Palo Alto Tender Tracks Day 55, April 24, 2012

Crescent Waxing Moon

Martin’s Creek

What a beautiful, beautiful day.  One by one the children came and brought flowers. Pink ones, white ones, large ones small ones, fragrant ones and not fragrant.  They then picked wonderful wild flowers galore and added them to the most glorious bouquet that they made for me.  They were picking so many flowers that I suggested they put the abundance on all of their mats for circle.  They did and the circle was glorious.  You parents are quite tricky how you conspired to bring all of these lovely spring flowers.  It was a birthday wish of mine to be surrounded by this kind of colorful flower beauty!!!!   We really are connected like the concentric rings in a pool from a pebble thrown in.
At circle I told my favorite story from when I was five, Ferdinand the Bull. And, I then realized HOW appropriate that was because, like Ferdinand I was SURROUNDED  with flowers and I found  myself saying ” I could just sit here all day smelling these flowers!”  I love these kind of “coincidences.”

Since it was my birthday I got to choose where we adventure for the day.  I have been wanting to go back to Martin’s creek for months now and today seemed like a great day to do it.  And, it was!  A few things have changed but not much and I think the changes could even be for the better!  The waters were flowing greatly and the creek has been restored in a very beautiful way.   Audrey immediately, with her grand Eagle eyes, saw a California Newt on a rock just sitting there as we were about to cross the first creek.  We all came down there and watched and watched and watched.  Then I wanted to bring them to the place that we would stay for the rest of the day.  There the waters were flowing grandly as well. The water fall was full, the pond was full and the creeks beautiful movement brought delightful water songs into our ears throughout the day.

Lucy and Anjalie found another California Newt and actually found a few more too.  There was some support with having them be aware of being handled from the Newt’s point of view which meant that it was best not to handle it to the children’s fullest desire.
Today Kashi and Jasper had no struggles and were playing all day but Jasper and Giulio had some upsets with one another.  Giulio has clearly grown because his heart was so hurt from some of Jaspers words and/or actions that even though he REALLY wanted to hit him with his stick and he threatened with hitting motions, he DID NOT hit him and, he was able to calm himself down.  WOW!! Great self control and inner temperance.  Seeing this kind of growth in the children is such a joy as well as a testiment to developemental stages and all of your parental support to help these stages grow towards health and harmony!!!

Paul is clearly four now. Where once there was a sweet, moving along with the group guy, he now has his own feelings, thoughts  and expressions.  The super dreamy world of the three’s has been replaced with the “Wild and Wonderful Fours” so they are sometimes labled.    Gracey spent the day playing a lot with a small piece of green glass that she covered in lot’s and lot’s of mud.  She was excited to unrobe it from it’s muddy cloak only to cover it up again like a grand secret waiting to emerge and amaze everyone.   Kashi was delighted to be playing with Jasper and, Bodie, Jasper and Kashi had some grand times playing by the water fall and experiementing with throwing certain things over the waterfall to see what would happen.

Alexi, Lucy and Anjalie were involved with the newts and all of them on and off tried out the incredible Redwood vines that are so much fun to swing on!

As soon as the children got to this area they all just went in all directions and explored with such grand child abandoment, joy, wonder and curiosity.   I can see Kashi just being in such utter delight over some stick floating down the water.  Watching the childrens deep involvement in their play and exploration was a true treat to behold.
Giulio and Kashi had built a log bridge across the creek.  I watched Bodie try to climb across it, fall into the water and silently get back up and figure things out again.   No one was with him and he was unaware that he was being watched.  He never flinched or complained. He just got wet, got up and tried again.

Alexi later on wanted to build a Fairy house and he made sure that Gracey came over to help.  She laughed at this with a laugh and attitude of, ‘oh of course you asked me to come because  I AM really good at this’.  Almost all the children were in on gathering materials and making what was needed  to build a beautiful Fairy house.

When it came time to leave, well, they have gotten quite proficient at taking the five minute call that we will be packing up, then packing up, asking for the help they need and then being ready to move on.
Gracey, Bodie, Kashi and Jasper ran out ahead and it was nice to see these four all running together.
The improvements to this place have made the walk to and from the bus far easier, which I am sad about, however due to this they made it down quick and easy.
I did really like the challenges that the trail provided for the children but alas, so it is in most places.  We must find those challenges in other places for the children’s growth and  benefit.