Palo Alto Tender Tracks Jan.16, 2014 Day 34

Day after Full Moon
Hidden Villa

What an exceptional treat to be back with everyone.  I just had to ask them to sit right there when we got in the bus so I could like at each one and take in their beautiful selves.  I am a blessed person to be with them all and to have Jill be such a helpful and kind person.
They shared with me some of their adventures when I wasn’t there and that is always a delight as well as beneficial, to hear how they experienced their days.
When we got to Hidden Villa we had a beautiful and very focused circle time with new songs.  I  just couldn’t bring us to sing any winter songs as it is NOT and was not cold. At all!  This makes it very hard to sing to Jackie Frost and Old Man Winter songs.    Soon I trust soon!!!
The story I told is always told the first week we get back from winter holiday, in Jan, because it begins on New Years Eve.  It is called Snowflake and the Dragon and is in the 7 Year Old Wonderbook that is now back in print.  I altered it slightly since it was intended for a 7 year old but it goes along the same premise as the story.  If you would like a copy without buying the book, let me know and I will print it out for you.
This month, this story as well as another one that I always tell this time of year, includes the months of the year so we now have a song that is about the months of the year, the four seasons and the 7 days of the week. Also, they are learning a little verse/chant with hand movements about their left and right sides:
Moon on the one hand
Sun on the other
Moon is my Sister
Sun is my Brother
Moon on the left
Sun on the right
Brother good morning
Sister good night
I would tape all of these stories and songs for you but, as you might have noticed, it hasn’t been working.  I need some kind of help here and will find it eventually.  If you want to hear them sung just ask at the beginning or the end of the day.
Now, after we had story and snack, they played for a short bit before a hoard of other children came.  They then all decided that they really wanted to go off to the Big Rock so off we went.  We did stop to see the beautiful baby lambs and the recycled garden where the funny dirty toilet is.  That is their favorite!  And, they do like to smell the beautiful plants there though the season is gone for a lot of the plants and their fragrance is minimal.
Cole discovered the tree with the big metal ring on it and he and Juliet took their turns trying to climb up the tree with it.  The others just watched.
When we got to the big rock everyone took their packs and made it all the way to the top to eat lunch.
Well, not all at once but eventually!  For a time, Ridham, Zac, Serena and I spent time looking at this most wonderous beetle that Zac found that was so very, very comoflauged on the bark of the Oak Tree.  It was moving quite slowly  until, we began picking it up. It’s pace increased quite a bit then, well, for a beetle!  After sometime up there and eating and all, we all wound up being back at the bottom but oh yes, I am forgetting, during this time, Jill had to find, Julian, Cole and Juliet.   They were SOOOO happy that they kept tricking her and she had to work so hard to find them!!!   The day that I was not with them they told be about how skilled Julian was at camouflaging from the ENTIRE group.  They had passed him by TWICE last Tuesday as he looked at them all go by.  He was very, very proud of himself , as he should be, so, Cole and Juliet wanted to do the same.
At the top still, Zac, Eden , and Ridham each had games that they wanted to share: Ridham had a game from the story Lion King, Eden wanted to play Duck, duck goose and Zac wanted to play what turned out to be Mother May I.
For Ridham’s game everyone had a role and by the end all the “Wolves” were eating everyone up and chasing them all around.  Not exactly how the game was intended but very often how these games end up. Then we played Mother May I with several rounds.  They really liked this too!  Serena was the only one who did not want to play these things so she began gathering and building a fairy house with Jill but, after seeing how the game was going she decided to, and with a very big smile, join the game.  Then,it was time to play Edens duck Duck goose.  The children typically change it to Hamburger for goose or something else that is very silly ( a very typical four year old style: Lot’s of HUMOR!!) Myself, cole and Zac were in the mush pot and Zara DID NOT want to be in the mush pot. When she ran she just loved to run ALLL OVVVER before she got back to her seat. We all laughed and laughed and no one was bothered by this. Phew!
It was finally time to go so we gathered things up and made our way happily back to the bus.

Such beautiful and very common changes that have occurred since I last saw them all.  Each has grown in their own way, maturing, developing, expanding and gaining more and more social and emotional skills.
Ridham is my most favorite growth story at the moment though.  With a laugh and a hop on the bus he gave a quick good bye to his Dad and off for the day he went.  He is filled with stories with the  most exquisite and elaborate languaging and playing with everyone.  Each one of your children have grown in their stature, maturing and other marvelous ways.