Cuddling, huddling and reading for mom

Danette Goulet

It was not the best day for a picnic, but cloudy and gloomy days are

perfect for reading outside.

That is what students and their moms learned in a prolonged Mother’s

Day celebration Monday morning.

First- and second-grade students in Lori Maas’ combination class sat

huddled and cuddled on picnic blankets with their mothers on the lawn at

Newport Heights Elementary School for Muffins with Moms.

They nibbled on muffins, sipped orange juice, and mothers and their

children curled up on blankets and took turns reading to each other.

On a pink and blue plaid blanket, Maddy Bloomberg, 7, and Meagan

Hatcher, 7, took turns reading books to Maddy’s mother.

They read silly books about mud pies, Christmas pop-up books, a book

with 101 pet jokes and even some Shel Silverstein poems.

It was hard to believe some of these children were in the first grade

because they were reading so clearly and read such advanced writing as

Silverstein. Maddy could even read upside down, as she must have seen her

teacher doing. She showed her mother the pictures in “Corduroy’s

Christmas” as she read.

Other moms held their children on laps or lay side by side on their

tummies.

One group lay wrapped in beach blankets to ward off the chill.

Some moms relaxed, looking like they had all the time in the world,

while others appeared to have sneaked out of work to spend time with

their children. When they had to go back, other moms took over.

When Austin Bergquist’s mom headed back to work, he kept reading with

his buddy, Tobin Frome, and his mom.

While Maddy and Meagan took turns reading books, the second-grade

boys, who were a touch more impatient, took turns reading pages.

With the boys, it was also more than just reading -- there was an

entire sidebar narration going on.

“Uh oh,” Austin said after he read a page. “They’re in big trouble.”

It was an hour of learning and reading, but more importantly, Maas

said, a time for mothers to spend with their children during school

hours.

Dads, don’t get jealous -- your turn will come next month with a

Father’s Day Donuts with Dads program.

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot education

writer Danette Goulet visits a campus within the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District and writes about her experience.