Book Babies

This summer I've been taking Perrin to a program called "Book Babies" at our local library. It's a story time designed for babies with lots of singing, hand motions, rattles, and fun. Unlike other story times we've been to, Perrin is one of the oldest ones in this particular group. If you put him in a room full of 2 or 3 year olds, he blends in pretty well. But put him in a room full of 6-12 month olds, and he seems downright aggressive. We've been to three Book Babies so far, and Perrin has already accomplished all of the following:

Threw a shoe at a girl

Spilled about 50 cheerios all over the floor
Threw a cup at a girl
Stole another baby's toy
Ripped a page out of a book

Ran away from me about 5,397 times within a half hour span (one of those times he made it into the adjoining bathroom and put his hand in the toilet water before I caught up to him)

Stole another baby's snacks and started eating them

Gosh, when you look at it in a list like that, he sounds like a bit of a hellion, huh? The good thing is that none of the other parents seem the least bit phased by his antics. And he has his moments of sweetness too--he passes out the bells to everyone, he giggles when we sing the elevator song, and he tries to share his milk with anyone who comes within ten feet of us (it's only fair since he helps himself to anything that lands in his vicinity). I've also found that I'm much more tolerant of other people's kids these days. Hmm... funny how that happens when you become a parent.

Baby time

Perrin is at an age where he wants to see, do, touch, and explore everything. This doesn’t combine very nicely with cold winter weather and on-and-off drizzle that keeps us confined to the house for days at a time. So in the interest of not going bonkers, I’ve been looking for something we can do that will get us out of the house without costing money or giving us frostbite. I think I’ve found the answer—“baby time” at the library!

Every Wednesday morning, the North Little Rock library has a 30-minute baby program. I took Perrin today. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but Perrin ending up loving it. We sat in a big circle with the other babies and their mommies/daddies/ grandparents/nannies. First we sang the welcome song for each child (“we’re so glad that Perrin is here, Perrin is here, Perrin is here,” etc… even a newbie like me can catch on pretty quickly). Then our rather enthusiastic leader read a quick story. Then we must have sung a dozen more songs, with each song allowing the kids a new prop to play with. We sang about monkeys, farm animals, colors, and seasons using stuffed animals, jingle bells, egg shakers, puppets, and scarves. (Perrin and I even got to play with a moose puppet!!) Perrin clapped and smiled and for some reason kept trying to pet the woman next to me.

At the end of baby time, the instructor dumped a bunch of baby-friendly musical instruments onto the floor (which was already littered with various other props that had been slobbered on, dropped, thrown, and even slightly mangled). Chaos ensued.

Chaotic though it may have been, Perrin really did seem to have a blast. I think we’ll try to make it a regular part of our weekly schedule. Maybe he’ll even make a friend or two. I'm pretty sure I saw one of those little girls eyeing him.