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Mothers' Day
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. . .
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M
- O - T - H - E - R
"M"
is for the million things she gave me,
"O"
means only that she's growing old,
"T"
is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H"
is for her heart of purest gold;
"E"
is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R"
means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all
together, they spell
"MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.
Howard Johnson
(c. 1915)
Mother’s
Day around the world
Mother's Day is celebrated
in many different countries, and not all of them celebrate
it on the same date nor in the same manner. Norway observes
Mother's Day on the second Sunday in February, and in Argentina,
it's the second Sunday in October. Lebanon celebrates Mother's
Day on the first day of spring, and in South Africa, it's
the first Sunday in May.
In
parts of Yugoslavia where the Serbian people live, Mother's
Day is called "Materice", and it is observed two
weeks before Christmas. On "Materice" boys and
girls tiptoe into their mother's bedroom very early in the
morning and tie her up. When she awakens, she is surprised
to find herself all tied up, and she begs the children to
untie her, promising to give them little gifts which she
has hidden under her pillow.
In
India, the Hindu people celebrate a ten-day festival called
Durga Puja early in October. It is to honour Durga, the
Divine Mother. Durga is the most important of all Hindu
goddesses in India. She is supposed to be very tall and
to have ten arms. In each arm she carries a weapon to destroy
evil.
In
both Spain and Portugal, Mother's Day is closely linked
to the church. The eighth of December is the day that tribute
is paid to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus. It is also
the day when children honour their mothers.
Mother's
Day in France is celebrated much like a family birthday,
and it occurs on the last Sunday in May. The entire extended
family gathers around the family dining table for dinner,
and at the end of the meal a beautiful cake is presented
to the mother.
Sweden
also has a family holiday on the last Sunday in May. Shortly
before Mother's Day the Swedish Red Cross sells tiny plastic
flowers. The money from these "Mother's Flowers"
is used to give vacations to mothers with many children.
In
Japan, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in
May as it is in North America. An exhibit of pictures drawn
by children between the ages of six and fourteen, called
"My Mother" are entered into a "traveling
exhibit." This exhibit is held every four years, and
it travels to many different countries. By looking at the
pictures, boys and girls learn how children live in other
parts of the world.
From
the largest countries to the smallest, people almost everywhere
celebrate Mother's Day. The days and the ways may be different,
yet the idea is still the same - to honour mother in some
special way.
Activities to honour mothers
is different for each country or even for each family. Some
children make breakfast for their mothers and serve it to
them in bed when they awaken on Mother's Day. Others make
little gifts, buy special cards, flowers, or gifts. Dinner
is prepared by children as a surprise or mother is taken
out to eat for her special day.
Churches
hold special services to celebrate Mother's Day, and Flower
Shows are celebrated around North America.
A
mother does not have to be the woman who gave birth to you.
There are many women who are still considered a mother to
someone even though they did not give birth to them. My
own mother was adopted, and she honoured the mother who
raised her. Also, there are women who have never given birth
to a child, yet they mother other children or even their
pets. Thus, they too should be honoured on Mother's Day.
Sending flowers, cards, or gifts to those who have mothered
us throughout our growing years is a very special way of
saying thank you for loving me.
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MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS ON A KID'S
BUDGET
From: Parents Press Inc.
Let Mom sleep late!
Clean your room - without being asked.
Offer to baby-sit for your little brother or sister
(without being paid).
Ask Mom what she'd like you to do - take a walk
with her, go for a picnic, wash her car?
Don't ask, 'What's for dinner?' Instead set the
table and help Dad with the cooking - or, if you need
help from an adult, ask a neighbor or older friend to
help. The fact that you organized this meal will be
most appreciated.
Feed the dog or clean the bird cage.
Tell Mom you love her. Remember, the more things
that you do for Mom, the more time she has to spend
with you. And that's the gift that Moms love most of
all.
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| Pincushion |
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This gift will be a useful
and pretty one that the receiver can use all year long!
What You Need
- Empty tuna or cat food can
- Piece of fabric 6 inches by 6 inches
- Fiberfill or cotton balls to fill the can
- Decorations for the side of the can - ribbons, lace, fabric, construction
paper, buttons, etc.
- Craft glue
- Scissors
- Lemon juice
How
To Make It
- Clean the tuna fish can well - some lemon juice will help kill the
smell.
- Fill the can with fiberfill (or cotton balls) so that it makes a small
mound in the center .
- Cut a circle about 1" larger than the can out of the fabric.
- Put the circle on top of the fiberfill, tucking the edges into the
can all around. Be careful of sharp edges when you do
this.
- Carefully glue the fabric to the inside top edge of the can.
- Decorate the outside of the can with paper, fabric, ribbons, lace,
etc.
- Let it dry, then wrap!
| Make Mom Breakfast! |
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Show your Mom how much
you care!
Adult supervision is recommended.
What You Need
On the Menu:
French Toast
Orange Juice
Strawberries with Powdered Sugar
How To Make It
Strawberries and Powdered Sugar
(Do this part first so that the French Toast can be served
warm!)
Wash the strawberries well with water and
let them dry on a paper towel. When they are dry, put them
in a small dish and sprinkle them with the powdered sugar.
(You could also have a small dish of powdered sugar "on
the side" if you wish.)
Set the table as nicely as you can. If your family has a garden, it would
be attractive to have fresh flowers on the table. But check
with an adult first! If you have a little sister or brother,
this might be a way they can help.
