Palo Alto Tender Tracks Day 33, Jan. 26, 2012

Crescent Waxing Moon
Pichetti

PAUL’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

!Oh, Paul, celebrate Paul, sing it with an open joyful heart. Oh, Paul, celebrate Paul sing it with an open joyful heart!!

And so we were blessed to celebrate the birth of Paul. He brought sweet muffins for the kids to gobble up, and they did and the story was the familiar yet always unique birthday tale told for each child. Then the gift bag was offered and Paul chose his own special Rose Quartz, the stone of the heart, to put in a special bag just for him.  Since it was his birthday he got to choose where we were to go and he chose, Pichetti again.  I was surprised because he spoke about wanting to go to the Slippey sliddey on Tuesday.  I wonder if he might have some confusion about the Slippey Sliddey at Foothill Park and Pichetti. None the less the children roared with delight over going back and so all were content with the choice as well as Paul.

Before circle the children found more clues and treasures in the woods and then, Audrey found a very special note on muddy paper that read like this:

Dear Beautiful and caring children of Tender Tracks-We the King and Queen of the California Newts wish to thank you for loving our family at Pichetti Pond this past New Moon Day. We saw you playing with our family. We heard your laughs and giggles. We saw you build homes for us. We thank you for your loving kindness. We thank you for holding us with your dirt covered hands.   We must however, call for a favor from you.  Please listen, we, the people of the water and mud, dirt and leaves, our skin is delicate to your touch. Your hands are hot, your skin stings our body-If you wish to pick us up do so with cold, wet , MUDDY covered hands.  We ask most dearly.  Only hold us for a short time-otherwise we send poison from our skin to yours.  Please follow our steps, see where we go, watch where we live. Be our friends and we the King and Queen of the California Newts will bring you great Joy.

The smiling faces that arose as well as the awe and wonder when hearing this was priceless and precious.  Alexi spent the day being extremely excited about this but really questioning whether I wrote it or not.  Bodhi had NO problem not touching the Newts along with Paul and Gracey was thrilled when she heard the words of great gratitude to the Tender Tracks Children for their loving kindness to the newts.  She was very respectful of them all day with quiet love and concern.  Anjalie, Lucy and Alexi REALLY wanted to hold them A LOT and play with them ( when I picked one up that Anjalie had I can understand why, they really feel great!),but/ so/however, with the support from the words given us they were directed in finding opportunities to pracitce self control and notice with their eyes a little more then with their hands.   Giulio and Kashi didn’t have that much interest when we actually saw the Newts but did come over. Kashi was gone on Tuesday so the letter and all appeared to be a little  less relevant to him.  And Jasper  spent a lot more time playing with Bodhi on the other side of the pond along with Kashi and Paul.

Last Tuesday on the way back I sang them a very funny song that my sister taught me when I was about 8. It is a tongue twister and I usually use it when I am telling the story Tikki Tikki Tembo no sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Peripembo. Some or all of you might know this story.  Well, my song is: Edi chucha cathca tori tosa nera tosa noga sama cama wacky brown, well, he feel into the well a well he fell into the well a well he fell into the deep dark well…….And so the song goes on at a fast clip.  They continued to ask me to sing this and so, a few times were given to that as well as on the way home.

When we got to Pichetti Angeli and I spent some time in the bus putting away some Bows that were taken down from the back of the bus while the others were checking out the Peacock as well as discovering new chickens in the pen.    Anjalie and I caught up with them but not with out spending some time studying some plants that we came across that looked similar to the one I shared with them in circle.  I failed to mention earlier here that I read to them a couple Fairy poems about some plants that we found on Tuesday from the book: Flower Fairies of the Winter.  They REALLY liked these and asked for more.  Jasper was the first to make a big request to hear more.  I was surprised as well as delighted by this.  My intention is to bring in different “Fairy poems each week.

After the chickens we made our way back to the pond.  Audrey had half of the group and I had the other and then my group were given freedom to run ahead.  Paul stayed behind because he said “I’m tired.”  He and I had a lovely time walking and talking and sharing all the way up the path.  Today was a day where I got to have one on one time with Anjalie, Paul and Alexi and it was very, very rewarding, informative, helpful and such a joy.  I got to hear so much more of their inner world.  Of late I feel like I have been truly let into the play worlds of the childrenn as they bring me into their games and I just have to be there.  I feel like I am in the magickal bubble of a child’s fantasy world.  Later in this day I was in this bubble with Jasper and Bodhi as they created and created and created a game about a plane and special guns with the plane and special roles.  My favorite part with that was when they decided who was going to be who. Jasper then said, “Lets play now” and no sooner had he said that then they went right back to, ‘you be this and you be that.’  Such a classic scenario and it is an incredible experience to be in the atmosphere of these creations.  Alexi and I did a great deal of exploring and questioning the world of the Newts as we followed them, talked to them, observed them and felt their earthen world together.    When I was walking the trail with Lucy, Anjalie, Alexi and Paul we came across these incredible mounds on the ground ( ant mounds FYI) .  I began to get curious about the difference in the soil around the holes, noticing the size of the varying sizes of the different holes and more.  We all joined in with our quieries and then discovered a great Banana Slug.  We watched and got curious about how it was getting larger and smaller and about the slim trail that it left and then, vroommmmm down the trail we went looking for other adventures.

At the pond there was a large group of fifth grade science camp students there with the nicest instructors I have experienced yet.
When half of the children were at the “King and Queen of the Newts Castle” a fifth grade boy came by and really wanted to be with the kids and help build up the castle.  “He is really strong, He picked up a log that was 40 pounds!!!!’ said Alexi.   Gracey seemed enthralled with this young fellow.  Audrey told me that a girl from that group was so excited when she saw the “little kids” and really wanted to spend time with them.  The groups were an inspriation.

Paul spent most of the day quite happily eating his lunch and sitting where Bodhi, Kashi and Jasper were playing.  He was having his own play world while he sat there and for a short time went to go check out the Newt world.

Today was a very beautiful, full day with observation, four and five year old magnificent, imaginary play world and discovery of natures gifts.