Calm Down Time

Ashley has a backpack full of books out from the library.  It contains six of the “Toddler Tools” series of nine books, with titles like “Manners Time,” “Sharing Time,” etc.  On the back of each book are pictures of the covers of a bunch of the other books in the series.

One day last week, I took Ashley downstairs in the morning and as we were getting ready for breakfast she told me that we’d returned her backpack to the library and that mommy had taken out a new book.  I wasn’t sure what she meant, as although we’d returned a book the night before, we still had Ashley’s backpack out.

After breakfast she saw the backpack, and said, “Oh, sorry, it’s still here.”  Then she opened and dumped it on the floor and started going through all the books.  She took one particular book out, and looking at the back of it said, “that’s a good one!” as she pointed to the picture of one of the books she didn’t have in front of her.  I told her that the one she was pointing to was called “Calm Down Time,” and she asked where it was.  I explained to her that we didn’t have that one, but that the library might.

Fast forward to today, when Ashley asked if we could go for a walk to the library to get Calm Down Time.  Nancy checked the library catalogue online, saw that it was in, and said we could walk to the library and get it.  Then Nancy picked up the phone to call the car dealership to make an appointment for an oil change, and I went to the next room to do something.  About a minute later I heard Ashley yelling, “Ask about Calm Down Time.  ASK ABOUT CALM DOWN TIME.  ASK ABOUT CALM DOWN TIME!  ASK ABOUT CALM DOWN TIME!!!”   I walked in to see Nancy, still on the phone with the car dealership, laughing and covering Ashley’s mouth… she had obviously thought that her mommy was calling the library.  The irony of yelling about Calm Down Time was lost on her…