Palo Alto Tender Tracks Day 24, 2011

Eleanor Pardee Park
Waxing Gibbous Moon

All were here and I was so happy to be back!  Circle time was sweet, still and receptive.  Although, singing was not what all but Gracey wanted to do, during the day I heard a lot of them singing some of the songs that I told them were needed for Thursdays celebration.  This is so common and since it is, I just keep singing.  When they got to circle each mat had either a hammer or a nut cracker on it.  They immediately went into  digging the Earth with either end of the hammer and they were clearly enjoying themselves GREATLY!!  So, singing really did take second fiddle to this.  For snack they received Cuties and uncracked walnuts .  Two weeks ago they really enjoyed trying to crack the nuts open so now they got to really work for their snack!  Some needed a little help and most were having quite the time with their hammer or nutcracker.

The story brought them into thoughts of Gnomes and cracking open magickal rocks, carrying lanterns into forests and helping folks in need out.  All thoughts to lay a foundation for Thursdays day.  However, most is a surprise so I will say no more for now!

After snack  we shared with them how to make their lanterns, take the hammers that they have and with nail in hand, hammer little holes in the can so the shining light will come out.   We had three “stations” as they are typically called, for the children to participate in.  One was for the hammering, the second was for making cordage for their cans handles and thirdly, sorting all of the wood that we have gathered so far.   There were different size baskets and containers for different sized sticks and fire starter material.

Throughout the morning they were all quite busy with one thing or the other.  Anjalie REALLY got into making the cordage more then any one.  Aleki REALLY liked sorting the wood, Jasper loved hammering the cans and the rest were at an even flow between all.

We spent time throughout the day moving the cans from sunny spot to sunny spot to help the ice melt after the holes were put in them.  How come the Sun keeps moving and the shade takes it’s place?    It was very nice to be in one spot and truly see the Sun move across the sky.  Something we don’t get to see so clearly each day.  And, as all of these activities were going on there were other games to be had.  I am seeing  Jasper  enjoying peaceful time alone several times.  And I can see Anajale focused on the cordage, Gracey, Kashi and Paul playing this game and that together with much negotiations.   ALeki, Lucy, Bodi, and Giulio being some sort of bad guy type and enjoying chasing and capturing others.  Paul, Grace and Kashi were negotiating around that at times.  After a while ALL the children accept Lucy, who was with Audrey, went to the big field because they were “on base.” There they all sat in a row staying right there while Bodi had a very large Palm Frond that he was carting about trying to scoop everyone up.  It was a very pretty sight seeing all the children lined up so neatly on their base and Bodi delighted with his excessively large apparatus used for some sort of capture.

After all of these experiences of the morning it was time to eat lunch.    Since we never undid the circle everyone sat down there, and some sat right in the middle where the three little Gnomes and beautiful rocks for circle were placed.

Then there was clean up, getting the ice out of the cans, many cooperative games and gatherings had and then, time to take them on a little adventure to the Tree down the road where I met a Gnome.  The children were offered a bag to pick out one colorful stone that they could give to the Tree when we got there.  On the walk down the road there were wonders of mushrooms and plants to see and enjoy.  There were Metal Monsters to stay clear of and Concrete Rivers to cross.  Then there were bushes to look under and all around to see if there were any Gnome door ways and then to meet My Tree.  From that point they went and explored many things and then the walk back was more fun explorations.   The gifts for the Tree were kept by many as they really wanted to give it to some of their trees at their house.  How wonderful was that!  A fine day back.