Millie MacQuacken, mother of nine, has been selected as the 2014 Lucky Duck Mother of the Year. As the DEO (Ducky Executive Officer) of Lucky Duck Publishing, I selected Millie as this year's winner after receiving an essay entitled "Why Our Mom's the Duckiest" submitted by Annabeth Serafina MacQuacken on behalf of her 8 brothers and sisters. The wonderful news was announced yesterday - Mother's Day. To learn more about Millie's creative mothering skills, read all about the #MacQuackens in the #luckyduckbook #Ducksinarow.

I hope your Mother's Day was just as rewarding and fun as Millie's. My beautiful mother, Rosa, has been gone for five years now. I thought of her with great affection yesterday. There was never a lovelier smile than the one my mother wore.

I love to read! Thanks, Mom, for opening up the world to me through books! 20^th Century American Poet and Humorist Strickland Gillian is best known for this poem of gratitude he wrote to honor his "reading mother." Enjoy!

The Reading Mother

by Strickland Gillian

I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea.
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth;
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness lent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings-
Stories that stir with an upward touch.
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be --
I had a Mother who read to me.

Word Scramble

Each week I'll have a WORD SCRAMBLE on the #luckyduckblog. This week it's a four word sentence:

Veol I rohtme ym!

Hint: This sentence is something a child might say.
Have fun as you and your little one figure it out together!