You up for real work? March 10, 2010

Playing library was always a fun game, because she got to be the grown up that stayed at the library all day long.  Placing little pieces of paper in the books, and pretending she was helping the people check out the books was fun.  Or taking a pile of books and pretending to check each one back in.  She only had a few books in her room since most were in a box in the new play room.

Violet was thinking she could pretend to check books out of her own library, her play room and then bring them up to her room.  Read them at night and then return them to her library the next day.  The very thought was so exciting!  Just then her mom called up the stairs “time for lunch!”

Violet quickly put all of the books in a pile and grabbed her hat from the door knob and as she was running down the stairs yelled “coming!”  Her mother and her had a great lunch with a lot of laughing and fun and hearing about how the play room was coming along.  Violet asked when she could see the room, and her mother said she thought it would be best if she waited to see it when it was all done, a bigger surprise.

They were well into a conversation about what Violet could wear in the parade and did not even hear her father come into the kitchen.  “Oh no you two against one me, maybe I should come back later.”  He was laughing and teasing them both and seemed to be in a really good mood too.  It is always a good day when the whole family is happy.

“Well shorty looks like you are ready to go, soon as I finish this sandwich we can head out to the barn.  Horses are being saddled up right now.  I know you can not get up and down off he horse and I want you to be able to help, actual help not just watching so I am thinking you and Grey can help hold a line at the gate, and not let the cattle move except through the gates.  We will have two gates and it should go smooth.  You up for real work?”

“Yes but I am not sure I know how to do what you want, but you will show me… right?”  Violet knew it was a big deal to be asked to help and have a real job, and she also knew she did not want her father to be angry or to let him down.  She was hoping she could do the job, and do it well.  ©

from left to right, like reading March 8, 2010

Up the stairs they went to Violet’s room.  “Now what we are going to do is place a line of salt on each window sill and we will leave it there for a few days until the moon is full.  That means I want you to stay out of it.  Do you understand?”

“Yes I understand, when will the moon be full?”

“Not till Monday next week and we will be gone for most of that on our trip to the city.  All I am going to do is take the spoon, stir the salt in a clockwise motion and then just spread it from left to right on the window.  The way to remember is it is just like reading you start here and go to here.  “  As she was explaining what she was doing she took a scoop of the salt on the spoon and started to spread a line, as the salt ran out, she  scooped more into the spoon and started where the salt trail ended.  Once they were done in her room, they went one by one to all of the upstairs rooms; the bathroom, the sewing room with the treasure chest, her parents room.

As they finished the last one, her mother said “Ok we are done!  Now I want you to go to your room and play quietly, I will call you for lunch.  I will be busy in the basement getting your window finished up in the playroom.  Your daddy was thinking you might like to ride with him and the guys this afternoon.  They will be moving cattle from one pasture to another here on the ranch so you might have some fun with that, if you want?”

“I do want! That would be fun!”

“Well then make sure you come down for lunch when I call you in riding clothes and shoes and with a hat because the sun is out today.  When we are done with lunch you will be ready to go when he is.  Now you be good, and play in your room until I call you, and remember be ready when I call for you. “

“I will, I promise.”  Violet went to her room and closed the door.  She immediately chose her outfit  and got changed for the afternoon, even putting on socks and shoes.  She took her hat and hung it on the door knob, so she would not forget it when she went down stairs.

Violet decided she would pretend library today and be the librarian.  She chose her books carefully, and then stood them up, opened just enough to stand on their own.  The same way they are displayed at the real library.  ©

Dairy Queen December 17, 2009

After Violet and her mother checked out the books they had chosen, they headed to the car.  There was a quiet tense feeling in the air, and Violet got in the back seat, and sat quietly looking out the window wondering why her mother was acting different.

As they were pulling out of the parking lot her mother said, “let’s stop at Dairy Queen!”  Violet was excited and said yes, but was even more confused, her mom seemed upset and was not talking but they were going for a treat, today was sure giving her a lot to wonder about.

While they were sitting and enjoying their ice cream her mother asked her “have you seen that boy before today?’ Violet nodded and then told her mother about the boy and the mean things he had done at school.  Her mother listened closely, her eyebrows seemed to move closer together and her dark eyes seemed to turn black.  When Violet was finished there was a pause and then her mother asked “today at the library, did he make you feel angry or afraid?”

“Well I was mad when he was pushing the books over, that is not a nice thing to do AND he was making a mess!  I think I was a little afraid when I was getting my books and coming to the counter”  Violet was remembering how she did feel scared and then the chair moved and that was scary too but she did not mention that to her mother.

