Oodles of Spoodles!!

Cole was a curious young man. His current objects of curiosity were words and their definitions. Ever since he had been given the grand title of " Champion Spellwizard" in Mrs. O'Hare's kindergarten class, he was bursting with questions about every word he could sound out, and even some he couldn't. No conversation was safe, no sign left unread. Most of all, no question left unasked! Cole's mother, Mrs. Gorman could certainly attest to that fact! Being a Mom, she was quite proud of her Cole's love of reading and words. Being a working Mom also, meant she was the busiest of busy, and his rapid fire questions were a bit overwhelming at times. But 6 year old boys are always full of questions, so she smiled and did her best to give him encouragement and help him along in his self proclaimed goal "to know all the words before grade 1"!

It was an afternoon just like many others after school. Cole was sitting in the dining room finishing his snack and his "ever so simple" homework assignment of naming all the primary colors and drawing pictures to illustrate them. He slid down from his chair and padded off towards the kitchen, balancing his milk glass and plate. He backed towards the double swinging door to the kitchen.

The door was a constant delight to him, since it was almost like the door at his Mom's bakery. Every time it swung open, wonderful smells were wafted out to the bakery counter. Cole's second favorite place in the whole wide world was his Mom's bakery. It was magic they way all the folks that worked there would turn boring looking powders and eggs and milk, into creations that were beautiful in every way. Everyone in his kindergarten class agreed, he was the luckiest boy ever. Not to mention how lucky they were to be in the same class, since Mrs. Gorman regularly sent her magical treats to share with everyone.

As Cole "bumped" the door open to the sun filled kitchen, with his plate and glass teetering dangerously, he heard his Mom talking on the telephone. " Why yes Maybel, I did order those.... Ummmhmmm. Yes, we'll be using them first thing tomorrow. They are the newest thing. -laughter- That's correct Maybel, they are spoodles. Trust me, you will like them"
Instantly Cole's question he was going to ask flew from his thoughts, as that word stuck in his head. " SPOODLES". He thought to himself, " What is a SPOODLE? I wonder if it's some new kind of cupcake? I'll ask Mom."

Just then Mrs. Gorman spied her son standing there with that look in his eye, and she chuckled to herself, while gently taking the plate and glass from his hands. She asked, " Did you get your homework finished already?" Cole simply stood there, his brain working a mile a minute trying to puzzle out this new and curious word. Finally shaking himself he grinned his most charming grin and said, " Hey Mom? What is a SPOODLE? How do you spell it? What does it mean?"

For in his mind such a fascinating word should always be in all capitals. " Woah there pardner, slow down. You're making me dizzy." She laughingly replied. " I'll tell you what Cole. Let's make a game of this. You have one full week, that's seven whole days, to figure out what you think a spoodle is. You can talk to your teacher and your classmates about it. Then after school on next Friday, I'll not only tell you what a spoodle is, we'll invite your whole class and show everyone."


Well, let me tell you, that was all it took and Cole was off like a rocket, " Mom canIpleasegoover to Hennessy's house, please please real quick? I promise I'll only be gone for a few minutes and be extra extra careful crossing the street. Pulleaaaze may I?" Mrs. Gorman just sighed and nodded her head, knowing she would never get a word in edgewise at this point. Though, as Cole dashed out the front door, banging it soundly, she stepped to the window to peek at him as he crossed to the Ander's house across the street. Satisfied that Cole had crossed safely, she picked up the telephone and dialed Mrs. O' Hare the kindergarten teacher.

When Mrs. O' Hare answered, Cole's Mom began telling her the tale of the "spoodles and Cole's task of figuring out just what exactly they might be. Not to mention explaining what the heck a spoodle really was to Mrs. O' Hare. After a bit of chit chat, Mrs. O' Hare said, "I know just the thing! Here's just what we can do.... That is ,if you don't mind having the children stop around at your bakery for a bit of a field trip on this next Friday?" Mrs. Gorman excitedly agreed, " Oh yes! That is just what I had in mind. I think the children will enjoy this so much. I just knew, you would know a way to work this into a learning experience for the children."

After a little while passed, Cole darted back in the door with a bang. "Mooooom!" Cole shouted, then remembering his manners about using his inside voice, he tried to speak softly and did his best to walk calmly into the kitchen where he could hear his mother. Though to be perfectly honest, Cole entered at a slow run, so great was his excitement. "Mother. (which he always called his mom whenever he wanted to talk serious to her) I talked to Hennessy all about the SPOODLES! She says she thinks it is some kind of dog. I think she's wrong though. I told her I thought it is some kind of pool toy, you know the ones I mean don't you mom? Is that what they are? huh?" Turning to her son and grinning at his wide eyed excitement, she could almost see the gears of imagination turning in his head.

