I am not real organized about a lot of things. But I can rise above my laziness when it means saving money.
I don't like to pay library fines and I don't like to spend money buying books, so I return on time. And I am kind and I do rewind.
Actually our VCR is broken, so no more rewinding for me.
Anyway, we go to the library every three weeks and check out somewhere between 39 and 46 items. The older boys each get to pick out 2 DVDs and then we just start loading up the back of the stroller with books.
Is it geeky that I have a system?
We go to a small library, so this is what I do:
1) go to the nonfiction kids section and get books on rubber, geography, polar bears or whatever else strikes my fancy.
2) go to designated fiction row and pick out books. note: I am on aisle 3 now. Basically I pick a aisle and only check out books from that aisle for about 6 months. Then I move to the next one.
3) go to the easy readers/series aisle and load up on a few favorites.
4) When the back of the stroller is full, we are done
5) weed out a few Dora/Diegos as I check out
6) When we get to the van I transfer everything to a crate that stays in the living room. I take the list generated from the library and put it in a designated spot. Then I mark the due date on the calendar.
3 weeks later I call the family together and I read the book roll call and everyone helps me find them all. It is like a big treasure hunt. Only not so big, because they do a pretty good job of keeping them in the living room.
But yesterday I missed one that should have been weeded out at checkout.
Dora the Explorer plus
Boots plus
Talking Clam plus
Garbage plus
Heroic but incompetent Mermaids plus
Mean Octopus who throws garbage plus
Sea Shell bridge plus
Net equals
The worst children's book I have ever read.
From this point on I will not even call it a book.
It will now be referred to as propaganda.
Or maybe garbage.
4 comments:
Thanks for the reminder to check what's overdue at the library.
Love your system. Mine's a little more basic when it comes to checking out books. I go to the non-fiction first and then proceed to say "no" "no" "no" "I suppose" as Ethan picks out fiction books. We're really trying to get away from all "theme" books ( i.e. berenstain bears b/c Papa is always portrayed as a doof)
After we check out I put my wallet in the library bag where it gets left for a couple of days. Thankfully I realized I didn't have it b/f we got to the grocery store and had loaded up the conveyor belt with groceries and no way to pay. DOH!
Yeah...the theme books...
Deacon will listen to me read anything- fiction, nonfiction, "theme" books
But Roman likes Franklin, B. Bears, Dora, Diego, Froggy, Curious George...anything with his beloved characters. It drives us CRAZY! He will latch on to some "nonthemed" books too...but man, that Boots is compelling.
I limit it. But I don't fight it.
I do fight it.
We go to the library every week. Our local library offers a GREAT story and craft hour for the preschoolers! Isn’t your library system online? I discard the paper receipt as I am leaving the library, because I am notified via email three days before I need to return or renew materials and because I can check my account online. Every week I pull up our list and we do roll call for the 6-12 children’s books. I do, however, accept my “duty” to pay fines at least once a year, for a book or two that up buried under the ever growing mound of dollies. We truly do not need to go to the library; Josh joined every possible book club during college to receive the free teaching “stuff”, and the books of course, most of which are theme books. I enjoy reading almost and book that is brought to me however, I will make up my own story if it is a book I really can’t read ONE MORE TIME.
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