Palo Alto Tender Tracks Wed. Oct. 16, 2013 Day 7

Waxing Crescent Moon
Denis Martins Creek

A beautiful day.  We took the children here to be in the cool air under the many Redwood and Doug Fir Trees but first, Eric really wanted to harvest more acorns so we took a short visit to the Laying Down tree. Some gathered some played and then we made it back to the bus, buckled up, got stuffies, got the stuffies their “blankets”/ rabbit skins and off we went.They were filled with high energy and great delight. When we got there it was DARK!! and we turned the lights on in the bus to see each other better.   We then had circle with a story that I used a turtle shell and a goat horn to tell it with. Their part of the story was to clap their hands back and forth and back and forth each time I did that on the turtle shell and then STOP when I did. They were right on que!
They also loved sharing about what they were going to be for Halloween.  One of my favorite parts of each day with them is watching them try to get their fingers to do what mine do during the songs that include using their fingers.  They become so deeply focused and present.
Today Dahlia had one fall after the other with grand tears.  I spent some of the day slowing her down a bit and taking our time to see exactly where the right step might be in order to stay upright:)
Natalie had some extra falls or, letting us know about parts of her body that didn’t feel good to her. We did our best to comfort them all.
Nareya and Eric walked about 100 steps at the beginning of our adventure and thought that that was about enough for the day but alas, we went up and up a hill until, we made it to our destination.  There they dropped packs with delight. Then we all  explored the dry creek, the Grape vines, that are EXCELLENT for Mother Natures swings, a marvelous log that was a perfect seat and then, a great Banana Slug.  I brought out some apple for the Banana Slug to eat and they made a circle around it  in order to watch it. They did this for a very long time,  almost all of them.   They even came back latter to sit and watch it again.  At the end of the day Emme, Eric, Jasper and someone else, were building a great Banana Slug home for it with a fine roof and a little doorway.
We played Hide and Go seek, climbed down a big hill to get to another area that they tested themselves out a lot with climbing and went back and forth back and forth between all of this.
When it was time to go Anissa and Natalie started to play their whistles from their back pack. I thought they would stop soon after beginning but all the children with these went to town with them and it was LOUD!!!!  After a while, when we actually fully made it to the bus I shared with them that we get to use those great whistles just when we are really, really, really, really, really, really in need of help or lost.   But what fun they had blowing and blowing and blowing!
In the bus on the way home I only wish I had a recorder for you all to hear them.  They were far quieter after the days explorations and each one of them were singing their own songs, particularly Eric who carried on for the whole drive.  It was actually quite beautiful and funny.
I do believe though you have not heard a word here about Aurora and Hailey, well, Hailey was still talking about No Nogan and Aurora was in her happy state. However today she sat with me and talked and talked and shared and shared about what was real for her in that very moment.  This was a delight!