Day 5

Day 5: Teach Magdiel how to carve a pumpkin

I think it is safe to say most Americans have taken part in some or all Halloween traditions. One of them, carving pumpkins. It is either a tradition you hate or love.
I am one who loves it.
I love the color of pumpkins.
I love the smell of them.
I love digging my hand into pumpkins and pulling out the pulp and seeds.
I love saving the seeds to bake later.
I love the challenge of carving pumpkins, but I mostly love the end result when we can all laugh at our accomplishments and cherish the differences in our pumpkins.

So when I mentioned carving pumpkins to Magdiel, he looked at me with this quizzical face. Of course, I do not know the words for 'carving a pumpkin' in Spanish. So before continuing on with my question of "Have you ever carved a pumpkin?" I first had to visit google translator.

With our language barrier solved, we headed for the grocery store to buy 2 carving kits, 2 pumpkins and a couple of beers (the beers were actually for my brother Kyle, who was our coaxed into being the photographer).

With pumpkins, carving kits and beers nearby, we were ready to begin.

Step 1: Clean out your pumpkin.

Step 2: Drink beer (looks like I am being a great teacher. I am more focused on the beer than my student) OOPS!

Step 3: Tape outline on pumpkin and get to work.....

 

Then work your ass for a final product!!

 

 

Drum roll please......

Our finished project. Magdiel likes to say that his is better. Obviously, the teacher can't focus on her art when she is teaching.

 

 

Magdiel's, on the left, is welcoming all into the house, while mine, on the right is throwing up.

 

Real Classy!!

 

 

Day 4

Day 4: Go see an Improv show

Who knew what kind of ride I was in for? I had absolutely no expectations of what was going to happen. But I became a little nervous it wasn't going to be a great show when we sat down and I looked around.... 20 people in the entire auditorium....including us 5.

Now I should probably add" No judging" to the list of things to try for a day, but I couldn't help it. It usually doesn't look good from a newbies perspective when there aren't very many people in the building. But everyone looked so excited, so I thought, here we go.

Ok, ok, ok, there is the age old saying "don't judge a book by its cover". I wasn't judging.... oh who are we kidding, of course I was.

But 5 minutes in, my cheeks hurt so bad I was physically holding them to prevent my face from laughing more.
I was doubled over at times laughing so hard at the silliest skits. But of course part of the fun was to look over at Magdiel, Stef, Meghan and her mom and to see them laughing. Honestly, there is nothing better than to see your friends truly happy.

If there is anything I get out of this project, I hope to continue to see my friends and family enjoying the ride along with me.

Thanks Meghan and Mama Shuffelton, Stef and Magdiel for a wonderful evening of laughter. Day 4 complete.

Day 3

Day 3: Video tapped formal observation in my classroom.

As most of you know, I work at a charter school in northeast Denver. I won't go into the grimy details of my everyday life. But needless to say, they have high expectations and a workload that has me working from 6:30 a.m to 7:30 p.m.... every night.

Today, was my first formal observation as a teacher. 4 years into teaching and I have never had a principal videotape me.

 

I have had my mother videotape me in Honduras. I have had countless people walk in and out of my room (I swear my classroom is the 7-11 of the school), I taught in a classroom with a half-built wall where everyone heard me teach. But never actually had a formal observation, complete with video.

 

Luckily, all of my other exposures of people in and out of my classroom made me much more comfortable with a video camera pointed at me.

 

But all went well...or so I feel. I still have post-conference with my principal to breakdown the video. I guess that's when the real nerves will kick in. Until then, the magic continues inside the classroom, helping my students day in and day out. 





But each day I grow more and more attached to my class. They are a handful and I am forced to dig deep at times to remember why I am teaching them. But I heard the best thing I could have ever heard today. The special education teacher (we call her an interventionist, but for my non-education people that might confuse you), said to me, "Wow, Kate, you have the most challenging class, but of all the teachers at this school, I think you handle them the best."

Hands down best compliment. I have a tough bunch and her words kept me afloat today.

Glad to have her at my school. :)

It is my hope that I can upload my teaching video for all you folks who have 50 minutes to kill to watch me in action teaching.

Check back in a day or two when I have access to that video. Otherwise stay tuned for day 4.

Day 2

Day 2: Help the People of (Myanmar) Burma

As you can imagine, I have had the fortune of having amazing and inspiration friends in my life. One of them, Joshua Montoya, just so happens to exude positivity and inspiration.

He is currently working on a project called the Forgotten Foundation, which helps refugee families of Burma who have fled to Thailand, due to an ongoing civil war in their country. This truly saddening story of a civil war greatly impacted Josh and his friends to take action and help these people. In an effort to bring education and help to these refugees, they started a foundation. It has been amazing to hear about how Josh and his friends have traveled back and forth to Thailand to bring awareness and help to these refugees. They have helped give the Karen people running water, they have built a school and they are bringing awareness to the awful civil war in Burma.

Day 2: Donate to the Forgotten Foundation, to not only help my friend Josh bring awareness to this awful war, but help the people of Burma have a life they so deserve.

Congratulations!
You're a backer of The Forgotten (Documentary of the Karen People) by Joshua Montoya

Check out their story... maybe even join the bandwagon and donate.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshuamontoya/the-forgotten-documentary-of-the-karen-people

Thanks Josh for being an inspiration. I wish you the best of luck.

Day 1

Hello 29!!! 
It is officially project time, 1 new thing a day for 365 days. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was in Vegas with some of my best friends chatting about this project.

