My mom is special in a lot of different ways, but here are just a few of them. She always compliments me in my work and my stories. She thinks they are funny, and so do I. She also cooks me a special homemade meal for my birthday. She will always make sure I am healthy and active. And she will read me a book every night and give me hugs and kisses. We make up handshakes and jokes together. She tries to make me laugh when I am sad about something. Like, she sings to be funny, but not a lot. She will try to sing a Britney Spears song in opera – it is so funny. I am usually the one who makes her laugh. She takes naps with me when I am sick. She makes me a sick couch and makes sure that I have everything that I need. I love that! She is always there for when I am sick or hurt. I love it when she “nurses” me back to health because then I feel like her little baby again. We take pictures of each other and talk on the phone a lot when she goes out of town.

My mom is always a special person to me and to others. I think that I should win this essay because everyone should know just what a special mom does for her kids.

– Jaycee Mountain, 9, Deerfield School

Mother: Cori Green

My mom is wonderful. She is kind and generous. She cares for me every day and night (and makes dinner). She is always saying how bright I am. She is really as sweet as honey. My mom is very gentle and careful, and she’s organized, too. And oh, how wonderful she is! I really do love her. She’s really bright and super pretty. My mom is my hero, and she loves me a lot. Her name is Kaki, and to me it’s like saying my favorite color. She’s always thinking about the bright side and not the negative side! When I am scared, she always comes and calms me down. Every night my baby brother wakes up, and every night she goes in his room and puts him back to bed, and she is never cranky! (I just don’t get it.) She definitely is the greatest mom on earth.

– Maci Movsovitz, 9, Quail Run School

Mother: Kaki Movsovitz

I ran across the article about writing an essay explaining why your mom is special, and I think, man, I don’t have a chance, there’s too many people going to enter. As you can tell, I finally got up the courage to write it. Everyone is going to say the most obvious things like her cooking, cleaning and how she understands everything. Well, that is great, but what’s the difference from their mom and mine? That is simple – my mom is a mom to everyone. She always gives someone a chance. My friends love and confide in her for advice. She’s the kind of mother who you can walk downtown with and not be embarrassed. My mother is always getting calls from my friends wanting to know if they can come over and hang out. My mom has taken me to my first concerts, and she’s my best friend. We have the kind of relationship that I can say “I love you” and not have her ask, “And what do you want?” I can crank the music up in the car, and she will rock out with me. We hardly ever fight, and we share each other’s clothes. Yes, she is beautiful, a great cleaner and an awesome cook, but I know no one can say they have a mom like mine. She is my best friend, mother, adviser, protector, manager, and most of all she is Mary Beth Retke.

– Ashley Morris, 16, Lawrence High School

Mother: Mary Beth Retke

My mom, Kathy Frye, is the greatest mom in the universe because she lets me call people and go to friends’ houses.

Some people say they hate their mom because she’s too protective. She always has to know were you’re at and stuff like that. I like it when my mom does that because it lets me know how much she loves and cares for me, because she does not want anything to happen to me.

My mom always makes us kids clean the house. I like to because it helps her out. I mean she does pay all the bills, and all the extra things I like, but don’t need. She doesn’t only do that, she also cooks dinner and is a manager at Great Clips.

I can talk to my mom about anything. No matter what it is, if I need advice or have a question, she’s always there to answer me. If a kid is bullying me and saying things that aren’t true, she tells me I’m pretty, and nobody can take that away.

My mom is special because there’s nobody like her. She does things like have a “girls day” for my sister and me. No matter what happens, if we’re having a bad day, she will always find a way to have fun.

I would like to thank my mom. Most people’s moms don’t do all that fun stuff. So that’s why I know my mom is the greatest mom and person in the universe.

– Amanda Frye, Perry Lecompton Middle School

Mother: Kathy Frye

My mom is the coolest mom in the world because she works a lot of hours just to make good money so we can eat and go places. But because she works all the time, my sister and I don’t see her as much as we’d like. When we do see her, which is usually on the weekends, we have lots of fun; like she likes to ride three-wheelers. She helps with any problems I have at school, or what is nice to wear, and she helps me straighten my hair. My mom is amazing in every way possible. She is always there for my sister and me.

– Mikalia Munoz, Perry Lecompton Middle School

Mother: Vivian Munoz

My mom is the biggest helper in the family. She cooks, cleans and does the laundry. She takes me shopping in downtown Lawrence. My mom is a life saver! If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t have our pig Jo-Jo. (She loves pigs).

My mommy also coaches and takes us to our sporting and school events. We lounge in our pool (cattle tank), we go on walks and bathe in the bathtub, read and lay in bed and watch HGTV.

She loves mowing, and she is teaching me how to mow!

My mom works hard at work as a nurse, but when she comes home she still has time for everyone else.

I don’t know how she takes care of my dad, brother and me without any complaining. My mom is awesome!

– Kennedy Morey, 9, Tonganoxie Elementary School

Mother: Jan Morey

“My Mom”

My mom is a genuine piece of artwork

created by the Almighty One.

She was crafted by His perfect Hands until she was done

Then she was lovingly placed on this earth

to become my wonderful, perfect mother!

– Shelby Holmes, 11, Veritas Christian School

Mother: Ann Holmes

She taught me how to sing, walk and jump. We go on walks by the park. We sing in our basement. We jump on the trampoline.

She shows she loves me by saying it all the time. She kisses me all day long. She hugs me all the time.

She cooks hotdogs for me. She makes me feel better when I’m sick. She takes me to my soccer practice.

