Here’s an example of my cranky side:

We have a large collection of Lauri puzzles at the library – great simple puzzles that are made out of foam rubber, so they’re easily cleaned and have bright colors. 

Mostly our library patrons just have fun playing with them, then put the puzzles back in the cubbies under the window seat.

But sometimes a library patron will take apart the hardest Lauri puzzle, the carousel horse, decide that it’s too difficult, and leave it in a jumble of pieces on the coloring table and strewn across the floor in front of the window.  This makes me cranky.  Very cranky.  I mean, really.  If you can’t do the puzzle, at least be gracious enough to bring it over to your lovely, very friendly children’s librarian, and say “Ooops!  Bit off more than we could chew here!  Got to run, can’t finish it!  Sorry!”  That librarian would smile and say thank you and take the opportunity to wash the puzzle pieces before reassembling it.

It’s a different matter when the charming children’s librarian has to crawl on her hands and knees, sometimes while wearing a short skirt (can you say “awkward”?), to search for the puzzle pieces.  Then the puzzle goes to live in the children’s librarian’s office for a day or two.  If you can’t play nicely with the toy and put it away when you’re done, then it will be taken away for a period of time. 

I’ve become my mother, haven’t I?