Cookie in Los Golondrinas

Cookie's final field trip with her class....
Last time we were in Los Golondrinas.... we were with Sweetheart's class. (Fall 2011)
This time around....Cookie and her class are enjoying the historic Los Golondrinas.

(click here for Fall 2011 Los Golondrinas blog)

Maybe you remember......Los Golondrinas is near Santa Fe......and is a historic living history museum.
Los Golondrinas represents the heritage and culture of the 18th and 19th century life in Spanish colonial and territorial New Mexico.

Historical hill top chapel ( Fall 2011 with Sweetheart)

SAME historical hill top chapel (Spring 2012)

Cookie's story book adventure...... just like American Girl--Josefina Montoya

(click here)

a fishy field trip

Fun time for Fifi, as today her advanced studies science class headed to the Bosque School for a field trip. 

They were working with the Bosque school, New Mexico wildlife and Rio Grande Open Spaces to finalize their wild fish monitoring program they began earlier this year. 

During the school year, Fifi's advanced studies science class, recorded the daily fish activity and behavior of several different native Rio Grande species.

The BEMP (Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program) teachers at Bosque School toured the students along the bosque near the Rio Grande River, where they re-released the native fish back into their natural habitat. 

Fifi was impressed with the Bosque school and enjoyed getting out of the classroom for the day too.

 In fact, the advanced studies science class enjoyed more than a few hours away from school today....

;-)

(click here for the last trip we made to the Bosque school)

theatre and culture makes our day....

Double field trip for me, with my Sweetheart and Cookie, to Popejoy Hall.
Today we enjoyed Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters--An African Tale.
This theatre presentation is based on a Reading Rainbow book by John Steptoe and was presented by the Dallas Children's Theater.
Let me tell you......they did a great job!
the performance was......... (Cookie says: ENERGETIC)
the music and dance was......... (Sweetheart says: POWERFUL)
the set was.........(Cookie says: AMAZING)

We stayed for the Q & A session after the performance.
The performers answered as many of the children's questions as they could.
--They stayed even longer to answer more questions..........(Sweetheart and Cookie say: THANK YOU)
The children were intrigued by the colorful costumes
--One of the performers is also the costumer for the group.........(Cookie says: SUPER talented)
The audience was impressive with the beautiful set
 --The performers showed us how easily the set is unpacked and repacked very quickly......(Sweetheart says: MASTERFUL)

Cookie and Sweetheart were astonished at the lamps that looked like real torches.
They think you're BRILLIANT!
***Thank you Dallas Children's Theater performers for making our day!!***

balance is everything........

Today Cookie and I attended a field trip to Popejoy Hall for the matinee "school time series"performance of the Peking Acrobats. 

This group of beautiful acrobats originating from China include gymnasts, contortionists, jugglers, cyclists and tumblers. 

They entertained us with a wondrous assortment of awe-inspiring acrobatic performance and Chinese musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments.

 They were simply amazing!!!

This is not the first time we've seen this amazing troupe though.

A few years ago we, as a family, were able to catch their performance then.

Cookie and I are certain that they have more stunning performances this time around.

The children that filled the theatre today were amazed and astonished as they watching on the edges of their seats. 

The Peking Chinese Acrobats are an AWESOME display of acrobatic discipline, hard work, perseverance and beauty.

Cookie and I truly enjoyed the SHOW......

Take a peek at the video below. 

--If they should ever come to your region; you should definitely considering attending--

it's just a hop and a skip (rope) away.....

The jump rope team had another field trip today.

They visited the students of Mission Avenue Elementary school.

The jump rope team performed some of their trickiest tricks all while promoting a healthy heart through jump roping. 

Cookie is performing a jump rope trick
called the kruger flamingo criss cross double under

The skills, endurance, and strength of the jump rope team never cease to amaze the audience.

I enjoy watching the parents too, as they watch beaming with pride for their young jumper and the team.

Hey, Hey Baby uhhhh ahhhh.....

Another job well done promoting sportsmanship, championship and friendship........

Special thanks to Coach Jarvis for sharing and caring and making our little one's feel like 

ROCK STARS!!

what could've been......

A little wet weather and super cold temperatures kept us from enjoying a lovely field trip to Popejoy hall for an afternoon matinee today.

Sweethearts class was scheduled to attend the Mariachi Christmas performance today.

But teacher decided against attending due to the super cold temperatures and wet conditions; which would not be safe to walk in.

This would've been Sweethearts second year of attendance (and my fifth) to this visually wonderful Mariachi Christmas performance.

Oh well, there is always next year.......
--SAFETY FIRST--

BEMP along the Rio Grande

Cookie's class had a field trip visit to Bosque School today.

A school representative toured and hiked them through the Bosque along the Rio Grande River.

The Bosque school has a fun and informative guide (white shirt to right)

The Bosque school is a private school that integrates science, stewardship and the environment.

Beautiful day for a hike.........

The school works closely with Sandia National environmental scientist and the University of New Mexico collecting data along the Bosque for the BEMP database.

BEMP (Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program)

Cookie is measuring and documenting the water table levels

The Bosque school has been mentoring Cookie's science class on the importance of the environment, the local watershed, ecology and biodiversity of the desert and woodlands in the Bosque along the Rio Grande River.  

Can you find Cookie??

Way atop the cottonwood tree we spotted a porcupine......

Ewww...... a large spider

Aacck SNAKE!!! Oh whew......... it just a stick

Porcupine quill

Cookie's thinking how SHE can help the environment....

living a story book adventure

Today Sweetheart and I attended the class field trip to El Rancho de Las Golondrinas near Santa Fe.
What a beautiful day to be out in the warm sun under the big New Mexico blue and turquoise skies.

