Marin Tender Tracks Tues. Feb. 17, 2015 Day 41

Day before New Moon
Lake Lagunitas

Julian was sick today and Hana was away with visiting Grandma.  The day was gray, cloudy and much colder then our fine week or more of Spring time weather.  We celebrated Enzo yet it took a great deal of support to help some of the children get focused and stay present.  We made it through the celebration and Enzo appeared to be very happy. The rest of the day he just wanted to play and play and play and play and……. so he did.  He and Jai explored both sides of the creek and played many chase games and games with very large sticks!!!
Today turned out to be the perfect day to build a fire and make water proof matches.  Non of the children had heard of such a thing and Jai was convinced that no such thing existed.  Well, all were delightfully surprised to discover differently!
Linsey took the lead in being “Fire Tender.” This meant that all the children followed her instructions and they were GREAT about complying with all of the safety needs with building and tending the fire.  They all built the best “house” for the fire children. When it was all ready we sang it awake with just one match.  Velia and Ariel were so great with getting water in the pot that would hold the beeswax can.  They were gone for a long time when they went to get it. When I went to find them they figured out the trouble they were having at the water faucet and then decided that getting water from the creek would be a good idea. Watching them problem solve was absolutely beautiful!!!  Part of their struggle was that they just couldn’t hold the pot still enough in order to bring it up the hill and to the fire.  Thea came in to help out and she had the same problem so then I came in got the water and Thea could carry it the rest of the way to the fire.
We watched the wax melt and then, with a good deal of safety talk, they got their matches and dipped them into the pot.  I showed them beforehand how, even when I got the matches wet, I could peel off the wax and the match would light.  They were over joyed!!!!
There was then the putting out of the fire and listening to the music of the water and the fire.  Jai took a big bucket down to the water to fill it.  I saw him out of the corner of my eye and then I saw a drop.  Oh dear, Jai fell in like a turtle falling on its back, unable to turn over due to his positition.  I ran down and got him up.  He was upset, we went to the bus to change him and it was time for us all to pack up any way and go.
Today was filled with high energy, being brought back down with story, love, clarity, redirection, play and back again to Love from a Tall Standing Tree place.