The Girls' Christmas Fun at School

Faithful readers will recall that I recently had fun playing Secret Santa for a coworker at DSU (and being the recipient of his Secret Santa shenanigans, as it turns out). Just as that was ending for me at work, Suzanna's fourth-grade class voted to have a Secret Santa week at school. She drew the name of Jaiden, a boy who she told me is shy, really nice, and interested in BMX racing (bicycle motocross) and reading.

Secret Santa week started this Monday with the "reveal" and gift exchange today, so Suzanna needed to shop last weekend for an around-$5 gift for today. She thought he might like a bicycle or motorcycle toy, so off we went to shop Friday evening. We started at Runnings Farm & Fleet, which I knew has a great offering of toy versions of vehicles and farm machinery. The girls enjoyed perusing the selections of toy cars, farm implements, semi trucks, and tractors--toys that they don't see much of usually in our dolls-and-dress-up-clothes household. I'm pretty sure it was more fun for me, though; it brought me back to my childhood toy collection, and I kept "ooh"-ing and "aw"-ing and "lookit"-ing at toys that reminded me of those that I played with as a boy. We actually ended up elsewhere to buy Jaiden this toy motorcycle.

At home Suzanna devised surprises for Jaiden to find in his desk each morning of the week. Here's what Jaiden discovered each day from his Secret Santa:

Monday
a baggie with homemade frosted butter-sugar cookies and a note (typed with a Christmas-y font on the computer): "I hope you have a wonderful day! You have a very big talent in reading. I hope you use that because, if you read, you get smarter. I hope you get the grades you deserve: A plusses. Have a super day!"

Tuesday
a package of homemade "snowman soup" and a note: "You’re very friendly. I enjoy being your friend. You’re so nice, helpful, and caring. I hope you enjoy your treat."

Wednesday
a homemade Christmas-themed crossword puzzle and a note: "I hope the puzzle I gave you doesn’t twist your mind too much! You’re so talented; you can probably figure this puzzle out in a second. Have fun!"

Thursday
the toy motorcycle and a Christmas card

Meanwhile, Suzanna's friend, Michael had drawn her name and served as her Secret Santa throughout the week. From him she discovered cinnamon-graham crackers and a candy cane on Monday; chocolate kisses, a candy cane, and a note on Tuesday; chocolate kisses, a candy cane, a bottle of bubbles, Christmas-y stickers, and a note on Wednesday; and on Thursday a chocolate kiss, a candy cane, a note, and a matching set of note pads, a diary, a pen, and a pencil (because he knows that she likes to write). Each daily note was very complimentary, too. She (and we) thought that he made for a very thoughtful Secret Santa!

I'm not sure how much actual learning has been happening in school for the girls this week; there were lots of fun activities for the students and teachers to have Christmas celebrations together. Everyone in the school will play Christmas bingo and then watch Swiss Family Robinson tomorrow while enjoying popcorn and fruit juice (and Abigail's class will also watch Herbie Fully Loaded tomorrow as they drink hot chocolate and eat Christmas cookies from a classmate) (but what either of those movies has to do with Christmas, I cannot tell). Abigail's class went ice skating today, and Hillary's class has had extra-long playtime this week. Our daughters just blink their eyes naïvely when I ask them, "And just what curricular goals are being met with these activities?"

Meh, it's all in fun, and it's certainly helping to get our kids in the Christmas spirit. The girls have gotten little Christmas gifts from their teachers: Christmas tree ornaments and notepads and pencils and books and candy canes and cards. And the girls delivered to their teachers and school secretary and principal gifts of Christmas baking that they made with Susan last weekend. I wonder what kind of haul an elementary teacher makes around each holiday! All our girls' teachers are great and deserve every gift they get.