a zorro state of happiness

so today I kept Zorro in my backpack until all the kids had arrived at school. Then I gathered them all together on the floor and released the long-searched-for Zorrito from my backpack. They all screamed and one of them jumped up to give him a huge hug. They passed him from kid to kid, hugging him and talking to him.

Then we hung up "FOUND" signs across the "Zorro is missing" posters so that everyone in the school would know that Zorro's been found! (Since all 550 kids have been looking for him for the past 10 days.) At lunchtime I walked into the cafeteria filled with 175 second- and fifth-graders and I held Zorro up high in front of me. As I walked in, the ENTIRE GROUP OF CHILDREN started clapping and cheering and shouting Zorro's name! All the fifth graders stood up and applauded Zorro, shouting out, "ZORRO'S BACK!!! YAY ZORRO!!!"

It was hilarious. That little stuffed fox has no idea how much he is loved. As the kindergarteners walked past us after recess, they all ran up to hug me and say, "I'm so glad you found your fox!" Third graders ran to my room at the end of the day to verify that it was true - Zorro really had returned!