Mothers' Day word crawl
(adapted for Camp Pinelake 2021)

Happy Mothers' Day! Since it's on May 9th this year, write 591 words to stick the date in your mind. (I decided you would hate me if I made you do 5921 words so I took out the 2.)

You walk downstairs to deliver your card to your mother. Is this a fancy, elaborate one; a simple store-bought, or a handmade card?

If elaborate, write to the nearest 1000 words. (No matter whether you're at 1001 or 1999, you'd still write to 2000) to show that you don't forget all the details. If simple store-bought, sprint for ten minutes. It's the same time it takes to get to your nearest store. If handmade, sprint 500 words as you add your finishing touches to the card.

Time to prepare breakfast for her! Read two chapters of a book (or seventeen pages, if your chapters are outside of the 6-10 page range) while you wait for the breakfast to cook - but don't let it burn!

You've also surprised your mother with a bouquet of flowers. What flower are you primarily giving her? Write this down on a piece of paper, then count up the characters (yes, spaces count!). Write that many x100 words. (Rose = 400, daffodil = 800, tiger lily = 1000) and write that many.

The final question has two rounds. Each go the same way. Out of the activities listed, pick one that you'd want to do with your mother and complete the corresponding challenge.

Part one: getting lunch together, going shopping (it can be for anything, not necessarily clothes), visiting a park or garden, going to the movies.

If you chose getting lunch together, talk with someone about your writing - don't get distracted from lunch conversation by your phone or book! If you chose going shopping, write down how your character(s) would act in a mall (what they'd look at, whether they're a window shopper, whether they're an impulsive buyer, etc.) If you chose visiting a park or garden, relax on that picnic blanket and prop open your book to read five pages. If you chose going to the movies, read part of a book (as much as you'd like) which has a movie adaptation and compare the two.

Part two: baking/cooking together, doing arts n crafts together, gardening, attending a book club/literary event.

If you chose baking/cooking, write a page (~200 words) - or maybe a recipe - for future reference. If you chose arts and crafts, sprint for 3 minutes as you try to finish everything in the box yourself. If you chose gardening, make sure to include some mention of greenery in your next 350 words! If you chose a literary event, write to the nearest 500 words to round off your writing. You're too busy writing to pay attention to the event, but that's a good thing...right?

Finally, the hard part. Put aside all your fights and arguments with your mother from the past year, and promise yourself to work better on this in the coming year. This is no easy feat, and neither is a fifty-headed hydra. (500 words in 5 minutes.)

You've had a great day with your mom, but there's just one thing left to do! Tell her "I love you." And make it genuine. If you don't do this, you will not get credit for the daily. And you can lie about this, but the guilt of lying so you didn't have to say "I love you" to your mom will probably haunt you for eternity.