On the left, Mick Thompson gets a "welcome home" hug from his kids Chloe, Jack and Kevin.  On the right, L.T. Ball staff members Beth Haines, Mandy Wood, and Tammy Conley prepare for the big surprise (that would be Thompson in the box).

By ALISHA MCDARRIS
Record Herald Writer
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TIPP CITY - The Thompson kids got the surprise of the year this Tuesday at L.T. Ball Intermediate School. While Chloe, Jack and Kevin thought they were just enjoying one of the last holiday assemblies before Christmas break, the teachers, administrators and their mom, Marcia Thompson, were plotting to surprise them with the best Christmas gift they could imagine: their dad, home from Afghanistan.

The kids weren’t expecting Mickey Thompson home until some time between Christmas and New Year, so when Marcia found out he would be returning early, she was determined to use it as an excuse to really light up her kids’ faces. But what she was planning wasn’t enough.

Principal Sarah Patterson had something much more grandiose in mind. Instead of allowing Mickey to simply sneak into each child’s classroom independently, they scheduled a last-minute assembly featuring teachers dressed as Santa and his elves.  Santa presented Chloe, along with brothers Jack and Kevin who were told they were over from Broadway Elementary to celebrate their ninth birthday with their sister, with an extra large box to unwrap. When they did, they found their dad inside, anxiously waiting to embrace his kids again after more than a year over seas.

“There were definitely a lot of tears,” Patterson said. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

Patterson and her staff were thrilled to be part of helping the Thompsons celebrate Christmas. Since Marcia couldn’t be positive exactly when Mickey would be flying home, the L.T. Ball staff worked overtime for only a day and a half to stage what Marcia had dubbed “Operation Big Surprise.”

“It was absolutely a big surprise,” Patterson confirmed. “It doesn’t get much better than that. You could see [the teacher’s] excitement in taking part, too. I don’t think Marcia was expecting anything so big, so it was a special moment for her.”

Chloe, Jack and Kevin were obviously thrilled, believing they wouldn’t be spending Christmas without their dad this year.

“The kids were absolutely excited,” Patterson exclaimed. “It was our way of honoring his service and recognizing his sacrifice and his family’s sacrifice. It will be a Christmas they will always remember.”