Palo Alto Tender Tracks Thursday Dec.12, 2013 Day 30

Waxing Gibbous Moon
Wunderlich

Today was the day to make our lanterns. That means that the children got their own tin can that had frozen water in it, a nail, a hammer and then shown how to make holes in their can.  By putting little holes all around the can, when they put their Beeswax candle in that they will make next week, they will then have a lantern.
So, off to Wunderlich we went but, the reason we went here was because I was hoping that we just might find our storybox that had Trilly Trully, Trippy Troopy, and Grandmother spider in it along with pictures of all the stories that we have told so far.   I am very, very sad that that has gone a-missing. But alas, when we got there and when we looked, NO STORY BOX!!
However, the stories still come for they are all around us and in deed a grand Christmas story emerged but, the Fire fairies, or what enables us to call them in, matches, somehow got wet!  So, no Fire Faeries but yes to story, songs and snack.
We then made our way down the trail to the place that we know and set up camp.  Throughout the day children took their turns hammering.  It was very impressive how they ALL had fun and were able to hammer their cans. Truly, this does not happen most of the time if ever that all the children are able and willing to do this.    The fun part, I think, is, after making the holes, trying to figure out how to get the chunck of ice out.  We were in the cold Redwood Forest with not much Sun to help the melting process so there was hammering of the ice within the can until they could not hammer down far enough and then, they actually did melt some!
After lunch Jill brought a game to them somewhat like capture the flag and they loved! this game and played and played.
We also spent time down in the dry creek bed which was very very fun.  There they got drawn into finding all the different rocks that they could paint and draw with.   Julian and Ridham went further down the creek and made some kind of home/hotel? or something that they were happy about.
There was much climbing up and down the hill to get down to the creek and helping each other do this.  Then there was playing in the fun Redwood tree hidey hole.  We played some hide and go seek games and tried to find time to just eat.
I read them a wonderful book by one of my Storytelling teachers, Nancy Mellon, called the Knottings. It is about the littlie knots in Pine trees and how they came a live and gave a little child wonderous fun and magick.   They were very still and enjoyed listening to it.
The day was just fun and alive.

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