Every Wednesday we have story hour. JP has been our story hour reader since she started working for us six years ago. She is wonderful. The children simply adore her and the parents and caregivers are grateful for the hour of fun she provides the kids. Works often slows to a crawl when JP is reading because we’re all listening.
This past week I was listening and just couldn’t help but laugh. This week’s story hour had three kids: Wren, Finn and Bella. They are best friends and they are adorable. I walked into work and the three of them were lined up, close, on our store cubes, hands on each other’s legs, eyes sparkling, just ready for the next story. I walked back to my office to work on a purchase order.
Part of my brain was focused on inputting the order on the computer, but part of me was up in the front listening to story hour. I could hear JP reading,”What kind of animal has stripes?” A zebra, I thought to myself, just seconds before the kids all shouted it. This went on for a while until I heard Wren pipe up, “JP, I really like your shoes.” Everyone in the store heard and all chuckled. Wren is only two and a half, but her mom owns a shoe store, so it makes perfect sense for her to notice shoes.
I went back to work and was mired in my computer when I saw Wren and Bella walking up the aisle asking each other, “Where is Josie?” I ducked out of my office in time to see them settle back into the story time area. I snuck up on them and poked my head out at them. They shrieked. We played a few rounds of hide and seek, with me just hiding behind a shelf and then popping out again, each time to delight.
I am reminded at moments like this, that there is something utterly delightful in taking a few minutes out of my busy day and playing with kids.