I'm feeling much more healthy today, though I'm still a touch congested and scratchy-throated. With a little luck, this whole thing should be out of my system by Friday, and not a moment too soon for me. I'm tired of feeling plagued; I hate having to see mommies pull their children away when they see that I'm "diseased." Not that I probably wouldn't do the same thing; I'm not irritated at the mothers' behavior, mind you. I'm irritated that they should have to protect their kiddies from my evil germs in the first place. I'm upset at the germs for picking me as their temporary home.

Had a blast today taking pictures for the library web page. We decided to do the Juvenile Services section as a photo tour, so we picked an appropriate "model": a little girl who's been attending storytimes here for years, apparently, and is cute as a button to boot. Her parents were willing to let her participate, so everything seemed a go...

Of course, nobody had consulted little "Ivana," as in "I-vana be alone!" Getting this kid to smile on camera was probably the most difficult thing I've tried to do here at the library. The other librarian/model and her puppets evoked some interest, but no grins. The child wasn't upset, you understand; she just didn't feel like being cheerful. She cooperated, but in somber silence. We shrugged and went on.

This is yet another duty that the library assigned to me without first checking my credentials. I am certainly not a photographer, and especially not a photographer of children. I've occasionally taken pictures of which I was somewhat proud, but most of my rolls of film have been returned to me filled with chopped-off heads and eyes caught in mid-blink. I wish I had my mother's ability to coax people's personalities out for the camera; the best for which I can usually hope is that I can let the target be semi-attractive.

"Ivana" didn't really want to look at this book. She seemed a little confused at the librarian's insistence that she do so. I tried to encourage her to pick out a book she liked; her nanny, who was standing by, told her she could choose a book to take home. Nope. Not a big seller, and I wasn't surprised. She may be young, but this girl knows what she likes, and she came to the library with only one thing on her mind: to play on the computers. Hers was currently in the repair shop. I promised her that in just a few more pictures, I would take her over to the computers myself. That seemed to satisfy.

So we played with the blocks, pretending to be the "average" preschooler. She built marvelous edifices, then demanded that I tell her what she had built.

"Is it a tree?"
Head shake.
"Is it a tower?"
Head shake.
"Your house?"
"No!"
"I give up. What is it?"
"I dunno."

This picture is the closest I got to a smile the whole afternoon. She had just demolished the untitled sculpture with her foot: Little Godzilla in her new boots.

"Can we go play with the computer now?"

Eric is starting to feel ill now. It always works like this; one of us will stay healthy until the other one has recovered far enough to care for us. Oh, well. Here's hoping he won't be sick for long; he doesn't get as cranky as I do, but he turns extra needy when he's not feeling well. Not that he doesn't have a right to, but...ah, you know what I mean.