The El Rancho de Las Golondrinas is a historic living history museum located on 250 acres in a rural farming valley south of Santa Fe.
The museum is dedicated to the history, heritage and culture of 18th and 19th century New Mexico.
While hiking throughout the trails we stopped by many living exhibits who told us the history and life of living on the rancho.

Burros were used mostly for transporting heavy items.

These women were carding, spinning and dying wool

Las Golondrinas is rich in language, culture, art, traditions and history of Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and Territorial New Mexico.

Historical hill top chapel with campo santo on site

Utility wagon parking lot..........

Historical water mill / grain mill in action

Beautiful traditional adobe oratorio

Sweetheart and I hiked all about Los Golondrinas with the class. We visited the placita house, blacksmith shop, candle maker, riverside laundry, wheelwright shop, winery, vineyard, morada, descansos, oratorio. and to the hill top chapel with campo santo.

Stunning NM beauty

Amazing Autumnal view

Various films were shot here at Los Golondrinas including:
Tiger Eyes (2010) featuring Willa Holland, Tatanka Means, Based on the book by Judy Blume.
MacGruber (2009) featuring Will Forte, Powers Boothe, Val Kilmer, Ryan Phillippe, Based on a Saturday Night Live skit.
Doc West (2009) featuring Paul Sorvino, Terence Hill. Premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival
Kites (2009) featuring Hrithrik Roshan, Barbara Mori. Asian and South American cinema
Shoot First and Pray You Live (2008) featuring Jo Blackstone, Erik Bockemeier
Comanche Moon (2009) featuring Val Kilmer, West Studi, Rachel Griffiths
Kit Carson (2008) featuring Michael Murphy. documentary, The American Experience
Seraphim Falls (2006) featuring Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Angie Harmon, Anjelica Huston.
Into the West (2005) featuring Gary Busey, Judge Reinhold, Tom Berenger, Rachael Leigh Cook, Keith Carradine. Produced by Stephen Speilberg.
The Conquest of America (2004) Documentary narrated by Bill Curtis.
The Missing (2003) featuring Cate Blanchette, Tommy Lee Jones. Directed by Ron Howard
All the Pretty Horses (2000) featuring Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz, Henry Thomas, Sam Shepard, Bruce Dern.
Vampires (1998) featuring James Wood, Daniel Baldwin, Maximilian Schell, Sheryl Lee.
The Staircase (1998) featuring Barbara Hershey, William Peterson, Diane Ladd
Gunfighters of the West (1998) Documentary narrated by Brian Dennehy
Fools Rush In (1997) featuring Salma Haayek, Matthew Perrry.
Nobody's Girls: Five Women of the West (1995) featuring Cloris Leachman, Ester Rolle.
Wyatt Earp (1994) featuring Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Dennis Quaid, Mare Willingham
The Legend of O.B. Taggart (1994) featuring Ned Beatty, Earnest Borgnine, Larry Gatlin, Mickey Rooney, Ben Johnson, Randy Travis.
Young Guns (1988) featuring Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kiefer Sutherland, Terence Stamp, Jack Palance, Brian Keith.
Wild Times (1980) featuring Sam Elliott, Harry Carey Jr. Bruce Boxleitner, Dennis Hopper.
Butch and the Sundance: The Early Days (1979) featuring Tom Berenger, William Katt, Jill Eikenberry, Brian Dennehy, Christopher Lloyd.

Familiar??

A quick game of lunch time tag.........

Good bye Los Golondrinas........

We had a great time!!

 Sweetheart and I had a memorable day at El Rancho de Las Golondrinas.
Sweetheart said it was like experiencing the life of Josefina Montoya from American Girl.
(http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/thumbnail/id/238/uid/35)
I agree that we did have a great storybook to life adventure today..............

play date with the pros......

Sweetheart's fun filled day!
Sweetheart is on a field trip to the Coleman Tennis Tournament at the Tanoan Country Club where today is 'kids are everywhere' day. Every year Tanoan Country Club hosts the professional women's tennis tournament. As part of the event, schools are invited to attend. Sweethearts class is one of the few who were able to attend today.
They learned some basic tennis lessons.
They got to play a tennis game.
Then they watched a tennis match between the tennis pros.

What an inspiring, fun and exciting field trip to be on. The school bus took them to Tanoan Country Club with the children wearing their most comfortable clothes and shoes while toting water bottles, backpack, sack lunch and tennis rackets. What a sight to see them out of the classroom with sunblock slathered across their little faces.

If you don’t practice you don’t deserve to win - Andre Agassi

trees and acorns on a school day

Sandia Mountain Learning

Today Fifi is on a school field trip to the Cibola National Forest in the Sandia Mountains.

What a lucky girl to be able to have class in the fresh air and open skies.

She is with her honors science class. I had to miss the opportunity to chaperone because the van is making some strange sounds.

Any how, she is on a PBL (Problem Based Learning) ecological monitoring field trip.

They are examining and studying the trees; measuring in kilometer, the height and distance of the trees on average and in comparison. Then they factor in the annual rainfalls. They also add to the equation the annual forest fires and their affect on the ecology and growth of the vegetation and wildlife habitat. 

They hiked and identified leaves of various species of trees along an open path.
They drew pictures of the area in an eagle or birds eye perspective as if they were high above the tree tops. Then they had lunch in the picnic area of the reserve.

Fifi was excited because it is a rare opportunity for field trips in middle school. It's not like it was when they were in elementary; where they go on field trips often. Although this isn't the first time Princess Fifi has gone to this ecological reserve site. She's been on a similar field trip with her Science class in the 5th grade to the same area Although she says the field trip today was much more interesting and fact filled compared to then. At any rate she gained skill, acquired knowledge and comprehension of the environment and came home with a smile and a pocket full of acorns.