I love the library. Always have. When I was little, my mom took my sister and me to story time. Dad helped us check out books and research school projects.

Now that I have two little guys of my own, I’ve rediscovered the wonderful, educational activities the library offers young families. 

Our Madison libraries don’t just have story time; they have children’s concerts, art projects and entertainers. And story time isn’t just reading a couple books; it’s storyboards, songs, lessons and even a movie and craft, all centered around a theme or letter – way more sophisticated then the story times of my youth.

Hearing me gush about the incredible South Central Library System, you might get the impression that I’ve had lots of wonderful experiences there. But you would be wrong.

We rearranged our whole day, including naptime, to see a local performer recently. We made it through the first song – and then my little squirmers made a break for it, their beady eyes focused on a nearby park.  In my world, story time’s a success if we make it through 20 minutes of the hour-long event. And I confess,  I don’t even try to get my boys to speak softly when we’re at the library – I’m too busy making sure they’re not emptying the shelves.

A neighbor, the mother of a well-behaved girl, told me that she stopped going to a certain story time because “a naughty boy started coming every week.”  Makes me wonder how many patrons my two wild men have scared away.

I don’t believe my kids are “naughty.” It’s more like “trouble-seeking” or “active” or “curious.”  Some would simply call them little boys.

Here’s a snapshot of what happens when we go to story time.

My almost 4-year-old:
- Flickers the lights.
- Tries begging snacks off other moms.
- Makes loud comments/noises.
- Announces to everyone when he needs to use the facilities.
- Gets excited and screams.
- Has an all-out tantrum when we have to leave.

My 1-year-old:
- Nearly knocks over the story board.
- Then he nearly knocks over the craft supplies.
- Pushes buttons on the VCR.
- Snatches another mom’s  keys.
- Rips off a kid’s name tag.
- Shoves his chubby hand through an opening in the plastic chairs, which is just big enough for his baby-fingers to squeeze a random mommy’s derrière. He finds this hilarious.

I, in my running shoes, spend the whole time watching the pair of them – jumping into action every minute or two, trying to avert disaster.

After especially bad experiences, we’ll wait a week or month or two months before returning.  I can’t say how many times I’ve uttered, “We’re never going back to story time!”

Yet I keep getting sucked back there. What can I say? It’s educational, convenient and free!  I love the library, and I’m hoping that someday my kids will too.

Brooke Miller Hall makes her home in Madison with her husband and two sons.