“Ok thank you for telling me, now hurry and finish we need to get home.  I need to call Aunt Grace and I want you to play in your room today, you can read your new books too.”   “Am I in trouble?” Violet asked and the quick reply was “No, not in trouble just going to stay in the rest of the day, and get some reading done, and maybe your bath before dinner.   I think Aunt Grace will be coming tonight”

That all sounded pretty good to Violet, she really loved the time she got to spend with Aunt Grace.  She has a pointy nose and when she looks down it, it seems even bigger and longer.  And she can just look at grownups and they change it is always fun to watch. ©

in the library December 16, 2009

As they walked into the library, both Violet and her mother placed the books they were returning into the book return.  Violet loved feeding the books in one at a time, through the swinging door, and always worried a bit if they would land safely and not open and bend the pages.

Her mother headed off to the grown up books, and she headed to the kids books.  She stopped first at the books that older kids can choose from.  They are thicker and have less pictures and Violet is excited for when these are the books she will be allowed to look through and choose from; but then she heads to her area.

This is one of her favorite places to come.  Violet gets some books, and sits down in one of the little chairs at the table and starts to look through them; carefully choosing which one she will read first.  It is easy to forget about everything else and just become part of the book, but then someone pushes up against her chair, jolting her back into the library and her surroundings.

As she looks up she sees it was the mean boy, and he had pushed her chair as he walked by and now was standing a ways off and smiling at her.  Violet was very angry, he is mean and does not deserve to get to come to such a special place, she thought and then a book fell off the top of the shelf and nearly hit him on the head.  It was her turn to smile, but she quickly looked back at her story.

He did not pick up the book, but did quickly look around to see if anyone else saw it happen.  Seeing no one he reached up and pushed over all the books that were standing at the top of the shelf, one at a time just pushing them over.  Violet heard the books falling one, two, three and she looked over to see what he was doing.  He was smiling and enjoying knocking each one down.

Violet was so angry, she thought “I wish someone could knock HIM down!” and she thought it so hard, and was so mad that for a moment she was afraid she had said it out loud.  And then it happened he took a step to the side, to reach the next books and down he fell, flat on the ground!

By now the librarian had come over to the area, and she asked the boy if he was ok?  He said “NO! I am not ok, there are books on the floor here, and I tripped” as he pointed to the one that had fallen and nearly hit him on the head and then he looked at Violet, pointed at her and said “and SHE did it! she made a mess in here”.

Violet was so surprised, she had no words, her eyes opened wide and she shook her head no to the librarian.  Then her mother walked in and said “what is happening in here?’  The librarian replied that everything was fine, gave the boy a firm look, and a reassuring smile to Violet.  Violet’s mother said she thought it was best they left now and asked her to quickly choose the books she would take home and meet her at the counter.

As Violet was looking through the books on the table she could tell that the boy was coming closer to her, and as she turned and looked his way, the chair that was nearest him slid over a bit and one of the legs caught his foot and he fell for the second time that day.  Violet grabbed her books, and quickly walked to the counter, wondering how the chair moved all by itself?? ©

to the library December 15, 2009

After the lunch dishes were washed and Violet had her hair combed and her “nice” shoes on she headed to the car with her mom.  Violet got in the back seat, and as her mother closed the door she made sure the books were safely in her lap and started to look out the windows.

The ranch sat a long way off from the real road, so as they turned around they got onto the dirt road that came in from the road to the house.  Some people called it the driveway, some people called it the long driveway, and others the dirt road.  Violet always liked that it was their very own dirt road, and as they drove out she could see the fences on either side.  One was holding in the cattle, another the horses; then the BIG bump in the road and on to the cattle grate.

At the dirt road her mother asks “which way to the library?” and she quickly responds “left!”.  “That is correct, left to the library and town.  Where do we end up if we go to the right?” Violet thought for a minute tying to remember the name of the swimming place and then she replied “First to Aunt and Uncle’s and then to the camping at the hot swimming pool place; but I can’t remember what it is called.”

Her mother assures her that is ok, she does not have to remember everything and asks “what do you think the place should be called?”  That was an easy answer for Violet “Fun!”

Now they were pulling into the town, and were headed past the Bear Bar, and then the grocery store, and then the Dairy Queen, and then the store with the big white sign, then the police station, the fire station and the library.  As they parked the car and got their books ready, and headed in Violet noticed the mean boy from school.  He is older then she is and would always be mean to the littler kids at recess and before and after school.  He made many of them cry more than once.

Once he picked on her, but she was determined to not let him see her cry and just stared at him and finally someone had come along and made him leave the little kids alone.  She was none to happy to see him, and hoped he was not going in the library too. ©