When he finally wound down enough she winked slyly and said in her best brogue, " Now, now laddie, I'll not be divulgen' my seekerts at a wee guess or two. Yer goin' to hav 't put on yer think'n cap and figger it out fer yerself." Cole doubled over in giggles at the voice his mom was using. It was another of the fun games they played with words. And since Cole's great-grandma Ina was Scottish and spoke with a strong accent, playing pretend with the accents made him able to understand her better now. Not to be outdone, Cole tipped an imaginary cap and swept what he thought of as a courtly bow, saying, " Aye Mum, me an' me pals. We'll do'er." Finishing with a roguish wink right back at his Mom. Mrs. Gorman started in surprise, and they both collapsed on the floor in laughter.

All that next week, Cole would burst in the door to the bakery after kindergarten, waving a picture in his hand. Each day that passed, bringing more and more pictures and guesses, about what a "spoodle" was. His sturdy legs churning, as he zipped around the counter, until he plopped down the newest pictures for his Mom to admire. Asking the ever present question, " Is this a "SPOODLE" Mom? Or maybe this?" Maybel, one of the ladies who worked there, would chuckle in her gruff voice and shake her head at Mrs. Gorman, saying, " See what you've gone and done there Mrs. Gorman? Cole here is going to be some kind of word detective." Which always sent Cole off into a fit of giggles, as he tried imagining himself all dressed up in a suit like a policeman, with one of those fancy hats.

But each picture brought the same reply from Cole's Mom, " No, I'm sorry Cole. You and your friends have not guessed it yet. May I keep this picture for the bakery? I think all of this fine art work you and your classmates are doing deserves a special place." Then, Mrs. Gorman would tap her finger on her lips and ask, " I think that spot, right there, don't you?" indicating the far wall in the cafe area of the bakery, where dozens of pictures already hung.

Squinting her eyes, Mrs. Gorman turned with her floury hands planted on her hips and said, " So, tomorrow is Friday, isn't it?", and she looked up at the ceiling, as if unsure. Cole of course was very sure, " YES! Finally! I can't wait till after class. Mrs. O'Hare says everyone is coming here and we get to ride here on the school bus and everything! Just like a real field trip! You know Mom, only the grade one kids usually get to take field trips." he said very seriously.

At kindergarten the next morning, all the children in Mrs. O'Hares class were buzzing with excitement. Mrs. O'Hare clapped her hands together soundly. (Her signal that everyone was to return to their seats and listen closely.) She stood in front of the class and said, " Alright children, this past week we have had a puzzle to figure out. I am very very proud of all your hard work and excellent guesses. Also, all the lovely drawings and pictures you each have done, trying to think what a "SPOODLE" might be. As you know, we have looked in our library's dictionary and found no clues. So, we have learned what? Yes, Emily?" Mrs. O'Hare smiled as Emily raised her hand.

" We learned that since the word "SPOODLES" isn't in the dic-tion-ary.." she sounded out the unfamiliar word slowly, trying her best to get it right, " it is a new word. Made up for something brand new that needed a name." " That is right Emily," Mrs. O'Hare said," very good. It is a new word. Just as when someone invents something new and special, a new word sometimes gets invented right with it. Now, I have made a list of some of the things you as a class have agreed are your best guesses. Who would like to come up in front of the class and read our list out loud?" The classroom blossomed with waving hands like a flowerbed in spring.

After what seemed like the longest day ever, Cole looked up at the big clock in the classroom and studied the numbers there. Thinking through what Mrs. O'Hare had taught them, he puzzled out that it was exactly, 10 minutes after 3 in the afternoon. Which looked like 3:10 PM. Feeling quite pleased with himself at not having to ask and double check his findings, he raised his hand. " Mrs. O'Hare? Is it almost time for our field trip?" Mrs. O'Hare looked up at the clock and back to the classroom and said, " Why it is! My how time flies by." Which made no sense to the children at all. To each of them, the day had seemed to drag on far too slowly. Mrs. O'Hare once again clapped her hands and quickly got everyone in a neat line and ready to go outside to the school bus.

When the bus pulled up in front of Mrs. Gorman's bakery, they all filed in the door in a very orderly fashion. Especially since Mrs. O'Hare had schooled them on their field trip manners. As they stepped inside, all the children gasped in amazement to see all of their pictures decorating the bakery walls. Not just hung up with tape all willy nilly either! Mrs. Gorman had called in a carpenter and had a tidy wooden frame placed around all the colorful pictures. It looked very fancy, like real art!

