Today is Thursday. Thursday is “Library Day.” Every Thursday, Kyle and Owen’s class goes to their school library for an hour of library time. They do activities with the fantastic school librarian (a person that they both adore, in part because she is the only adult they know in their every-day-life who shares their status as “Adoptee” — like Kyle and Owen, she was adopted — which, to them, is huge), they listen to a book or two be read to them (by the adored librarian), they hand in their previous week’s two library books, and they get to pick out two new library books to bring home for the next week. K & O love Library Day. Every Thursday four new library books come home from school (two each).
But here’s the thing that really gets me—– Every Thursday, three of their four library books are chosen by them for them, and one is always a book that they have picked out specifically for Meera. This started the very first week of school, completely out of their own initiative, and has continued for each and every week since. They seem to trade back-and-forth (although it seems entirely unspoken) as to who is technically checking out the book for Meera from the library. Meera is always genuinely happy when they show her whatever book they’ve brought home for her each week. And it seems to make K & O genuinely happy to be empowered to enact this each week. I have no idea what the librarian (or their teacher, or their friends) think of it. But we at home think it is pretty sweet.
Today they brought home — as usual — three books for themselves (usually books on space, sports, or semi-bizarre often-complicated ethnically-based fairy tales from around the world), and one for Meera. The book for Meera this week is “You’re the Boss, Baby Duck!” I got such a kick out of it when I saw this book because it sums up a lot of our family dynamic (and especially sums up much about their sibling dynamic!) — while she is the baby duck in our family, Meera is definitely The Boss.
These boys are so sweet they make me cry.
They sure nailed it with that book! She is so lucky to have them for brothers.
I am all teared up too as I am more often then not when I read you blog. I have two years old twins and it is true that they always think of each other and of their sisters in a way my oldests don’t. It is not always easy having four young children but this sweetness makes it really worth the efforts.
Aww those boys just melt my heart.
So sweet! And just to note about the Librarian, I can relate – it was monumental at the time when I found out my 2nd grade teacher had been adopted too.
– Kate