Library carnival

Have I ever raved about our public library? If I haven't, it's because I spend all my time internally raving about it. It's INCREDIBLE. Not only does our library have everything you'd expect (books, magazines, movies, study rooms, comfy couches, nice librarians), but it also has so much more (story times for different age groups, a summer reading program, summer story times for older children that include Greek myths and Shakespeare, and a winter reading program AND CARNIVAL).

Although we've participated in story times since Rebekah was a toddler and in the summer reading program for a couple of years, this was our first time signing up for the winter reading program. We spent a couple of months reading books that teach about or depict different time periods (this year's winter reading program theme was "Trespassing Time"), and we earned admittance and tickets to the carnival.

Not having attended a previous winter reading program carnival, I didn't really know what to expect when I took our girls there on Friday evening. (Seth was out of town getting all sorts of tests done in preparation for donating bone marrow. I think his experience warrants a post of its own, and I think the donor ought to write it. ;-)) They shut down the ENTIRE LIBRARY early that evening and set up stations throughout the building. They had everything you'd expect at a school carnival (duck pond, fishing hole, ring toss, snacks, etc.) and some things we don't have at ours (karaoke--my girls sang a 3-minute rendition of "Old MacDonald"--photo op stations, crafts).

I was dumb and forgot my real camera, so all I have to show for our two hours of carnivaling is cell phone pics.

 Analee, Miriam and Rebekah at the Old West photo op.

 Miriam (wearing the crown she made) at the explorer photo op.

 Analee the explorer.

 Miriam getting bit by a crocodile.

 Analee looks a little worried having her hand in the mouth of a croc.

 Bekah is alarmed.

 My girls, the pirates.

 We tried putting a pirate hat on Winnie, but it kept falling over her face ... so we gave her a sword to hold.

 Analee the pirate.

 Our girls don't know much about the fashion of yesteryear. They assumed this was a "Ken and Barbie" photo op.

 And they had no idea what was going on in this one.

 "Mom, why does this man have long hair?"

 The cupcake Miriam won in the cake walk. It only took her seven tries to finally get her number called.

Analee (wearing the crown she made) and Miriam showing me a little 'tude while wearing the sunglasses they won at the dolphin ring toss.