peek at his mom, aware that she wore the expression we all wear, a flushed mixture of delight and surprise, but also an unmistakable tinge of awkward embarrassment.

The last few times we've come to story time, Shannon has greeted us and said, "Julia! Hi!" Today she said, "Julia, how are your new sandals?" (We sung about them last week.) It is very touching when someone else remembers something that was important to your kid. I just can't help but think about the fact that as she grows, more and more people will have a chance to react to her, to address her by name, to ask her what matters to her and sing about it. When I took this picture today, Shannon gladly posed and then laughing, said, "She won't remember. You will, but she won't." I said, "I WILL! What would we have done without you?" I meant it. I appreciate the people like Shannon who are part of this great big village that is helping Jooge feel good about the person she is today.