Mother's Day
May 9, 2004

Meet today's cast...
Fr. Charlie: Quite a wit, pastor of our flock	Gramma Helen: Very kind, gentle, full of wisdom and patience	Mother Goose: A good mother, very concerned for all her "children" in her nursery rhymes
Barbie: Bossy Barbie, very opinionated, tends to complain about things rather then look for the positive	Bubba: Good natured, loves the beach and surf-boarding, simple-minded and silly

FR. CHARLIE: Well, hello boys and girls--I am so happy to be back and joining you again. I heard you learned some PUPPET PULPIT PASSWORDS, met more of my puppet friends, and even the animals from Puppetville. Today....... (Knock on the door)

FR. CHARLIE: Now, who could that be.....come in!

(Mother Goose and Gramma Helen enter)

FR. CHARLIE: Boys and girls...what a treat! Today is Mother’s Day and we have 2 special mothers visiting us today--Gramma Helen and Mother Goose! Mmmm...Mother Goose, you don’t look very happy!

MOTHER GOOSE: Well, I just don’t know what I am going to do with all of my children! Jack and Jill keep going up that hill and keep tumbling down, Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep again, and Humpty Dumpty, if I’ve told him once, I’ve told him a 1000 times, not to sit on the wall....but does he listen? NO!!!!

GRAMMA HELEN: Yes, dear, it is hard raising children these days.

FR. CHARLIE: Yes, it is but........(another knock at the door) Come in!
(Barbie and Bubba enter).....Oh, it’s Barbie and Bubba. Hi, kids!

BARBIE: Hi Fr. Charlie...I was just tellin Bubba that it sure is hard raising parents these days.

BUBBA: Yeah, it sure is.......like, uh, what do ya mean?

BARBIE: (speaking angrily) Just when I think I have them figured out, they do something differently...and does my Mother ever listen to me? NO!!!!

FR. CHARLIE: HOLD IT! Mother Goose & Barbie, you both sound upset and seem to be complaining about the same things. Now, Barbie, do you know what today is?

BARBIE: Sunday

GRAMMA: Yes, dear, but what else?

BARBIE: Oh, hi Gramma Helen and Mother Goose...I’m sorry I forgot to say
hello....Ummm, it’s May 9.

GRAMMA: Yes, and Bubba....what is special about that?

BUBBA: UH...well, Thursday was my dog’s birthday, Friday I bought my surf board, next Monday I gotta go to the dentist...I give up.....like, what’s today?

FR. CHARLIE: Oh, Bubba! (looks at audience) What day is it, kids?

Kids: “MOTHER’S DAY”

MOTHER GOOSE: Yes.....oh, these children are SO SMART! So, Bubba, do you have any ideas on what to get for your mother?

BUBBA: Well, I don’t have much money, but I want to get her something
she’ll really like.

GRAMMA HELEN: Did you come up with something?

BUBBA: Yep...I know she likes to clean the house, because she does it all
the time, soooo, like I think I’ll get her a new broom!

MOTHER GOOSE: A broom! You need to give that to Little Miss Muffet. I told
her that if she doesn’t get off that tuffet and start cleaning her room that they’ll be a lot more spiders around there.

FR. CHARLIE: Oh, my. Barbie, you know, I heard about a store where you
could get your mother a great gift......it’s called BUILD A BEAR. You can pick out a bear, have it stuffed with soft cotton, and then dress it up. Have you seen that store?

BARBIE: Yes......but I wish there was a place I could go and BUILD A MOTHER!

(Fr. Charlie, Mother Goose, and Gramma gasp!)

BUBBA: WOAH, Dude (starts laughing)....Build a mother! Build a mother! That would be wicked cooool. Boy, we could have a lot of fun doing that!

GRAMMA HELEN: So, you both would like to build a mother? Why don’t you tell us what your mothers would be like.

BARBIE: Well......my mother makes me clean my room even when we’re NOT having company come over. THIS mother would only tell me to clean it once a month.

BUBBA: Yeah....my mother is always saying, “Eat your vegetables, they’re
good for you.” THIS mother would never make me eat yucky vegetables.....like spinach and green beans and broccoli. YUCK!

(Barbie and Bubba look at each other and both shout out,) “MOTHERS!”

BARBIE: She would let me ride my bike without a helmet...and she would never, ever say, “When I was a girl.......” (Both put hands over mouths and shake heads, no!)

BUBBA: Yeah, and she would let me watch TV all night long...and NEVER say, “ I’m going to give you to the count of 3”....like, she would give me to 53!

(Both again look at each other and shout out,) “MOTHERS!”

BARBIE: She wouldn’t tell me to stop blowing bubbles in my milk with a straw!

BUBBA: Yeah....that’s fun...first you make little bubbles, then they get
bigger and bigger and the milk goes all over the table. (laughs) Oh...sorry...well, sometimes it seems like my mom has eyes in the back of her head--so I don’t want a mother like that!

(Both say,) “MOTHERS!”

MOTHER GOOSE: Fr. Charlie--I think these children are forgetting about the
meaning of today. Can you help?

FR. CHARLIE: Yes....I was just thinking about another mother....Mary, Jesus’s mother. You all know that Mary was told by an angel that she was going to be a mother. Being a mother is very special.

GRAMMA: Yes, children, any child is a gift from God and raising a child is
one of the most important things a mother, step-mother, or a grandmother can do.

BUBBA: Hmmm-like is that why my mother is always saying to me, “One day you’ll have kids and I hope they turn out just like you and then you’ll see what it’s like!” WOW--I guess I must be quite a gift!

BARBIE: Bubba--I don’t think that’s what she meant! So, Fr. Charlie I don’t see how we can be gifts when our mothers say do this & do that or make us do this & do that!

FR. CHARLIE: Well, think about it. Let’s look at the Moms you would like to build.

MOTHER GOOSE: Yes, you want your mother to tell you to clean your bedroom only once a month! I keep telling Mary, Mary--who is very contrary--that I don’t mind her having a garden but does it have to be under her bed! Your mother buys nice clothes and toys for you. You need to take care of them, don’t you?

BARBIE: Well, yeah....She does work hard and buys me nice things. I guess
if I take care of my clothes and toys it shows her that I appreciate them.

GRAMMA: Mother Mary also protected baby Jesus from harm and that is what your mother is trying to do when she tells you to wear a helmet....and Bubba, I bet Jesus had to eat his vegetables. Do you think your mother wants you to be sick all the time?

BUBBA: Well.....like...no. I do want to play with my friends, or go to the beach with my surf board......but she could leave out the spinach.

MOTHER GOOSE: And Bubba....watch TV all night long! I bet Mother Mary told bedtime stories to Jesus. Don’t you enjoy it when your mother spends time with you before you go to bed, talks to you, or reads you a story?

BUBBA: Well, yeah....

FR. CHARLIE: So you see, Mother Mary was an example of a good mother...she was always there for her son. Now, if you could choose to build any mother in the whole wide world, how would you build her?

BARBIE & BUBBA: Like my Mom....just the way she is!

FR. CHARLIE: I think you both see how important Mother’s Day is now. Make this a special day for her. So, I would say that the PUPPET PULPIT PASSWORD today is MOTHER! Maribeth, can you teach the children how to say, “I love you, Mom”

(Maribeth will "sign")

I	Love	You	Mom!
Point to yourself	Hug-arms around heart	Point to person	Open hand all five fingers extended place thumb on chin

For My Mom!
(Sung to the tune of "This Old Man")

Mother's Day,
Mother's Day
Is a very special day.
Here's a great big hug
And lots of kisses too.
Each says that I love you!

Top of page