"So happy you're here today, today..."

"We're so happy you're here todayyy..."

Ahh, the sing-songy, happy words of Hap Palmer, one of our faves...we just got home from Laptime, and I would say that this is surely today's anthem.

Laptime was super crowded today, but I think that made it more fun for all...didn't phase Benjamin, that's for certain. And the only reason this is notable is because when we first began going to Laptime, he wouldn't leave the confines of my lap. Today he was dancing around, singing loudly, following the movements and hand gestures, and even pumping his hands in the air every now and then with an "o-kayyy!" or a "yayyy, Treeasshh!" (for Ms. Trish).:)
I had a ball watching him, and couldn't believe there were actually times when I had to bury my face in my hands, since I knew he was making a scene. Benjamin, of all children.
Anyway, it was a fun morning...and all of our fave friends were there! The Cavanaughs, the Doublesteins, our new friend Jessica and her little guy Christian, and our favorite neighbor, Annabelle, with her mommy, Meghan. It was a real party.
And at some point during our stay in the Lily Pad room with Ms. Trish, I heard Benjamin say "I so happy to be here, Miss Tree-asshh!".
Indeed he was. And so was I...what fun it was.

So much fun, in fact, we couldn't contain all of our excitement and felt the need to have a record-breaking meltdown right by the entrance to the children's section of the library. Hol-eee-crap. I was chatting with a friend, Jonathan workin away on his bottle in his stroller, when I glance over to see Benjamin helping himself to the book scanner...up on the stool, trying to "check out books" by himself. It would've been less of a threat to peacetime in the library, had there not been a line forming behind him.
And one very not-so-patient looking librarian behind the counter.

I promptly walked over (or should I say "strolled"--you know, the super-flattering look of a mom frantically pushing her stroller at lightening speed...so sophisticated) and attempted to whisk him away from the scanner. But he reached forward and grabbed onto the monitor screen and started to pitch a major fit. I pulled him away, legs flailing (his, not mine), and brought his special brand of toddler craziness over to the stacks.
Where he grew louder and more able to resemble a fish out of water, thrashing back and forth on dry land. It was then that I decided we weren't gonna get anywhere...we just had to leave. I tossed out a harried "see ya!" to the person standing nearby...whom I hoped was my friend I'd been talking to...and carried our act out to the elevator.

On the way home, I saw Benjamin staring at me in the rearview mirror.
He knew I was pissed.
Anyone driving in the opposite direction down Lake Drive probably knew...I was probably leaning over the steering wheel with a look of rage in my eyes.
Benjamin says, "Mommee ang-reee...Benjin and Mommee check out books togetherrr." Before we'd made our grand exit from the library, I had managed to squeeze in a "Benjamin apology" to the nice lady (these ladies are popping up everywhere we go...wtf?) behind the book check-out, who gave him a very nice smile...but missed no opportunity to tell him that he could "check out books with Mommy, not by himself". Whatever, she was right...and it reinforced what I'd been telling him. Or maybe he just thought she was a nice diversion from the elevator. Who knows. At any rate, her words stuck.
Sweet.

All in all, it was a great morning.
I enjoy the retelling of the frenzied moments in our day (obvvvvioussssllly), mainly because they are so melodramatic and hysterical in retrospect.
And also because the "telling" of them reminds me of how normal they are...and it also serves as a catharsis for me.

The thing is, the *good* moments of the day run through my mind at a rapid pace...alll...day...long. It's as though they are, moment by moment, in a continual state of "replay all" in my head. Like the Baby Einstein videos...when we put them on "repeat play" while driving on long trips.
Maybe I'm just afraid that writing about all of our pie-in-the-sky moments will make them less special to me...or worse, they will come across as being exaggerated (me? never.) and silly.

For example:
Benjamin popped out of my mom's car in front of the library this morning (she'd had some one-on-one time with him and met J and me there for Laptime)...ran up to me, strawberries all over his face, and hugged my leg, saying "Mommee! I so happy to seeee you!!!"

See?
Sounds completely ridiculous and more like something out of an episode of Little House than an actual excerpt from MY day.
But I promise you, it happened.
And I wanted to melt all over the sidewalk.

Anyway, just another morning in our family...and I'm wiped out, ready to take a nap while the boys take theirs...but I think I'll eat a chocolate WW ice cream bar and play on the computer instead.

Or I'll go put Jonathan down for the second time...maybe I'll do that...yeah...think I'm gonna have to do that.