locate. Meanwhile, Claudia had found her art materials and was setting them out on the Kishis’
picnic tables. And Mary Anne had found the stack of books we’d borrowed from the library.
“Okay!” I called as another round of “HeighHo” came to an end. “Who wants to make a Mother’s Day card?”
“Me!” cried all twenty-one kids.
“Great,” I replied. “Everyone will get a turn, but half of you will read stories with Mallory and Jessi and me first. Then we’ll switch.”
Well, that was not the way to present things, because all the kids wanted to go first, but at last we got the problem sorted out. Live and learn.
Mal and I read Where the Wild Things Are and One Morning in Maine and The Cat in the Hat to the younger children, while Jessi read if 1 Ran the Circus and a chapter from a Paddington book to the older kids.
Then it was time for the children to trade places. The ones who had just made cards brought them over to Mal and Jessi and me. They were very proud of them.
“Look,” said Claire. “Look at my card.”
I looked. It said, “HAPY MOTH’S DAY LOVE CLAIRE.”
Shea held his out shyly. On the front was written, “Dear Mom, you are . . . “and inside was written:
Jackie’s was covered with smudges and drops of glue, with splotches and mistakes. It read:
“Daer Mom, I love you. Love, Your sun, Jackie Rod owsky.”
“Beautiful, Jackie,” I told him, and he beamed. The stories began again. The card-making began again. And before we knew it, Mynah Perkins was calling, “Hey, there’s Daddy!”
And there he was. He was followed by Mr. Pike and Mr. Prezzioso. The kids started to gather their things. The littlest ones ran to
their fathers and threw their arms around them.
Our day was over. The Mother’s Day surprise was over. I felt sort of sad. But glad, too, because it had gone so well. I listened to the kids chattering away: “Daddy! I went on a ride. Let’s tell Mommy!” said Jenny. And, “I have to tell Mommy about the balloon man,” said Jamie. And, “We found the neatest water fountains,” exclaimed Nicky. And, “Daddy, I threw up on the merry-go-round,” said youknow-who.
“Oh,” replied Mr. Pike, “Mommy will love to hear that.”
Chapter 14.
"Well?" I said.
“Well what?” replied Claudia.
The children were gone. Except for Andrew, Karen, and David Michael. They and I were at the Kishis’ waiting for Charlie to pick us up and take us home. The rest of the sitters were still at Claud’s, too. We had cleaned up every last crayon and shred of paper, but we just couldn’t bear to part. So while my little sister and brothers sat under a tree and looked at the library books, the members of the Babysitters Club lolled around on the Kishis’ porch.
“Well what?” said Claudia again.
“Well, what did everyone decide about Mother’s Day presents?” I asked, not daring even to glance at Mary Anne. “Was the Mother’s Day surprise good enough?”
“I’ll say,” said Mal. “It turned out better than I’d hoped. I bet it was the best Mother’s
Day present Mom ever got. Especially when Dad pitched in.”
“Ditto,” said Jessi.
“Ditto,” I said. “Mom got to spend the day alone with Watson, since Sam and Charlie went to school to help at a car wash to raise money for the football team.”
“And our homemade presents are finished,” announced Dawn.
“Well, they are, except for mine,” said Stacey. “But Claudia’s helping me, so I’ll be done tonight.”
“What did you make?” I asked.
Claudia, Stacey, and Dawn exchanged grins. “Personalized pins,” replied Claud. “My idea,” she added proudly.
“They’re more like brooches, though,” said
picnic tables. And Mary Anne had found the stack of books we’d borrowed from the library.
“Okay!” I called as another round of “HeighHo” came to an end. “Who wants to make a Mother’s Day card?”
“Me!” cried all twenty-one kids.
“Great,” I replied. “Everyone will get a turn, but half of you will read stories with Mallory and Jessi and me first. Then we’ll switch.”
Well, that was not the way to present things, because all the kids wanted to go first, but at last we got the problem sorted out. Live and learn.
Mal and I read Where the Wild Things Are and One Morning in Maine and The Cat in the Hat to the younger children, while Jessi read if 1 Ran the Circus and a chapter from a Paddington book to the older kids.
Then it was time for the children to trade places. The ones who had just made cards brought them over to Mal and Jessi and me. They were very proud of them.
“Look,” said Claire. “Look at my card.”
I looked. It said, “HAPY MOTH’S DAY LOVE CLAIRE.”
Shea held his out shyly. On the front was written, “Dear Mom, you are . . . “and inside was written:
Jackie’s was covered with smudges and drops of glue, with splotches and mistakes. It read:
“Daer Mom, I love you. Love, Your sun, Jackie Rod owsky.”
“Beautiful, Jackie,” I told him, and he beamed. The stories began again. The card-making began again. And before we knew it, Mynah Perkins was calling, “Hey, there’s Daddy!”
And there he was. He was followed by Mr. Pike and Mr. Prezzioso. The kids started to gather their things. The littlest ones ran to
their fathers and threw their arms around them.
Our day was over. The Mother’s Day surprise was over. I felt sort of sad. But glad, too, because it had gone so well. I listened to the kids chattering away: “Daddy! I went on a ride. Let’s tell Mommy!” said Jenny. And, “I have to tell Mommy about the balloon man,” said Jamie. And, “We found the neatest water fountains,” exclaimed Nicky. And, “Daddy, I threw up on the merry-go-round,” said youknow-who.
“Oh,” replied Mr. Pike, “Mommy will love to hear that.”
Chapter 14.
"Well?" I said.
“Well what?” replied Claudia.
The children were gone. Except for Andrew, Karen, and David Michael. They and I were at the Kishis’ waiting for Charlie to pick us up and take us home. The rest of the sitters were still at Claud’s, too. We had cleaned up every last crayon and shred of paper, but we just couldn’t bear to part. So while my little sister and brothers sat under a tree and looked at the library books, the members of the Babysitters Club lolled around on the Kishis’ porch.
“Well what?” said Claudia again.
“Well, what did everyone decide about Mother’s Day presents?” I asked, not daring even to glance at Mary Anne. “Was the Mother’s Day surprise good enough?”
“I’ll say,” said Mal. “It turned out better than I’d hoped. I bet it was the best Mother’s
Day present Mom ever got. Especially when Dad pitched in.”
“Ditto,” said Jessi.
“Ditto,” I said. “Mom got to spend the day alone with Watson, since Sam and Charlie went to school to help at a car wash to raise money for the football team.”
“And our homemade presents are finished,” announced Dawn.
“Well, they are, except for mine,” said Stacey. “But Claudia’s helping me, so I’ll be done tonight.”
“What did you make?” I asked.
Claudia, Stacey, and Dawn exchanged grins. “Personalized pins,” replied Claud. “My idea,” she added proudly.
“They’re more like brooches, though,” said
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