I have no idea why it took me so long ... wait. I take that back. I TOTALLY know why. It's because Oakland hates me. No matter what I do, I can never find parking anywhere in Oakland that doesn't require donating a kidney and my left nut. THAT is why I never go to Oakland.
ANYWAY.
It took me entirely too long (but for good reason!) to take Alexis to the main Carnegie Library, but I finally did it. I bundled it up as a sort of a very special birthday present. It was delivered a bit late, but that's not the point. The point is that I managed to find one of those really amazing kids who was all OOOOOOOH! about going to a big library.
She anticipated and she waited and she twitched and she was OMG SOOOO EXCITED to go.
Don't tell her that the library is a free place that you can go to any time. If she finds that out, the "special" might wear off.
Alexis was practically vibrating as we walked into the library, and she became even more excited when she got to spend an entire hour combing through the books in the children's portion of the building. She combed and she searched and she carefully touched probably every single book ever written anywhere at any time because SERIOUSLY. ENOUGH WITH THE TOUCHING.
She finally settled on a couple of books about fairies. She promptly pulled up a chair and read three of them in less than 10 minutes. So back she went for a couple more books and then a couple more, right up until it was time to go.
And then it happened. And then Alexis got to get her very own Carnegie Library card. She checked out a few books and she lived happily ever after.
Seriously. I think going to the library for the very first time was a highlight in the not-so-little-anymore girl's life.
