Life is Like a Box of Chocolates...

You never know what you're gonna get! Yes, a great Forest Gump reference. It holds very true though. This past weekend my dear friend Tricia Brouwer came to visit Julia and I! It was a bit of a surprise and a wonderful one at that! She drove here by herself to hang out with us Thursday-Sunday.

While Tricia was here, we showed her around the city, lazed around, and she also got to meet some of our friends out here as well. It was wonderful to spend time with her again since we have all been all over the place for the past few months and really the past few years! However, we will also see her during Thanksgiving which is soon, so we are all excited for another reunion! 

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was Tricia visiting my classroom Friday afternoon during our "fuzzy party". This is a part of my classroom management system. I'll try to explain it to you in the sort version. On the blackboard, there is a small box in the bottom corner with "Miss Ongna" on one side and "Class" on the other. Everytime a student talks out of turn or without raising their hand, I get a point. Anytime the class answers questions by raising their hand or works very well, I give them a point. At the end of the day, if the class has more points, they earn a fuzzy (a pom pom). If I win, then I take a fuzzy out of the jar.

So, my students filled up their jar and we watched some Magic School bus and had a little snack. Tricia stopped by to see my school and visit with my students. This past Friday also happened to be "Book Character Dress Up" day. All in all it was a fun day and my students had fun with all the activities and loved meeting Tricia. Their first reactions? "You are really tall and blonde! Like Miss Ongna!"

As I mentioned, Friday was book character day, so all of the elementary students dressed up. It was so fun to see everyone in costume! I dressed up with the first grade teacher, and we were Thing 1 and Thing 2 from "The Cat in the Hat". I had a blast! I even tried doing my entire spelling test with my students in rhymes. I was somewhat successful, with help from my students! It was a great ending to a crazy week.

Finally, Thanksgiving is only a week and a half away and I could not be MORE excited! I love life here, I really do. But I do miss home and lots of people at home. It is going to be wonderful to head home and see family and friends! I am already packing lots of events into the days I am home. Julia and I both have a TON to do before we go home though, so we are trying to focus. Prayers are appreciated! Can't wait to see all you Wisconsin folk!

My class dressed up! We have Ron Weasly, Nancy Drew, Pinkalicious, 2 Tara the Tuesday Fairies, and 3 Fancy Nancies.

My costume, Thing 2

Tricia, Julia, and I enjoying a gorgeous day in Pittsburgh