Palo Alto Tender Tracks Tues. April 23, 2013

two days before a full moon
Day 59
Huddart Park

All were here.  Aoife  and Paul came in a retracted space. They both were able to find their expansion and comfort after a little bit of time.  Giselle was quiet, Emme was happy and joyful. She brought a stuffed animal cat that she bathed in the sink? and was delighted about this. Evan and Miu came happy and ready for the day as well as Alice,  Taz and Kaden.  All wound up joyful, playful and fun as we celebrated my birthday.
During the bus ride they wound up passing around the purple court jester hat and laughing and laughing as each one put it on.  Jill would ask them, “Does the Court  Jester have a joke?”  and then the children began telling 4/5 year old jokes.  They were in uproar over their creations!  When we got to the lower Huddart Park place that we have gone to before, they jumped out and ran to their favorite house that they remembered as the Bears Home from a story I told towards the beginning of the year.
I was given over the weekend a Bubble blowing stick and Jill spread the joy of bubbles all over as I set up circle.  When it was time  for circle we learned a couple new songs along with our old ones that they sang with joy.  When it was time for the story the boys were more interested in playing so, I went with this flow and THE CHILDREN became the story.
When I started to tell the tale before this, I asked them all what would they want to be if they were going to come in costume.  They told me. These became the characters in the tale that was told.    They loved this!  I think Kaden was happiest when he, as Iron Man, was a great savior of the people in the story.  Evan was a knight/protector dog.  Paul was a Knight.  Taz was Super Man, Kaden Iron Man, Miu was Tinker bell and LOVED this as her magick fairy dust brought everyone together.  Emme, Giselle and Aoife were Fashion Barbies, Alice was raged clothed Cinderella.  They all wound up in the house being fed by Cinderella.  We played there for a while and then it was time to go to the water.   We had a grand walk to the trail and I had intentions of bringing them back to where we had been before but, Evan, Emme and I found a new trail going down to what looked like a Creek beach. We made our way down and, IT WAS a beach!!  They all stripped down to their under wear and into the water they went.
Emme was delighted to have climbed up on this big branch hanging over the water. Aoife LOVED being all the way a top a fallen down tree stump.  Gieselle was so happy playing with Alice.  Evan was water boy in heaven.  Paul was beaming when Taz told him how strong and helpful he was and Kaden was in his new and fun laughing smiling self.
After great explorations all around they all wound up running and playing games going up and down and up and down and up and down the hill.  They gave each other many characters and were delighted with their games and joy.
Jill and I were making the Soap Root paint brushes while many of the children came in and out wanting to help trim the brushes with the scissors that I had. Miu and Paul in particular.
On the way home they were filled with more fun and sharing.  There are a lot more group bus conversations going on and the intensity of a month or two ago is beginning to settle. Ok, not completely, but there is a very large difference in the mood and energy level of the conversations and so much more talking together and inclusion of each other as a whole.