MOM'S THE WORD MALLS POPULAR SITE ON SPECIAL DAY STUDENTS HONOR MOTHERS.

Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - Fourteen-year-old Alex Mirman had a secret gift for his mom on Mother's Day.

``It's the CD soundtrack from 'The Wedding Singer,' '' the shy Steven S. Weiss School student whispered to ensure his mom, Westlake Village resident Terre Mirman, wouldn't overhear.

``She likes the music from the movie, so I'm going to give that to her,'' he said of the popular romantic comedy before bolting off among the throngs at The Promenade shopping center.

Nearby, Terre, 37, clutched a red rose handed to her and other moms by students from Newbury Park High School as part a fund-raiser for the Associated Student government, sponsored by the shopping center.

``It feels wonderful to be here,'' said Terre, who was with her fiance, Alan Schulman, and his two sons, Michael, 11, and Andrew, 6.

``It's the one day of the year I get to be pampered,'' she said with a laugh.

``I have a very good son, he's very undemanding. Usually I make him breakfast, but on Mother's Day I don't have to do anything.''

Schulman said he was going to give Terre a box of chocolates, among other secret gifts, to celebrate the day they were going to spend together with family.

``I'm spoiling her,'' said Schulman, a Brentwood resident. ``But she deserves it; it's her day.''

The high school students distributed 1,000 red roses to moms who milled about the shopping centers with their families and friends to chat and dine on a warm day.

``Basically, the idea is to honor moms on Mother's Day,'' said Rick Lemmo, vice president of corporate communications for Caruso Affiliated Holdings, the owner of the center.

``Because a rose symbolizes life, what better way for students to show their love for moms than with a rose?''

For their troubles, the dozen students got a donation of $500 from the shopping center management for the Associated Students.

``We'll put it to good use,'' said A.S. freshman class President Austen Zielinski.

``We haven't decided yet, but we'll be doing something good.''

As he handed out the flowers, the reaction of moms was predictable.

``It's nice to see them smiling and with their families,'' said Zielinski, who planned to go out for dinner later with his own mom, dad and brother.

``They say thank you and it's nice of you to do that.''

Near the fountain outside Rosti restaurant, Thousand Oaks resident Mike Sieger watched his two boys, Matthew 3, and Derrick, 15 months, for a few minutes while his wife, Nonnie, chatted with her brother Paul inside.

``The boys were getting a little restless, so we decided to move outside and to let their mom take a little break over her lunch,'' Sieger said.

Along with the bit of respite over lunch, Sieger gave his wife a set of diamond earrings for Mother's Day, an occasion he considers special.

``For me it's a time to say thanks for everything they do for us,'' he said.

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3 photos

Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color in Conejo and Simi editions only) Austen Zielinski, 15, hands out roses to moms Elizabeth Weinstein and Jane Kessler during a school fund-raiser at The Promenade at Westlake, above. Below, 3-year-old Matthew Sieger's grandmother Liz Salim holds on to him, and a red rose.

(3) Betsy Skeens Willey of Camarillo breathes in the aroma of a rose given to her by Newbury Park High students Sunday. The teens gave away 1,000 roses in a student government fund-raiser.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer