Sweet Memories

Eighteen years ago when I started teaching, Mother's Day showed up and I was without a clue what to do for these special ladies.  (Those were pre-Pinterest days of course.)  I believe it was Marsha Hood, one of my first grade teaching friends, who told me about the Mother's Day Cookbook.  I've changed it up and made it my own throughout the years.  Here's a little peek at what it looks like today.  

The above page is on the inside of the cover.  I can't remember where I found the recipe.  All I know is that I can't take credit for it.  (I hope the picture is small enough that you can't see faces!  Don't look too hard please.)

This is an example of two pages from the cookbook.  I fold it in half and can fit two recipes per page.  (I love the Breast Cancer Cookies.)  They all turn out very cute, and the mothers get a kick out of them.  Most likely some mother will remind her 40-year old son about that Breast Cancer Cookie recipe he put in her Mother's Day cookbook back in first grade.  Sweet memories.  

If you didn't get a chance to see the beautifully framed poems my kids wrote for their mothers as well, you can see them here.

Teary-Eyed Mothers

I'm not sure I would make a great mother.  You see, I remember the muddy brown clumpy clay creation I made for my mom for Mother's Day when I was in elementary school.  I seriously doubt it fit into her decor, but if I remember correctly, she allowed it to hold some of her rings and such.  I don't think I could pull that off.  Mothers are indeed a rare breed.  Well, about five years ago I came up with a Mother's Day gift that even I would display in my own home if I had children.  Here's an example.

Poetry is one of my favorite genres to teach.  Young poets amaze me.  I think they amaze their mothers too and possibly even make them cry.  Here's how it all started.  We spent three days of our poetry unit secretly writing Mother's Day poems.  Then I chose a few from each child's collection that I felt were the cream of the crop.  Each poet then picked their favorite.  After some typing, fancying, and Dollar Store framing, they are soon to be in the hands of some teary-eyed mothers who will proudly display them in their homes for many years to come.  (I'm a little proud too I suppose, which is why I've included so many of them here.  I had a hard time narrowing it down.  If you're a mother, you probably won't mind reading every single one.)

Happy Mother's Day Mom.  You have a way of loving everything I do, even something as uncomely as that brown lumpy creation all those years ago.  "Her children rise up and call her blessed."  Love you Mom.