Suddenly the big pair of double swinging doors opened and Maybel stepped into the opening, and cleared her throat." Welcome word detectives! You have all worked very hard this week to discover the mystery of the "SPOODLE". Now, it is my honor to show you all just what that is...", With that announcement she grandly waved the children through the big double doors. Right into the actual bakery!

Everyone was given an apron, a net cap and a pair of small vinyl gloves. Cole and all of his classmates tittered and giggled as they donned their new finery. Then Maybel led them all to one of the huge bakery work tables. It had been lowered on it's adjusting legs to just the right height for a group of eager 6 year olds. On the table at each place lay all manner of things. Spoons and wire things that Cole knew from his Mom were called whisks, a large metal bowl and a wee little pan with fancy edges, all coated with flour. Everyone looked around, and at one another with the question in their eyes. " Where are the "SPOODLES"?"

Just then, Mrs. Gorman stepped into the bakery work room wearing a bright pink apron and said, " Hello everyone, I am Cole's Mother, Mrs. Gorman, and this is our bakery. Today you have all come to discover the mystery of the "SPOODLE"! First though, you have a task to do, before I can tell you this Bakers Secret. Since only real bakers may know of this, we will all bake cakes together, so you can be official. Then after they come from the ovens and are ready, Maybel and the other Bakers will tell you all the secret of the "SPOODLES"!"

The bakers and the helpers all came then to the work table and helped each student mix, and stir and pour their cake batter into the fancy pans. Then Cole and all of his friends watched in amazement as the cakes were all loaded onto huge racks and rolled into the ovens. Oh the waiting and the smell of those cakes turning in the glass doorway of the big ovens was almost more than they could bear. So, Mrs. O'Hare filed them all out into the cafe area for a glass of juice to wait until the timer dinged. While they waited, everyone went to the art wall and chattered excitedly about each picture. The bakery customers that came and went all admired them too. It was such a fun and fabulous day and still the mystery they had all been waiting for was just behind those double swinging doors.

After what seemed forever, they heard a bell "DING DING DING!", and everyone fell silent. As the double doors once again swung open, Mrs. Gorman, in her bright pink apron, and Maybel, in her spotless white one, smiled and said, " You may enter and discover the secret of the Spoodles, my fine young bakers."

As they all once again took their places at the big work table, there were their cakes! All turned out of their pans on lacy doilies and a cardboard round, smelling of chocolate goodness. But still, nothing anywhere that looked like a "SPOODLE" Cole sighed, and looked at his Mother. She winked her sly wink at him and he just knew she had a great surprise to come.

Then, from over on the other side of the bakery, where the decorators worked their magic, came all Mrs. Gorman's helpers. Each carrying a square bowl looking thing carefully, they set them all around the work table. As the children looked inside, they saw that there was icing in every color you could think of, and even some you couldn't!

Suddenly Maybel strode into the work area pushing a cart covered with white tablecloth. She cleared her throat in that way she had, indicating that she had an "announcement" to make again. With a smile wreathing her round pleasant face, she proclaimed, " Bakers! Today you have come to learn the secrets of baking and to discover the mystery you have worked so hard at all week. So, without further delay, I give you the "SPOODLE!" And with that, Maybel whisked the tablecloth from the cart and there lay something that looked like a great BIG spoon, but not quite. It was kind of like a small bowl with a flat bottom that had a reallllllly long handle with a curl at the end. As Maybel walked around their table, setting one beside each child's cake, they saw to their amazement, every single one had their names stamped right on the long handle and a ribbon tied to it!

" These are SPOODLES!!?" everyone cried out together. At Mrs. Gorman's nod, everyone started laughing and talking all at once. Each student telling the other, they had never imagined it would be a "spoon", "no, a ladle", "no a, Ummmm a, SPOODLE!" After all the excitement of puzzling out this mystery was talked over, they began using them to dip up all that beautiful icing and decorate their very own cake to take home. Then once the icing was set, they all lined up for pictures, wearing their official baker hats and aprons and their own personal SPOODLE held high.

Later,they folded the fancy blue bakery boxes and placed all their cakes ever so carefully and wrote their names on each one. Finally, as they all sat down to enjoy a treat together, Mrs. O'Hare clapped her hands in that way she had and said, " I would like to say Thank You for such a wonderful day to Mrs. Gorman and Maybel and everyone! Who knew that being a word detective could be such a tasty treat?" With that they all laughed and talked about what other words there were to be discovered.