There might have been drinks and wigs happening while this conversation took place.... but at no time did that affect my decision to take on this adventure. ;)

So flash forward a year and a half later and I am as ready as I can be to slowly say good-bye to my 20's and hello to my 30's!

I asked many of my friends and family for recommendations of new ideas, projects, and activities that I could do over the next year. I thankfully received a great number and I can't wait to share my adventures with you over the next year.

So let the games begin....

Day 1: Put date plans in my boyfriends hands. (My idea....since I was told numerous times by my family how controlling and bossy I am. Hey I can't help it, I am a teacher. I have to be controlling 8 hours out of my day. Sorry if it spills over into my personal life).

I, therefore, relinquished all control to mi amor. First decision he had to make, where to go for dinner. He went for an American classic, The Cheesecake Factory, where the menu is 10 pages long. It was quite funny watching him squirm trying to make a decision for what I would eat for dinner. But luckily he knew, I wouldn't put up a fuss if he ordered chicken.

Successful dinner order, check.
Next decision, dessert or no dessert? Who goes to the Cheesecake Factory and doesn't order cheesecake? Now I didn't say a word but maybe my eyes said, "Order the cheesecake or walk home!"

Look who ordered us cheesecake. ;)

We drank coffee, ate cheesecake and enjoyed each others company... and I wasn't bossy or controlling. Mission accomplished. 

I had a wonderful birthday. It was filled with a mountain of homemade cards from my students, hugs, wonderful well wishes and it was all topped off by a control free dinner and dessert. 

If you ask me, 29 is off to a great start. 

365 days project... 1 new thing each day for a year

I am officially back from Honduras!!

With an amazing year of traveling,learning and growing behind me, I am so excited to share with you my next adventure.

I am going to begin a very exciting and memorable "new things"
project, in which I will be trying something new every single day for one
year. This project will begin on October 9th (my 29th birthday) and will
end exactly one year later on my 30th birthday The inspiration originally
came to me from a friend of a friend. She had embarked on this amazing
adventure. I followed her project and then a year later another friend
embarked on the same journey. I have now seen it done twice, so I am hoping third times a charm ;)

Before beginning my year-long project, I am enlisting the help of my
friends and family to give me ideas, which will make the project more
meaningful and interactive.

If you are interested in helping, I would love for you to share your ideas
with me. If possible, please send me a list of 10-15 ideas (or more) for
things I can try (facebook message me or email me kaseeley@gmail.com).

They can include ideas for going to new places, trying/cooking new foods, new hobbies, adventurous activities, charitywork, silly and crazy things that will embarrass me... use your
imagination! I will also be enlisting my new fourth grade class to help me
complete some of my projects. So keep in mind that some should be kids
based (9/10 year olds).  Please send me your ideas by October 9th if you
wish to help. I will be posting my "new things" on facebook and on my blog (applestomanzanas.blogspot.org) everyday so that you can follow me
throughout the year.

I am so excited to begin this project and your ideas will make this all the more special.

Panama...the Amazing!

I know what your thinking....didn't you get back from Central America over a month ago?

 

The answer is yes I did. But, like you all must know, American life has caught up with me. I was thrust into the world of buying a car, fixing my computer, getting a job and moving back to Denver.

 

So sadly my blog took a back seat for a little. But let's not forget the most amazing part of my travels:

 

Last, but certainly not least: Panama.

Crossing the border. Literally one of the scariest things. The boards were very unsecure. One wrong step...... and me and my 50 pound bag were headed straight into the river!!

Life vest check! If our boat capsizes it might be due to the fact that my backpack weighs as much as a small child!

Our boat ride to Bocas del Torro

First night, what a beautful sunset!

Don't mind if I do a little swinging while I watch the sunset. :)

 

Colleen, Kristin, myself and Jenna enjoying some drinks on our last night together in Panama!

 

So many places to see before I die!

 

But first up, the Carribean Ocean on a catamaran for the day.

 

Kristin and I enjoying some chill/tan time.

 

After some much needed chill time. Kristin and I were headed to Panama City. I can't say we chose the best route. But after a day and a half of travel. We finally arrived!! WOW!

View of downtown from Casco Viejo, the oldest neighborhoods in Panama City.

"More graffitti, less anouncements"

 

 

 

It is a must to go to the Panama Canal if you are in the city.

Just enjoying the view, waiting for boats to go through.

 
 

Nicole, Kristin and I, doing a little shopping.

Next up a little bike ride through Panama!

 

And I am off....



Just enjoying a night out on the town.

 

But the next day we were off to the San Blas islands. After a 5 hour jeep ride, we sat around in the rain waiting to get on our boat to the islands.

 

 

I can't say we were all that thrilled about taking a boat ride in the rain.

 

But it proved to be worth it. The clouds sitting on the hills of the main land of Panama.

We were enjoying the sunset on Iguana island, which is owned by the Kuna tribe.

 

Our awesome hut. 8 beds, cockroaches, and no working light. Welcome to Iguana Island.

\

Loving life in San Blas.

 

Mi mejor amiga!

:)

Here are a few of the Kuna men, who made us delicious lobster dinners.

 

Roommates in the hut :)

 

Say good-bye to San Blas islands.

 

 

After an amazing time in Central America. My last hours were spent with my best friend Kristin. We bought some awesome hats and took in my last hours of daylight in C.A. 

Unbelievably blessed!