SURPRISE!

Last week, or maybe the week before, I informed my children that I did not think I would be coming back to Peru next year because I don´t have enough support money. I asked them to pray for me, for what God wants me to do next. The next day, half my class was not at line up after the recess bell rang. I asked the remaining half where everyone was; they replied that they were all in Ms. Miller's office. Since she is the principal, and since having half my class in with the principal is generally not a GOOD thing, I went to go see what was happening. I approached the door to her office and see about 8 little heads all studying the multicolored all-teacher class schedule that Ms. Miller is holding up in front of them. huh?  One girl sees me and they all immediately run out of the office to me and turn me around and tell me I can't be in there. I began noticing a strange phenomenon: every time I walked in the general direction of my children during a recess or after school, screams ensued and they all ran away from me, or quickly shoved things behind them, etc. So, apparently, my kids are planning something. Cool.

One girl asked me a week ago if I would be here on December 1. I replied that I would, and I hope she would be too. This morning, I made sure I was wearing something nice. I had first recess duty, on the playground where all my girls and some boys always play. None of them were there. Only the boys playing soccer down on the field. OK. Bell rings, we go upstairs, we do grammar, we get called out for our group picture, and the girls are completely worried about where the picture will be... but relax when i tell them it's on the playground.

We go back up and do math. They are working fairly well until right before the bell is supposed to ring for lunch. Then, an undercurrent of *something* runs through them all as one of them notices the time and tells everyone else... The bell rings, I say, put your books away for lunch, and the entire class erupts - and i do mean ERUPTS- into excited cheers. Wow. They are all so genuinely on the edge of their seats barely able to contain themselves that it's all I can do to say the next sentence: you owe three minutes, which I'll begin as soon as everyone has their desk cleared and heads down. But, it must be said; the little x's are on the board. Loud exclamations of unhappiness follow the announcement, but I am treated to an exhibition of the fastest 'putting away and heads down' my kids have ever done...

Now I can't help but smile as they are all vibrating with excitement, and I say "This is going to be a really LONG three minutes."

Boy, was it.

When I told them to sit up for prayer, cheers erupted again. I dismissed them by groups, firmly reminding them to wash their hands before getting their lunches and sitting down... About 6 girls attach themselves to me as I leave the room and start down the stairs, literally pulling me along, telling me to close my eyes. Ever tried closing your eyes being pulled along by six  9-yr-olds? It's interesting, to say the least. I'm pulled into the 'kid's gym' which is a medium sized room used by the little kids for gross motor skills, and used by the rest of the school for large meetings, choir rehearsal, multi class events, etc. By now I can hear my whole class telling me to close my eyes, and then to open them- and a giant "SURPRISE!" (I wish I had a video of THEM in those moments... I'd love to see that.)

There in the room are two tables with chairs, one table covered with food and a cake. They're all excitedly telling me "we did it all!" "we didn't have any help, except a little from Ms. Miller" "it's a party for you!"  And they really DID do it all: after a few minutes I realize that they're telling me "so-and-so bought this" or "paid for that" and I ask "You spent your own money?" And several of them, with big grins, nod excitedly and say the random things they'd saved the money from and decided to use it. "But," one of them was sure to tell me, "Some of our parents did have to help just a little bit."  They made sure to tell me they brought many of the things because I couldn't get them in the United States, and of course there was Inca Cola.

They pull me over to look at the cake, covered in fondant and decorated with custom messages: Miss Leinbach at the top, and 'Jesus is our Savior' and 'God loves you'. Then they show me all the decorations they've made and hung up on the walls and windows. Long garlands of paper chains, mostly made out of normal lined paper, COLORED with crayons and colored pencils, cut into strips and stapled into the familiar paper chain decoration. Purple balloons. (of course) Posters with messages of "we'll miss you" etc. One poster was especially wonderful, but I'm going to try to take some pics or video and post it rather than describe it.

We ate, we drank, we were merry (towards the end just a little TOO merry... boys....) and had a blast watching all the other classes watching us have our party. OH, I forgot the paper and cotton ball crown that was plunked down on my head upon being told to open my eyes! (The cotton was the fur lining around the bottom...)

Then, right at the end of lunch recess time, as I'm gathering them all back in to clean up the absolutely DESTROYED room, one of the girls picks up a rather large bag of confetti, and asks if she can throw it... I'm thinking of all those little round pieces and the cleaning guys... and two of my boys are thinking they'd each like to have the bag, and before I can say anything, the bag's been torn and a giant cloud of confetti is showering down over half the room in shades of pink, purple, and white. And the screaming commences. I realize it will never get cleaned up until it's been enjoyed, so, we threw confetti at each other for awhile, and at me especially, hunkered down on all fours to avoid getting any in my eyes... Pink rain...

They cleaned about half of it up... the areas that were the most densely covered got swept (they argued over who would use the broom) and a good quantity put into a bag for a girl to take home for her upcoming birthday party. Best wishes to that mother. ;)

It took us all of the class period after lunch to clean up (they DID successfully throw away all their trash, and clean off the tables) and I handed them over to Mr. Miguel for computer class with a grateful heart: they were flying high, and Miguel is just the person to rein them back in, quickly and effectively.

There were a few actual "gifts" (including chocolate and some yummy smelling soaps) but really the best gifts were all the cards and letters and pictures they wrote and drew. And, of course, the event itself.

Kids are awesome. My kids are awesome. I will definitely never forget this day.

~Miss Leinbach, a blessed by God third grade teacher for two more weeks.