HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

And what a Halloween it was here at CELA. Ohh boy! 4 Halloween parties later....I can now say - bring on Thanksgiving! and Christmas!

So the Holiday Madness begins!! ~ and I find it funny that here in Taiwan, these American holiday celebrations are quite the productions! Well, I guess I can say - we really do give the American/ English atmosphere at this school.

I had a great time guiding (well - more like rushing) the kids through 15 minute stations of hoola-hoop relays and pumpkin mask making crafts...haha! I tell ya - fast pace is the only way these people work in this place! :) CrAziNesS!!! But, I can also say - I love it. Maybe its becasue I'm crazy - but these last few hectic days of Halloween games, relays, crafts, and costumes have been quite a hoot. I can't help but share some of the pictures! The costumes are great - even though here, all of the costume preparation is strictly for school (since they don't celebrate with trick-or-treating as we do in America).

So the Elementary party Kicked off in Luther Hall - with a lovely pumpkin song led by ANNA MEYER!!! (p.s. - she was me - a Cougar softball player - for Halloween...turned to the good side away from her alma mater - Concordia, Seward!!)

And so we hurried off around campus - for candy!

My classroom's station was making paper mache pumpkins out of balloons and tissue paper! A fun mess indeed ~ : )

And thus was the end of party day #1 - now- to give the Kindergarteners an experience as well!! Oh how cute these guys are....

Opening Song on the playground before the madness disperses!!!!

ANNNND - here's a close up of these kindergarteners and their costumes ~ SUPERHEROES!! a.k.a. spiderman....batman...and...5 yr old with a toy gun bigger than his body. hahaha - only in Taiwan...

Seriously, check this baby out -

And here is little "shrimp" boy, thats right, he dressed up as a shrimp. They love seafood on the island here - so much as to even dress up as one? If only I could have gotten a shot of his tail...

Who's to say the teachers can't have fun in the office?? Oh - not us.

JUDY, the Samurai, attacking biker Elden. HA. Did I mention I love Judy and her crazy ways??

And, of course, the lovely Me(i)(y)er duo wannabe softball champs - As I mentioned earlier...I got her to trade over from the Bulldogs to the Cougars!! - GO CURF!)

SO thats it! I've officially made it through the first big holiday ordeal in the teaching world. And what an ordeal it was: 3 consecutive dress up days and activity days....all in order to include all 480 students we love!

And oh the smiles I love so much - that completely erase all of the hectic feelings of planning and preparing - and remind me why I'm here. : )

AND so - on to Thanksgiving and Christmas!!