Requesting an Open Bar @ Storytime

**Disclaimer...if YOUR particular 18 month old (or better yet, a child who is younger) does enjoy story time, sits still for 20 minutes at a time listening intently to stories read aloud in a whole group by an unfamiliar adult, and is an overall calm, quiet child...then God's blessings to you...and please, please don't let me know about it! :-) Thanks!

Okay...no one call the police or report me. I have not indulged in any "above the age of 21" beverages...yet!  The title simply summarizes my feeling after leaving the local Barnes & Noble for Noah's very first experience with a collective, organized "story time".  Let's just get it out of the way because I'm sure those of you that know my son (and his never ending energy and infant ADHD) are saying in your heads, right at this exact moment..."Michelle, you should have known better..."

Let's lay out the facts of the setting, shall we?

• First, story time is a quiet time usually to listen to picture books being read by a fun adult.  Well, that right there..."quiet"...really...why would I assume this would fit with us?
• Second, there are small chairs and benches arranged for the young children to sit and listen. Another key word that I should have known would be trouble..."sit".
• Third, people brought their dogs (yes, that's right!...and no they were not for the visually impaired).  Two older women had their dogs with them on a leash...so really, do you think my kid cares about the book with the mouse and cupcake? Didn't think so...

We arrived about 10 minutes prior, so Noah could have some time to walk around the stage where story time takes place.  Barnes & Noble's children's area is delightful with colorful, organized book displays, a toy train area, and stuffed animals. What a fun place!  As more and more children arrived, I then tried to corral my son to the nearest chair or location out of the way...bribing him of course with his favorite snack of raisins.  That lasted about 3 minutes until he spotted the dogs and pet them with a smile on his face. Ok, fine...we're good...now where is the lady at who reads the book? I wondered as more and more parents began to fill the area, sitting their calm children down with a ziploc bag full of goldfish, pretzels, or cookies. Most of the kids I could see were above the age of 2, so that made me feel a little better considering Noah then moved back to the stage to walk up and down.

The lady arrived with a smile on her face and noticing Noah right away, eating his raisins in fistfuls.  After going around the room introducing ourselves (thank goodness Noah went first) she began to read the first book.  Obviously sitting still and watching her read from a far distance had no interest to him, so I picked him up and stood more in the back talking to him about what she was reading.  He would stare for perhaps 10 seconds, and then want down (with a large side of whining I might add)...this went on for around 3 minutes before I made the executive mommy decision that story time would have to be something we build up stamina for, like church, and 3 minutes is what we'll consider our starting point. 

After changing him (or course he had a messy diaper there too!) and him crying as I tried to hold his hand while walking to the car, I felt as if I had run a race.  Perhaps it was a combination of me being pregnant @ 29 weeks, Noah's whining, carrying his 30 pound frame around the bookstore when he got into things he wasn't supposed to, or the cold, rainy weather we've been having...but I was whooped! And that was a 20 minute excursion...wow.

While Noah enjoys books and loves being read to if allowed to sit on your lap...story time is something completely different and I look forward to the time I can bring my Starbucks and listen right along with him as the lady reads the book with a mouse and cupcake...

but for now, our personal best for story time will remain @ 3 minutes...