Palo Alto Tender Tracks Tues. Dec. 11, 2012

Waning Crescent Moon
Hidden Villa
Day 27

Emme was home sick today and we sent her warm thoughts of health and happiness.   Today we celebrated Giselle’s fourth birthday and Evan’s fifth.  But first, in the bus we began with much discussion and decision making about how each of the children wanted their day to go and what kind of volume they wanted in the bus.   As to the bus Giselle wanted LOUD. However, everyone else wanted it quiet and so, for the entire ride, that is what happened!  And for hitting, pushing, being unkind to certain people at certain times, no one wanted to be treated that way.  I shared how they can always say they might want to play later on with someone and not want to play right now.   They agreed and there was a fair amount of ease in the day from this.
The bus ride was filled with Jill reading some great tracking kids books and some other stories.
When we got there they went straight to the earth play yard there while I set up the birthday circle.    A large group of children came to the area from a tour group  and Evan did want to go to another spot.  However, it seemed more effort then was available so, we stayed and did our best with the noise level as we did our best to carry on with our songs and stories.   The children not in our group were quite interested and by the time we got to the birthday song for Giselle and Evan a group of girls circled around in awe and joined in the singing.  It was VERY beautiful. I thought that they were like all the Angels and Stars that sent the Star children on their journey to Earth like in the story that they just heard.  I was about to offer them some of our snack when they got called away.  It really a truly beautiful experience of good will and community.
We cleaned up and made our way to where Giselle wanted to go. Today was her day to choose and Thursday will be Evan’s turn.
She wanted to go to the Garden and there they climbed through the tunnels and ran all around the garden until they landed in the little quiant dome home there where they were Snow White and the Dwarfs.  I was at first the Evil Queen.  Evan and Paul really liked that but then I transformed into the Good Queen which Giselle and the other girls really liked that.   It seemed that we couldn’t play there too long due to the other groups coming in and out so we stayed just a bit longer and made our way to the “first creek” where Giselle wanted us to eat lunch.   They got so into taking off their shoes and going into the cold water.  Miu was challenged a bit by the feel of the ground on her tender bare soles yet I taught her a way to walk so it would be a bit easier.  I did not want them to get their clothes wet today as it was cold in the shade so, Taz and Kaden put their rain pants on and kept their other pants dry while others rolled up their pants.   I wound up telling many stories  of my life, a four and five year old favorite thing to hear, just in case you have not discovered this.  And then, upon Alices request, I told a thrilling version of Rapunzle!!!  They all came in closer and closer with this telling.
Jill and Evan had gone on a wander and I asked them to bring back their stories from their adventure. Evan came running back with stories of the young pigs and the chickens so, packed up we did and off to the pigs we went!  But first, two great and magickal door ways we got to go through…
We found the pigs and there were seven lovely, lively, energetic pigs there.  I mean REALLY ENERGETIC!!!  The Mother went outside, laid down and all the pigs came running to nurse.  But boy oh boy, they jumped over, on top of, through and around each other and wound up running all around like dogs that were just given a bath.  it was the funniest thing I have ever seen and I laughed and laughed and all of us laughed and laughed.  The piggies were truly remarkable.   Kaden and Taz were on the inside and I have a feeling that their funny dances to the little pigs might have stirred them on because, I came in later and started to run up and down and up and down and up and down the inside of the pig stye where the big pigs where as Kaden and Taz wanted to chase me.  I went outside and then we all heard this HUGE commotion from the two big pigs.  I went in and they were both standing straight up, not like they ever are from their laying down lounging, and were snorting and whining and making all manner of odd sounds with anger? scared? freeked out ? looks upon their Piggy faces.  I realized that the running really was not to their liking.  I apologized greatly to these pigs with Kaden and Taz standing next to me and I talked in a quiet voice. Slowly, slowly they began to settle down with the last sound from one of the pigs of a little whine/whimper.  Wow, I have never experienced this from Pigs either.  A big learning day!
As we were leaving the area I finally caught a chicken and they all petted it and then on our way we went.
There was much looking at birds, playing in the pig cage and pretending that they were dinosaurs, tigers, pigs and…?
On the way back they were actually quite quiet and still yet we sang a great deal of Christmas songs togther.  A very fine, sunny and beautiful day.  and oh yes, we are, I am pretty sure, getting better at reading clouds in order to know when the rains will be coming.