Palo Alto Tender Tracks Tues. May 13, 2014 Day 63

Crescent Waxing Moon
Denise Martins Creek

Serena still gone until next week.
Today, absolutely lovely, peaceful, full of vitality, group cohesion and play, pleasantries, creativity and many thank you’s for the joy of the day.
We had such a great time.  Circle time was long and fun as we got new jobs, took the weather and wound up hearing a story from something they did to  remind me of: The Wide Mouthed Frog. A very funny story. Though I couln’dt remember it all I remembered enough to make it very funny.  Then, off we went.
They love getting landmarks to run to and find and so, that is exactly what they did until we found our place.
Instantly Cole, Zac, Julian, and Juliette went down to the water. There they found GREAT MUD and began, for at least an hour and a half, to make Clay coins and “helmets” to sell.  They sold them for more flat mud coins, pretend animals and more.  While they were down there with Jill I was with Zara, Eden, Finn and Ridham.   I told them several stories and then we gathered sticks.  “What are they for?” asked the children. “Oh, that is a surprise.”  “Are we going to use them today?” asked Zara.  “Oh no,” said I,” They are for a special time.”    I then brought out special canvas bags and traced their feet and hands on one side along with their name.  They picked out all the colors.  Finn wanted to do it later.  Juliette came up and I did her feet and hands.  Later she stayed up with us and Eden went down with the others.
The others came up for lunch then all but Zara and Finn went back down again.  Down below we made lot’s of mud concoctions and tried to make the biggest ball with all the mud.  I was carving sticks and needed a stone to help scrape them clean and smooth.  Cole and Juliette found me some great stones for this.
There were now two stores to “sell” their wares.  Julian told Eden that she could have the store he had as no one was really buying anything from theirs.
There was so much sharing with each other and moving in and out of their games.  Zara, Finn and Jill had a grand time.  Finn and Zara found a piece of glass in the ground and together they dug it out though Finn worked most dilitently and dug deep to get it out. He then left them and Zara and Jill had the sweetest time together.
Each one of them has grown so much and today it was extremely visible.  Each one in their own radiant way. It is so very much fun to see their growth, expansion, development and unity with all.
Back in the bus before we left the Map Makers, who are also the Story of the Day tellers, shared with us one story of the day that was significant for them. The children then  asked them questions,  clarifying questions, about their story.  Finn and Eden were the story tellers and it was MARVELOUS to hear not only the stories that they chose to tell but the very difinitive, inquisitive and meaningful questions that were asked.  Then we sang our good bye song and they had double rounds of thank you’s as we drove away.