Bookstore Galore

 On Saturday, I took the kids to a bookstore. We miss being able to browse the library. They are still shut down and you can only pick up books you placed on hold. The kids had a blast inside the store and found many treasures to add to their Christmas wishlist. They each picked a book out and then the older kids spent their allowance money on some more.

I felt discouraged at the store, though. I took all four kids and left the stroller in the van. I don't bring the stroller much because Lydia prefers to walk. So then I am trying to keep track of her, the others kids, and a stroller. She doesn't wander or run away yet so I am good to go.

The manager was near the front and asked me right away if he could help me find anything. "Nope, just checking out the kids section." We spent some quality time in that section and had a blast. Gemma kept running from one book to another in delight. Tanner found some great "I Survived" books. Ashton fell in love with more Roald Dahl books and the Spanish books. Yes, some books got misplaced and I tried to quickly return them. But I also had the store/area to myself so I didn't feel rushed to get the books back right away. The manager kept coming into the section and grabbing books to put them back correctly. I felt bad but shrugged it off.

Then, we went to check out and I get the infamous comment, "You sure got your hands full. You're brave to bring them all out." My response now to that comment is, "My hands are full and so is my heart." The lady ringing us up was having a hard time getting the computer to work so it took FOREVER. Not what I anticipated. The kids were done and so was I.

Part of the store's kid's club deal is a free baked good from the cafe. So after we checked out, I surprised the kids by wandering over and getting a few treats. We sat down on the two tables available in the cafe and enjoyed the treat. We were cleaning up and getting ready to go. I mentioned we'd walk out and head to the van. The cafe had an exit door facing the parking lot. It was an emergency only door with an alarm. Tanner thought that was the door to exit through and opened it. The alarm immediately went off. It isn't a door that the alarm turns off when it shuts. Nope, it keeps going until the manager walks from the other part of the store/building with his keys and turns it off. Poor Tanner is already terrified of fire alarms due to a bad experience at a grocery store once. Here is Tanner just bawling and I am stuck trying to figure out how to gracefully escape with the four kids. The manager comes and looks a little unhappy with what happened. I felt defeated. I felt society was telling me to not come out with my kids. But seeing the kids so excited to read their new books at home made it worth it.