Palo Alto Tender Tracks Thurs. January 31, 2013

Waning Crescent Moon
Day 38
Martins Creek

Today was Miu’s Five year old Birthday!  She was very happy for this day and very much wanted to go to Martin’s Creek where her Father came on the first day of Tender Tracks. The day was warm enough so it was fine to go to this place that is at least 10 degrees colder due to being under the Redwood’s.    We did our usual singing before we left and counting.  Paul really loves to count on the counting string and others make good use of their counting strings by making them into leashes for their stuffed animals!  They are really learning how to tie those knots!  They have created a great game of throwing the animals to their neighbor in front of them and then being able to pull them back to them.  Very creative yes?!!!

Once we got to Martins Creek we climbing up the trail. There was less mud there yet there still needed to be some navigating around it.  Evan went straight into it and the Mud Monsters grabbed one of his shoes.  I had brought my walking stick which was a perfect retriever for this moment.   The rest made their way around it and were Mud Monster free.
As soon as we got to our spot they all instantly ran to the water, the water fall and all over.  They were excited!  However, they were all quite hungry too. The ground was very different though. It looked like either a huge amount of water came through and washed all the debri away, workers had come and cleared the ground floor completely out or?  What ever happened the ground was wet and straight mud.  Across the creek was a spot with Redwood duff on the earth so I set up our birthday circle there.  They heard the birthday story and Miu’s snack was a very big hit.  Thank you Miu’s Mom!!!
During this day we worked at building a dam by carrying a lot of big and heavy rocks over to the flowing water to stop it and, well, we never were able to, and we played some great chase and hiding games.   During these games I wound up getting them to go up a very, very large hill.  Some made it and some didn’t.  Alice was so sad as she was trying and trying and finally found another way to get up but then we had to come down before she made it to the top.  She was very sad.
Miu was very happy to have had her birthday stone but at one point she thought she lost it and AHHHHHAAAHHHHHHH! but We DID find it and all was well.
On the way back Emme somehow wound up in the Mud Monster pit and lost her shoe and again, my great walking stick came to the rescue and tugged it out.
Kaden wasn’t here today so at first Taz was very concerned about that.  I reminded him of how he played with Alice on Tuesday and maybe she would want to play with him again.  Things did seem to work out and he and the other children played together throughout the day, especially he and Paul.

A fine birthday celebratory day for Miu and everyone else.