Marin Tender Tracks Thurs. Oct. 16, 2014 Day 12

Day after Waning Half Moon
One of the lakes right before Lake Lagunitas

What a GLORIOUS day! Truly, I do believe everyone had such a full and satisfying day being in the embrace of mud, shells, cool skies, lapping lake water, birds swimming, logs begging to be climbed, rocks to climb up and over with true thought and navigation and bodies that were full and abled to take part with all of these gifts and more.
The weather was welcoming. We parked, crossed over the “concrete river” before any “metal monsters” soared on by and then went down the steps from the dock onto shore land where instantly they found clam type creatures.  Some had been fully opened like open arms waiting to be held and some were closed tightly allowing for curious questions to arise: “What is in there???” Later in the day Linsey showed them how to pound them open with a rock. Jai kept telling me ” We found so many beautiful colors inside!!”  No living creature though, only mud.
We located Grandpa Sun shinning his most brightest all upon us in the Eastern sky and there we began singing in the day. I shared a story about Grandmother spider and how she brought the first Dream Catcher to children.
After that the children never ceased with curious explorations throughout the day with great, great glee!
Now, how to describe to you the rest of the day. It ,as is so often, feels like a daunting task so do so, I will, again bring a few highlights and brief descriptions.
I will begin with my treasure highlights of the day:
Theron bumped into Hana while they were running in two different directions.  She fell down and cried.  He sweetly said he did not mean to.  At the end of the day they both brought this incident up and then laughed and laughed over how they bumped into each other.  The child’s reality, again, is not like ours!!
Theron was running and fell upon the ground. Big tears came. I came over to him and felt the pull to just quietly be with him rubbing his head gently, gently and his back.  There he laid, face down in the tiny pebbles of the shore and mud. He just laid crying with the rhythmic cadence crying takes, like waves that at first crash loudly then begin to get smaller and smaller.  The big sigh came, the tears receded more and then some words came.  I asked what he said and he whispered “I’m talking to myself.”  Another child came by and I described what was happening to her so he could hear our love.  After a time, he gently arose, finished with the task of releasing the unexpected discomfort of falling and then, play, smiles, curiosity and adventure returned.  The Earth had held his hurt, soothed him until he was ready to rise upon his feet. Phew, it was BEAUTIFUL to be witness to this gracious journey he took.
Then my next most favored moment was watching Thea, Nico, Jai, Theron and Everett SMEARING themselves into the mud. They had the time of their lives!!!!  And I could not stop belly laughing with delight witnessing their ecstasy.

Julian had fun watching too yet was clear that he did not want to get muddy like that. However he was delighted with how he managed to jump OVER the mud.  Hana really worked it today as she figured out how to climb up a very big rock and then go over a log bridge to by pass the mud. She REALLY did not want to get muddy either but I think for different reasons then Julian.
Velia and Ariel heard and told great stories with Linsey the later half of the day.  Jai was very upset that the Mud Monster children kept taking his shoe!!! I did share how he could avoid them but alas, something inside him compelled him to go the way of the great and mighty mud monster children that LOVE to play with little children’s shoes and see if they can get them off their feet!
Jai, Everett, Theron and I found raccoon and deer tracks in the mud.
There was so much exploration and discovery at this place. Far more then I expected from the children.  It was a true wonderland.
Coming back was fun as half had to stay out of the bus while I stripped them down, some to their underwear, and put them in the bus.  They all thought this was grand fun too!