We watch birds together. We clean up the house together. We play basketball together. She is a fast runner. She is funny. She thinks all the time. She is very calm. And I am glad she is my mom.

– Jackson Mallory, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Kristen Mallory

Things we do together! We go on walks together as we sing songs. We ride bikes together, bouncing up and down the hill. We like to go to Sonic and get malts.

Things she does for me! She likes to take me to the park. If I need help getting out of a tree, she comes running and helps me! She helps me with my homework when I need help.

Things she taught me! She taught me to skate on the rocky road. She taught me to climb trees, and she taught me to read some.

How she shows she loves me! She reads me a story every night. She gives me gifts not only on a holiday. She loves to give me hugs.

What my mom likes to do! She likes to play volleyball and she likes to play tennis. And she likes to cook.

– Abigail Parsons, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Deanna Parsons

My mom is special because she loves me and we do things together. We like to dance and watch movies. Things she does for me is: She cooks, cleans and buys me stuff I need. She cooks for me when I’m sick. She buys me flashlights and water.

I know she loves me because she shows me and does it. I can describe my mom as smart, funny and swift. She taught me to swim, sing and dance. I love my mom a lot.

– Alexandra Clark, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Christina Clark

She goes to chess tournaments with me so I can get ratings. She takes time off work so she can go to a wedding with me. She taught me how to cook food. She cleans and organizes my room. She helps me figure out how to use toys. She teaches and loves to read. Most of all she plays badminton. She cooks for me when it’s dinner time. She buys toys for me. She makes sure I get better when I’m sick.

– Mark Briggs, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Ivy Shane Briggs

Me and mom like to be funny and play together. We like to play cards and board games.

She loves to watch Rachael Ray, and she likes to play tennis, too! And she does a lot for me, but I’m just going to name some. She cooks for me, takes me where I need to go and watches me.

She taught me these things. How to talk, ride a bike, and play games like Scrabble and Sorry.

– Lee Andrews, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Jaime Wagner

My mom taught me some microbiology. I did not know much. But I learned some. One time my brother wanted to see a wild raccoon. Carrie, my mom, told us if an animal had rabies, it could bite you, then they would kill it and see if it had rabies. Carrie told me about when I lived in Virginia and Florida.

Carrie pays for school. So does dad. Carrie buys good food. Carrie is going to get a sweet job.

Carrie always says good night. Carrie helps me in the morning by fixing my hair. Carrie is there at special times. Carrie is really nice. Carrie likes reading about things. Carrie is funny.

Carrie drives me to the club. Sometimes we go to restaurants. Carrie and me go to Dillons. I get gum.

– April Hodges, 7, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Carrie Hodges

Me and my mom watch funny videos together and play Battleship, and we also play tag. She makes dinner and gives me cool presents and drives me to cool places. She taught me how to clean and walk and play soccer. My mom makes me smart and gives me hugs and tucks me in at night. My mom is tall and has brown hair and brown eyes and is quick.

– Kyle Berry, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Casandra Blevins

She plays with me she is not mean to me at all. She plays soccer with me, and that’s my favorite sport.

My mom is special, and she’s silly, too. She tells good jokes.

She taught me how to speak. Good thing she taught me how to speak or I wouldn’t be able to write. Or I wouldn’t be able to hear what other people say to me. She also taught me how to swim. Good thing, too, because I’m a good swimmer, and I like to swim. She also taught me how to walk. Good thing, too, because I would not be able to run or play or hike, and I like to do all of those things.

The way she shows she loves me are she reads to me at bedtime and she plays with me. She helps me with my homework. She buys me things, and she buys for my school, and she feeds me when I’m hungry.

– Ray Faith, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Sarah Faith

Did you know my mom likes to cook? And she likes to play with me. Me and my mom like to throw the football or throw the Frisbee. My mom buys me clothes and games. When my mom goes shopping, I get something if I was very good at the store. My mom helped me learn to ride a bike. And she sometimes takes me fishing. When my string gets stuck she tries to get it unstuck. If she can’t, she cuts some of the string off. But so far she has got it unstuck.

– Harold Herd, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Jessica Cameron

My mom buys a lot of candy, like lollipops, candy bars and gum. She buys me toys, like Legos and robots.

She hugs me really hard. She kisses me a lot. She lies next to me all the time.

She taught me how to walk. Every time I tried, I fell down. She taught me a lot of things.

We go to the Great Wolf Lodge and go down the water slide. We go to the park and go down the slides. We play all kinds of games like Monopoly.

– Eric King, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Jody King

My mom taught me to cook grilled cheese. We read together at 8:00. My mom is a nice person to me. She helps me with homework. She makes things for me. She plays board games with me. We plant flowers in the garden. We eat at El Mezcal, my mom’s favorite.

– Bowen Hudson, 7, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Chrissy Hudson

Me and my mom walk at the park. She gives me the number to call dad. Me and my mom read.

My mom is 39. We play go fish. She is a kind and nice mom. She taught me how to tie my shoes, she makes my bed for me in the morning. We go places. She taught me how to make a paper airplane.

– Dylan Hudson, 7, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Chrissy Hudson

My mom shows me she loves me by paying for school so she lets me learn. She cooks for us. I’m glad. She plays games with us. She does a lot for me. She washes clothes so I have some clothes. She reads so I can sleep good. She vacuums the floor for me so I do not step on anything. She loves to read and she plays games a lot, and we play them together. We go to the park and play. We eat together as a family. We read books. She taught me how to read so I can read fast. We plant a garden so the yard looks pretty.

– Robert Down, 8, Wakarusa Valley School

Mother: Michele Teter