Bobby met Ms. Folani in the hallway on his way to Kids Central.
"Hello, Bobby," she said.
"I saw your mom the other day at the grocery store.
She is so cheerful and nice.
Do you have anything special planned for Mother's Day?"
Bobby swallowed. "Oh. Mother's Day . . . When is that?"
Ms. Folani laughed. "It's next Sunday, Bobby!
You have 12 days.
I'm sure you'll think of something sweet!"
"Maybe we'll make something for Mother's Day in Kids Central,"
Bobby thought as he opened the gym door.
While Miss Shelly was setting up the tables, Bobby asked Jason what he was doing for his mom on Mother's Day.
"My dad and I are going to bake her a cake," Jason said.
"Why? What are you doing?"
Miss Shelly blew her whistle.
"Please put away your things and come over," she called.
Miss Shelly passed out paper cups.
"Today we are going to turn these paper cups into flowerpots," said Miss Shelly.
"How do we turn them into flowerpots?" Izzie wanted to know.
"By planting flower seeds in them!" said Miss Shelly.
"What kind of flower seeds are we planting?" Bobby asked.
Moms always like flowers.
Maybe this could be his present.
Miss Shelly held up a bag. "Marigolds," she said.
Then she showed them a picture.
"Marigolds are small plants with green leaves and yellow-orange flowers."
"Those would be perfect for my mom, don't you think?"
Bobby whispered to Jason.
"I guess so.
How about getting her a video game?" Jason said.
"Jason, moms like chocolate, not video games," Izzie said.
Miss Shelly tapped the table with her pencil.
"First use your pencil to poke a hole in the bottom of your paper cup.
That way when we water the plants, the extra water can drain out.
Next fill the cup with soil.
Please go and dip your cup into that box of soil over there."
Miss Shelly pointed to a box on the floor.
"Then we dig a little hole with our fingers and put the seeds in, right?" Izzie said.
She had planted flowers with her mom before.
"Exactly!" Miss Shelly said.
She gave each kid a few seeds.
"After that we give them water and sun.
And we wait for them to grow!"
"Wait for them to grow?" Bobby thought nervously.
He had forgotten that it took a long time for seeds to turn into plants.
"Miss Shelly?" Bobby asked.
"Will our marigolds bloom by Mother's Day?"
"I'm afraid not, Bobby.
It takes a month or two for them to grow," Miss Shelly answered.
"Oh no . . ." Bobby's heart sank.
Now he had nothing to give his mom for Mother's Day.
"I know! You could give the pot to her next Sunday anyway.
And then when the flowers bloom, it will be like Mother's Day all over again!" Nina said.
Bobby smiled. What a great idea!
That's just what he'd do.
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