When I first read More Mothers, I thought that every child learning to read ought to have a copy.
More Mothers, Copyright Scott Cramer 2014
Morley needed a baseball bat for the big game.
“Mom, will you get me a new bat?” he asked.
Just then, Morley’s brother fell off his skateboard.
His mother rushed to make sure that he was okay.
Morley tried again.
“Please, Mom. I need a new bat for the big game.”
Just then, Morley’s sister cried out that a bee had stung her.
His mother raced to comfort her.
With Dad away on business, Mom had to take care of seven kids all by herself.
Morley wondered what it would be like to have more mothers.
He hurried to his room.
Morley jumped on his bed and started to bounce.
“I wish I had more mothers!”
He squeezed his eyes shut.
“More mothers!” Morley bounced higher.
“I wish I had more mothers!”
Morley tumbled to the floor and landed with a THUD.
His mother burst through the door.
“Morley, what happened?”
Then one more mother dashed into the room.
“Morley, are you okay?”
Morley showed his brothers and sisters what he had done.
“Mom 1. Mom 2.”
The mothers did their chores twice as fast and so they had time to play with the kids.
“Can you quiz me on spelling words?” Morley asked.
“I’m making lunch,” Mom 1 said.
“Sorry, I have to fold the laundry,” Mom 2 replied.
Morley hurried back to his room.
Morley bounced.
“I wish I had more mothers!” He bounced higher.
“More mothers!”
Morley flopped on the bed and landed with a THONK.
Three mothers would be just right!
Mom 1 whipped up waffles.
Mom 2 fried eggs.
Mom 3 made oatmeal.
“May I have French toast?” Morley asked.
The mothers were too busy cleaning up to cook anything else.
Clearly, they needed more help!
Morley’s brothers and sisters peeked through the door as he bounced on the bed.
“I wish I had more mothers!” Morley cried.
“More mothers!” He flew off his bed. . . two times. WUMP. BUMP.
Five mothers would be just right!
Five mothers were perfect. . . until Morley’s little sister awoke from her nap.
Toddlers took up a lot of ‘mom time.
Morley’s brothers and sisters all wanted more mothers.
“Three more,” his sister shouted.
Woof, woof. Woof, woof.
“Let’s get fourteen,” his brother cried. “Two each.”
“Seven mothers,” Morley told them. “No more!”
Morley disappeared into his room and they heard a CLONK and a BONK.
Morley’s sister got seven cakes on her birthday.
Morley couldn’t decide which baseball bat he would use in the big game.
But he had to think fast when his friend came over.
“Your mom is watering the lawn and playing Frisbee,” his friend said.
“They’re twins,” Morley told him.
“She’s also juggling and watching TV!”
“Umm, they’re quadruplets,” Morley replied.
“But she’s baking brownies, doing yoga, and singing!”
"I know,” Morley cried. “They're septuplets!”
The house got so crowded that Mom 4, 5, and 6 had to camp in the backyard.
They couldn’t all squeeze into the family minivan, so they had to get something bigger. Seven mothers used up all the hot water.
Seven mothers attended Morley’s parent-teacher meeting.
“Which of you is Morley’s mom?” his teacher asked.
Seven servings of lima beans were a bit too much for Morley. Yuck!
Morley’s little sister had her diaper checked seven times. Ewww!
"They made me brush my teeth seven times,” his sister groaned.
Now Morley’s brothers and sisters all wanted fewer mothers.
“Five is just right,” his sister shouted.
“Let’s have four,” his brother pleaded.
Woof, woof.
“One mother!” Morley told them. “Just one.”
Morley strolled into his room. Morley bounced. “I wish I had one mother!”
He bounced higher. “One mother!”
“I wish I had one mother,” he shouted and then climbed off the bed.
“Whew,” Morley sighed when he heard one set of footsteps approaching.
One mother would be just right! The door opened.
“Dad!” Morley gulped
“Where is your mom?”
Morley gulped again when he glanced out the window.
He had to act fast.
Morley gathered his brothers and sisters.
They bounced and all shouted, “We wish we had one mother!”
The mattress sagged. “We wish we had one mother!”
The springs creaked. “One mother!” The bed wobbled. “We wish we had. . .”
“One mother,” they shouted as they tumbled this way and that.
Later that day. . .
Morley got a hit in the big game.
His family leapt to their feet.
He raced toward first base.
Morley ran around all the bases.
He slid into home plate and was safe.
A home run!
Morley’s brothers and sisters jumped up and down.
Dad clapped and cheered.
But guess who cheered the loudest?
Morley’s one and only mom!
My realization is, “There are children who feel left out in families, or not the one loved most. For them this may be a story with humor that moms can’t be everywhere doing everything right. For adults who remember hurt feelings, it may be an imaginative view of a past memory of wanting more attention—with an amusing ending now.