The pendulum has swung on our weather, which has gone from chilly to about as Spring-like as possible. Our high is supposed to be 75ºF today -- just about perfect! The critters are out and about, too. While walking Olga this morning, I saw a fox perched on a low garden wall, watching us. Olga, for some reason, never detected its presence. I wish I'd had my camera.
Speaking of critters, our neighbor Joan confirmed that the marauding animal that damaged our balcony plants several weeks ago is, indeed, a squirrel. Apparently it climbs up and down the brickwork on the buildings, even all the way up to us on the sixth floor. I've seen it near the ground but I didn't know it came up this high. Daredevil!
Yesterday, I ate my lunch in a little park near school -- beside a gaggle of Filipino nannies -- and then went walking for an hour or so up toward Kilburn. I got some good photos and had a great day out in the sunshine. Gotta stock up on that Vitamin D!
The latest drama in the library involves some comfy blue-upholstered furniture that we got about six months ago -- commodious in scale, with thick cushions and pillows. The students love it, but as it turns out, they love it too much -- one of the armchairs has already been broken and the students pile onto the surviving couch and chair with abandon, talking loudly all the while. We had groups of 20 to 30 kids crowding around this seating area at various times of the day. Yesterday, the librarians agreed to move the couch into the silent room and the surviving chair into the quiet room, and we put some admittedly inferior seating in its place in the main library space. I've been warned by students that a rebellion is brewing. Next week should be interesting.
I feel bad for the kids, because they do need more places to hang out and talk. We have literally killed their joy. The consensus, though, is that the library should not be that place, and unfortunately the school can't accommodate the furniture elsewhere.
Dave and I have made some slight progress on the apartment hunt -- we have an appointment to view the one we're interested in this coming Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed!
(Photo: Kilburn Market, yesterday.)
Fingers definitely crossed.
ReplyDeleteHey, the kids will be unhappy no matter what you do or don't do for them. The hormones are raging. Poor things.
I'm relieved you don't have to police this situation.
Enjoy your Vitamin D!
If there is a quiet room maybe the rest of the library can be a hangout for the kids? I love the idea of them loving to be in the library. Once they're there who knows what other magic might happen. Although Reya's comment did ring true!
ReplyDeleteAh! The drama of the young!
ReplyDeleteI hope the apartment is exactly what you want.
If you have a silent room and a quiet room for those who are easily distracted, why not let the kids hand out in the library?
ReplyDeleteWhat better place for them to hang out surrounded by books.
I keep forgetting to say - I love your post titles. They are excellent.
ReplyDeleteI read an interesting argument not too long ago that maintained children's use of social media and telephones is a necessity because they don't have the space or ability to just hang out together. It made sense to me --
ReplyDeletegrown -ups are such a drag
ReplyDeleteOur school is generally short on space, so the problem of where kids should be able to "hang out" is especially acute. It doesn't bother me if they hang out in the library, as long as they try to keep themselves somewhat in check -- but some of my coworkers are much more militant about the library and the kind of behavior (and volume) that should be tolerated there.
ReplyDelete