Submitted by Caryn Mears, Kennewick, Washington

Idea posted March 22, 2004

We do a "Hats Off To Mothers" song every year. It is sung to the tune of "Oh Susanna."

CHORUS:
Hats off to Mothers, we love them can't you see.
For they take good care of everyone, including you and me.
VERSES:
My mother is a caring nurse with bandages and gauze.
She fixes all my aches and pains and asks for no applause.

My mother is a chauffeur, driving here and there.
She doesn't even get a dime for her taxi cab fare.
My mother is a crazy clown, makes me laugh when I am down.
She always takes the time to turn my frown upside down.
My mother is a tailor, mending all my clothes.
And she doesn't even get the thanks for all that she sews.
My mother is a gardener, although her thumb is brown.
She has the most ambition of anyone in town.
My mother is a gourmet cook, a baker, and a chef.
I always clean my plate up quick, just the vegetables are left.

We do the chorus after each verse. There are three classrooms that perform this song. The boys wear one style of hat, and the girls where another style for each classroom. For instance: class #1 - the boys wear chauffeur type hats while the girls wear garden hats with flowers; class #2 - the boys wear clown hats while the girls wear nurses hats; and class #3 - the boys wear chef hats while the girls wear little doily type hats. Each room sings two verses. The parents seem to get a chuckle out of it. After we are finished with the song, we invite the audience to do the Mexican La Raspa dance with us.