Sweet MiMi and the red-nosed reindeer

Sweet MiMi is a clown. But not just any ordinary clown.
Behind the makeup is Thelma O’Neill, an octogenarian from Mt. Pleasant. Thelma used to hire out as a clown for birthday parties and special events, but these days she devotes her time to volunteer clowning at local elementary schools.
What makes her approach unusual is how she introduces herself. Sweet MiMi doesn't just march into a classroom in full clown regalia. Instead, she arrives in street clothes and transforms into her persona right in front of the children—like Superman changing clothes in a phone booth. By doing this, she helps kids see that a clown is just a regular person in a costume, taking away the fear that some children feel when encountering a costumed character out in public.
Recently, Sweet MiMi and her assistant, Captain Gary (Gary Lauger of Swedesburg), visited Liz Gevock’s kindergarten and first-grade class at the Mt. Pleasant Christian School. True to form, Thelma arrived in street clothes carrying an oversized bag of clown paraphernalia. The kids were ecstatic.
Before dressing, Thelma explained to the class that a clown is a person just like them. She also reminded them how important it is to always have permission from a parent or caregiver before playing with a clown.
Then, the transformation began. She put her clown outfit on right over her regular clothes. The kids marveled at her oversized clown shoes. Thelma teased that once they learned how to tie their own shoes, maybe she’d let them tie hers. She even shared a quick story about a little girl who thought shoes were called “pushes” because whenever her mother helped put them on, she would tell her to “Push!”
Fully dressed, Thelma became Sweet MiMi, the Red Nose Reader. Today’s visit wasn't about reading to them; it was about talking about books together. From her bag, Sweet MiMi pulled out her puppet friend, June Bug, who led the class in a song:
“Red nose readers, red nose readers, here we are, here we are, having fun and laughter, books and stories, let's be friends.”

Next, Sweet MiMi pulled a pumpkin from her bag, pointed to the top, and asked the kids what it was called. Some guessed a handle; others said a stem.
“I'm going to teach you a special word,” Sweet MiMi told them. “This is called a peduncle. It sounds like 'my uncle.' It's a real word—look it up! When you go home, you can tell your parents the stem on a pumpkin is a peduncle.” (I double-checked later—she was spot on.)
From there, MiMi pulled out the book Pumpkin Jack. Rather than reading it page by page, she told them the story from memory: A boy named Jack carves a pumpkin into a lantern for his room. Eventually, the pumpkin begins to rot, and his mother has him move it outside. Winter comes, snow covers it, and the peduncle turns white as Pumpkin Jack melts into the ground. But when spring arrives, tiny vines sprout from the spot where  Pumpkin Jack had decomposed. By autumn, new pumpkins appear, and Jack declares, “Welcome back, Jack!”  He now has pumpkins for his friends and family. 
The children were buzzing with excitement. To bring the energy down gently, Sweet MiMi instructed, “Everyone on their pockets!”—and instantly, every child sat right down.
“Do you know anyone who doesn't talk with their mouth?” she asked into the quiet room. “They talk with their hands because they can't hear.”
She taught them the American Sign Language signs for more, together, and happy. Soon, the whole room was signing and singing along: “The more we get together, together, together, the happier we'll be…”
Before wrapping up, Sweet MiMi handed out red noses to reward everyone for being such great participants. “Whacka, whacka, whacka!” she chimed, promising to return in November to talk about turkeys. The visit ended with the entire class surrounding her for a group hug.
Ms. Gevock noted that this was the fifth year Sweet MiMi had visited her classroom. Walking away, I couldn't help but wonder how my own early education might have changed if there had been a Sweet MiMi with a red nose telling me to sit on my pockets.
Have a good story?  Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com.  Curt is available for public speaking.