Monday, January 21, 2013

Day 90-99

Day 90: Visit Fort Collins: Eat at Famous Jim's Wings
Getting ready for my  mouth to be on FIRE!!
Here we go...
Yep, delicious!

Yummy!


Day 91: Karaoke
I hate singing on a stage!! Not that I have ever done it. But it strikes fear into my heart! But for Hannah's birthday I made an exception to sing "Call Me Maybe"
Shanna, Hannah, Meredith, and I jammin out!

We are obviously enjoying ourselves, maybe not as much as Hannah's brother though!


Day 92: Try a new type of Yoga
Vinyasa is one type I have never tried. So I went out on a limb and I actually went to a yoga class by myself. I am not one to go to workout classes alone, but it was amazing. So glad I went.

Day 93: Teach with an one of our professional development coaches.
Margaret Wilson is one of the authors of the many Responsive Classroom books that I use for my classroom discipline. She came into my classroom and we got to work together. It was a true pleasure for me since she is one of the professional coaches that we have that actually gives ALL positive feedback. It is a nice change from the other coaches.

Day 94: Have a teaching epiphany
So for you non-children/teachers this might seem strange that I had this epiphany about my teaching, especially since it comes 4 years into my teaching career. But I went to a yoga class and in the middle of it, I thought about how I should really change jobs. I hate having to yell at kids all day, it is very exhausting.
So I thought about becoming a yoga teacher.... no joke. I can be zen all day and get a rockin' body.

But reality struck. I actually like teaching kids. I like being with them all day and helping them grow into great people.

So flash forward to the next day when I decided to take my yoga teachers approach and speak in the most calm voice I could. I got through the entire day without raising my voice once. To some this may seem awful that all I did was yell but sadly that was how they kids worked. So when I saw our school psychologists after school and he said to me, "Wow Kate you are actually smiling after school." I knew I had to change my ways. My epiphany was how much my students feed off my energy. I decided from that moment on, my energy would be as if I was a yoga teacher. Speaking to my kids in a zen voice and about the flow of their energy.
Let me tell you, it has been an amazing turn around in my classroom.

Day 95: Buy as many Groupons in one day as I can afford: 5
I raided Groupon for every possible Groupon I would ever want...actually even the ones I might not want. I found everything from ice skating, to 2 hours of jumping on a trampoline to yoga passes, to massages and more workout classes. I set myself up for a lot of fun things to do for my project.

Day 96: Get a class pet: Baby Mouse
She apparently doesn't like humans. She is a biter!

Wheel time


Day 97: 12 person "get to know you" dinner
At Bob and Barb's house they have these dinners where you sit next to someone who is a stranger, in hopes that you get to know someone new. Then at the end of dinner, we had to share a little about ourselves and a life changing trip or experience. I shared my life changing experience was moving to Honduras and meeting Magdiel :)

Day 98: Shop at Mi Pueblo
Mi Pueblo is a Latin market where you can find foods from Mexico and Central America. It was like walking back into the grocery store in Honduras. It was amazing and the best part was getting pupusas!! Legit pupusas! So delicious.
Taking a little step back into Central America :)

Pupusas...so good!

Day 99: Eat my school cafeterias Meatloaf
(may seem innocent enough, but you haven't seen it!)
Did I also mention it was vegetarian meatloaf? So of course my students are like "WHOA Miss Kate is eating the meatloaf." So I had to put on a happy face. It was AWFUL. It literally tasted like dirt. My poor students who have to eat that on a regular basis are brave!!




Sunday, January 13, 2013

Days 80-89

Day 80: Go to a fancy dinner party with my parents... ON THE WRONG DAY
There is really no way to express how much we laughed. But we got to the house and were mortified as we walked up and we were met by a young man asking us what we were doing. Not sure who asked him if the party was this night, but before we knew it, we were all running towards the car because he had told us the party was the next night. We all laughed till we cried! So instead we went to a restaurant called Seasons and had a wonderful dinner.

Day81: Go to a fancy dinner party with my parents... On the right day!
Magdiel and I enjoying delicious food and great company

Day 82: Visit the oldest church in the United States
San Miguel Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Magdiel and I in front of the church. 


Day 83: Go to catholic church mass in Santa Fe at St. Francis Cathedral.
One of the most beautiful churches in Santa Fe. 

But we couldn't help ourselves....we went shopping for some Native American jewelery after church. 

Magdiel posing with the Indian statue. 

The lady we bought jewelry from. 

Day 84: Make a sign for airport pick up
Who wouldn't love to be greeted by an obnoxious sign at the airport??? Well I love them and decided we needed to make one for Kristin when she came to Denver to visit us...
For the one person who hates birds, we decided to put a bird on it, literally. I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of our master piece of a sign. But you can only imagine the beauty it held!

Day 85: Go Salsa Dancing for New Years
Kristin and I before we headed out to La Rumba for some salsa dancing. 
Sweet love :)

Day 86: New Years Day movie marathon with pizza and ice cream
It was the perfect day to lounge around, eat pizza and ice cream and watch a TONE of movies. Day well spent.

Day 87:Visit Buffalo Bills grave
Buffalo Bill was known for many things back in the 1800's but I knew him best for his work on the Pony Express, carrying mail from Missouri crossing the great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. So why not go to his grave and take in the beautiful scenery surrounding his grave.

We made it!!


The beautiful view from Buffalo Bill's grave. 


Day 88: Apply for CO teaching license
Colorado teaching license here I come!!!

Day 89: Read Quien Fue Pablo Picasso? A biography on the late artist in Spanish
Picasso had an amazing life and it is very fascinating reading about him in Spanish. I have learned lots of new vocabulary from it.