Tender Tracks Thurs. Day 22

Dec. 1, 2016
Waxing Crescent Moon
Lake Lagunitas

Jesse was absent today yet, the Sun was out and offering warm rays upon us and the air was crisp and refreshing.  Throughout the day we were graced with the images, sounds and visuals of flight from the White Egrets, Great Blue Herons and Hummingbirds, to name a few. The Frogs continued their  chorus to us at circle time and the other small birds chirped and fluttered as they pecked the ground for seeds.

Half the group was with me and on a Porta pottie adventure and the other half went on an adventure with Michelle before circle even started. When my group came back we heard a sound up in the trees. “What was it??”  It was a bird but why couldn’t we see it?”  We looked and looked and there, we found it, a small and mighty Hummingbird diving, sitting, sitting and moving it’s head back and forth and alighting from one tree the next.  We stood in awe and wonder as we followed, tried to see, then saw this small yet potent being who had a voice that we did not fully know!!

When we all were back in the same place we came into circle where songs were sung, snack was eaten, and story, again, was told about How Robin Got it’s Red Breast.  And so the intention of the day got set to wander about until we found our spot and there we would make gifts for the birds during this cold time of year with the cones that we gathered from our Tuesday adventures.But oh yes, before that some of the children discovered a great old stump that had a deep hole in it. As they were playing with that they also discovered that part of it got so water logged that when they stepped on it it sank!!!  This was a great wonder and joy.

We wound up going to a spot that we , now, often go to where the beach is wide, the visuals of the lake and shore are grand, the flickering Light Faeiries alight upon the waters and the trees provide great climbing adventures. And there we stopped, set up camp and proceeded with what Preschoolers are good at: PLAYING!!! discovering, exploring, trying on being different characters, playing in the water, and, my favorite of the day: Isabella, Ruby, Jake and Edie all were playing with Echoes!!!  They shouted and then their echo came back!  I came over to discover what all the shouting was about and then with some playful “coaching” guided them into slowing down the shouts so that they could really hear their echoes and then playing with turning their calls from one direction to the other.  It was splendid fun!  From there they found a lot of fishing line things left over and some very sharp hooks that I quickly disposed of after we all took a good gander at them.

All  the while Michelle was aiding the children in making their Bird Feeders with Peanut Butter and Bird seeds.  And later on in the day we wound up taking different children at a time to hang them up on trees.

And oh yes, another really fun part for me was when a few of us were walking along the trail to get to our spot, we were talking and then all of a sudden a loud sound came and a whoosh went over our heads. It was a Great Blue Heron. We all laughed and were startled at the same time.

As for the children, here is a teeny synopsis of their day from my lense:

Ruby enjoyed, from the beginning of the day, admiring and being in awe over small water drops and how they sit upon little grasses.  Isabella was with Ruby most of the day yet in the beginning was having a GRAND time with Jake. Kai came in very concerned about being hurt by one of the children and by the days end found safety, support and great joy with Kuba, Jake and others in the group.  Kuba also came in concerned yet wound up as well, finding safety, support and joy.  He had so much fun building, a shelter with Jake at the end of the day and was inspired to run back to the bus so that he could “hide” so that Michelle could find him!  Jake was very, very happy and exuberant to begin with and by mid day had settled to receive the joys of playing with Kuba and his easier going ways as well as with Kai. At the beginning of the day he was in strong joy of playing with Isabella.
Skyler woke up to the beauty and treasures of Archer and the two of them sweetly played with each other throughout the day.  They found a log on our trail and both carried it for quit some time together.  They sat next to each other and it was kindly.   Edie seemed to have grown emotionally quite a bit. Where once she would never wear her coat even if she was cold now, she asked to have it on when she was not cold took it off  with ease and a matter of fact nature.   She was with Michelle quite a bit today too, holding hands with a smile and I got to snuggle and giggle and play with her throughout the day as well when she was not with the other children.