No More Secrets

...from my class that is.  For you guys I can't make any promises.  I wasn't sure if I was going to share the news with my 4th graders or not.  For one thing, they aren't "my" 4th graders.  While I have been with them since the beginning of April and feel like they are mine, I am only the substitute who is in for their regular teacher who, ironically, had a baby.  I am also barely showing so I thought that I would just skate through to Friday keeping my little secret to myself.  I was already convinced that they didn't know because every other elementary schooler that I have encountered over the last seven years was not able to filter their thoughts before they turned into words and statements like, "Are you pregnant?" which is what one of the 3rd graders asked me when I wore a dress to school that, apparently, wasn't fitting the way it used to.  I, in fact, was NOT pregnant or even thinking about it at the time... devistation and dieting...

Today the cat was let out of the bag when I walked my class past the music teacher on the way to PE.  The music teacher at this school is simply wonderful.  I think that she has the most pleasent personality and is very genuine.  So when she stopped me in the hallway, in front of the back of my line which happened to be where most of the girls were, to tell me, "I heard your good news!!  Congratulations!  Is this your first?" I knew that the jig was up.  Music teacher didn't say it loudly or profountly but the girls heard it and the look on their faces was simply priceless.  It was as though they found out that I was getting them pony rides for the last day of school.  The whispering began which was when I distinctly heard the word, "Pregnant!"

While they were at PE I thought about what I would say because I had to beat them to the punch.  When they returned I asked, "Raise your hand if you were in the back of the line going to PE."  The girls very excitedly threw their hands up in the air and wiggled them around to make sure I saw them.  All the while they had big, cheesy grins on their faces.  They were about to explode!  I followed with, "So you've figured out my secret then, huh?"  They had.  So I shared with the class who, by then, caught on.  They were stoked!  Asking questions, appropriate ones, like "When are you due?" "Is it a boy or a girl?" "How many months are you?"  Thank goodness there weren't any "Where do babies come from?" questions.

After all of this the girls admitted that when I turned sideways they were starting to notice, which restored my faith in the children race.  There are plenty of children with manners and filters and I am so lucky to have found them :)