Happy Mommy's Day!

Sometimes unplanned "programs" are the best ones.  When I realized that we didn't have anything planned at the Library for Mother's Day, I quickly googled "how to make tissue paper flowers".  I found an excellent tutorial here.  I put out a sample flower of mine and sign that said, "Happy Mother's Day!  To make a special flower for your mom, please ask a Librarian for materials."  The materials are so simple- tissue paper, scissors and pipe cleaners!  I also cut out some paper butterflies using our AccuCut so that kids could give their flowers a label.  I tried prying a couple of kids off of the computers with no avail, but shortly a couple of families came in and the kids were very eager to make flowers for their mothers.

One little boy was getting ready to write on his butterfly, and asked me if he could write in another language.  I replied, "of course!  It's your flower!"  He wrote, "Te Amo, Mami".  When he handed it to his mother I could see that she was so proud and touched by his sweet little gift.  After making a few flowers, a little girl who spoke English as a second language sat down with me and we read Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann together (she picked it out!), and after that she read it aloud to her mother.  Her mother, who seemed to speak limited English herself, beamed with pride as her little girl read to her.  Even though I had to work today and therefore could not spend the day with my own lovely mother, it's these interactions that make my job truly wonderful.