French Toast
What you Need:
Equipment
an adult to help
measuring cups
measuring spoons
mixing bowl
fork or eggbeater
shallow pan
spatula
large frying pan
Ingredients
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon of margarine or butter
2 slices of bread
1 tablespoon of powdered sugar (This is not "table
sugar." It looks a lot like flour.)
1/4 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
syrup (optional)
What to Do:
Crack the egg and put it in the mixing bowl.
Beat it with the fork until it is all mixed.
Add the milk. Mix these ingredients together and pour them into the shallow
pan.
This is where you need a grownup's help:
Put half the butter or margarine into the skillet and turn the burner on
to medium-high heat.
Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture, making sure to coat all sides
evenly and carefully put them into the pan.
You are going to cook them until they are light brown on both sides. Keep
watching (using the spatula to "peek" at the side
that is cooking) so that they don't burn. When one side
is done, add the other half of the butter and flip the toast
over to cook the other side.
While they are cooking, mix the cinnamon with the powdered sugar.
When the toast is done, sprinkle it with the powdered sugar mixture. (If
your mom likes syrup, you could put a little on now or let
her add her own.)
Pour
the orange juice and serve Mom her special breakfast!
This is a gift for an adult
to make with a young child. It's a poem with a handprint
and an optional photo of the baby/preschooler.
 What
You Need
- Small child in play clothing.
- Print out of handprint poem (make extra copies).
- Optional small photo of child.
- Water based paints - finger paints or tempera paints.
- Bowl or something to hold the paint.
- Brush or sponge to apply paint to child's hand.
- Paper towels or some other way to do a quick cleanup!
How To Make It
Here's the poem for you to copy, format and print in your
favorite word processor.
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Sometimes
you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls
But
every day I'm growing --
I'll be grown some day
And all those tiny handprints
Will surely fade away
So
here's a little handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small
Put
a date here
Love, put child's name here
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What to do:
- Print the poem (make extra copies).
- Apply the paint to the child's hand, then press their hand to the
paper near the poem. This might take several attempts
to get a good print, patience is the key.
- Clean that little hand, before you get handprinted, too!
- Personalize with the date and name (if it isn't already).
- Let dry, then glue on a photo, if desired.
| Collage or Placemat |
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Give Mom her breakfast
or dinner served on her own special placemat! Make
Mom a special collage to show her how much you care.
What
You Need
- Lightweight cardboard or tag board (a large cereal box can be a good
source)
- Construction paper or wrapping paper
- Pictures - old magazines, photos, printed clip art, coloring pages
- Photos of her children, optional
- Small 3-D decorations (only for wall hanging), optional
- Paper
- Crayons, markers, paint, etc.
- Scissors
- Glue
- Clear Con-Tact paper (only for placemats)
How
To Make It
First, think about your Mom and gather your materials. What
are her favorite things - does she love to cook, program,
sew, bike, hike, paint or swim? Does she love mountains,
butterflies, kittens, or flowers? What are her interests?
Cut out, print out, or draw pictures of the things she likes.
You can also include pictures of you and your family (but
ask for pictures to use!)
Decide if you are making
a placemat or a wall picture for your Mom. If you are making
a placemat, all the things you use must be flat. If you
are making a picture to hang on the wall, you can include
some items that are not as flat, like small fake flowers,
buttons, sequins, etc.
Cut the cardboard or tagboard
to be the size you want to make your picture. Cover it with
construction or wrapping paper.
Choose a special picture
for the center of the collage.
Arrange the items you have
gathered on the board, moving them around until you get
thing just the way you like them. Make sure to put your
name and the date somewhere on the picture.
Carefully glue them down
one at a time.
If you are making a placemat,
let everything dry, and then cover the placemat front and
back with clear Con-Tact paper - an adult might need to
do this step.
make a fun gift for your Mom.
Materials
Needed:
- Small Box
- Tissue Paper
- Glue
- paper
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Instructions:
Cut many approximately 2 inch x 2 inch squares from
the tissue paper. Cut out plenty because you will be
covering the whole box!
Water down the glue - 2 parts glue to 1 part
water. Lightly brush some glue on the box and stick
on the tissue paper squares you cut out. You want
them to overlap so you do not see the box. Work in
small sections until the entire box is covered. Set
aside to dry. Once it is dry, you can lightly brush
over your box with the glue and water mixture to
make it more durable and shiny; however this is
optional.
Once dry, tie with curly ribbon as you would a
wrapped present and attached a gift tag which
reads...
This is a very special gift
That you can never see
The reason it's so special is
It's just for you from me.
Whenever you are lonely
Or are ever feeling blue
You only have to hold this gift
And know I'm hugging you.
You never can unwrap it
Please leave the ribbon tied
Just hold the box close to your heart
It's filled with hugs inside.
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Use
a laundry scoop and some candy to make a gift for someone
special.
Materials
Needed:
- Laundry Scoop
- Hugs and Kisses Candy
- Clear or Colored Plastic Wrap
- Ribbon
Instructions:
A simple gift idea! Fill the Laundry scoop with candy hugs
and kisses. Cut a large piece of plastic wrap. Set the scoop
in the middle of the plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap
over so the two ends meet at the scoop handle. Pull the
plastic wrap tightly around the scoop and gather around the
handle. Tie a ribbon around the handle to hold the plastic
wrap in place. Tie a note onto the scoop that says "A
scoop of Hugs and Kisses for you".
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