Mystery Reader

Last Monday, MadHatter came home from school so filled with excitement she could hardly contain herself.  She explained that her class was starting a weekly Mystery Reader program and this Friday they would get to meet their very first reader.  She said that each day, for the five days preceding the visitor, they would get another clue to help them decipher who it would be.  The clue they had received that morning was, "I have lived in 5 countries in 3 continents during my lifetime".   I asked her who they thought that could possibly be and she the informed me that she had no clue and could I please remind her of the difference between a country and a continent...

Tuesday came and she told me that their Mystery Reader spoke two languages, fluently.  And that she and her classmates had spent their free time dissecting and discussing the two clues they now had among themselves.

By Wednesday, the anticipation was palpable.  That day's clue was, "one of my favorite Disney songs is Hakuna Matata from the Lion King".  And she informed me that she still had not one guess as to who the reader could be.  Other than it was a he, not a she.

Thursday brought us the fact that golf was his favorite sport to play.  Though my poor little sick one had to learn it from me after the fact since she wasn't in class that day.

Friday, she felt better (thank goodness) and I dropped her off at the classroom door.  But not before reading the final clue -  I have 3 children and 4 grandchildren.  She still didn't have a guess as to who it could be but said that she could hardly wait until the end of the day when they would find out who the reader was.

Finally, it was time for the Mystery Reader to show up.  And I couldn't wait.

Wait a minute...I couldn't wait?  This wasn't about me, this was about MadHatter and her class, wasn't it?  Yes.  And no.

See, I was in on the plan the whole time.  I asked the Mystery Reader if he would be willing to do it (enthusiastic yes!) and I wrote the clues ahead of time.  And I played along just so I could see the look of surprise and the smile on MadHatter's face when she realized that the Mystery Reader was none other than...

Grampa!!!

She was so flustered and excited she forgot his name, and their relationship, when she had to introduce him to the class.  But she managed to get through it.  And Grampa managed to get through a rousing reading of Pigs by Robert Munsch.

What a great, and surprising, way to start our visit with the Grandparents and Uncle Spike!!!