Tender Tracks Thurs. Day 46

March 16, 2017
Waning Moon
Lake Lagunitas

Jesse was absent today.

Ruby was back and very glad to be back as well as very missed.  She and Isabella went straight to the seats in the bus that they love to go to when they are both here.  Jake brought his stuffed animal Rabbit that he LOVES and took such good care of it. Kai met us up at the lakes, Kuba was bright and chipper and Archer wanted to feel included by Ruby and Isabella who were very kind and very much in love with their friendship.  As a matter of fact they decided that Ruby was going to move in with Isabella and her family but her own family would come and visit.

We went to our Witches brew place and there they found the Fairy house. Jake said he had broken it and really wanted to fix it. He and I started but then Archer and Kuba came over. They got right to their designs and architecture ways.  Jake finally decided that making another home somewhere else was in order. Ruby and Isabella were roaming the land and finding treasures.  We then came into circle.

Jake wasn’t quite ready so he and I went off for a bit while the others began their day singing. Jake and I came back while snack was deliciously being made.  We had some  more of the stick bread from Tuesday that was made into a loaf as well as some sourdough bread with the butter they made Tuesday as well as honey. It got all gobbled up.

Kuba was a Circle Angel today and he made the most beautiful circle with logs for everyone to sit inside of where the mats were placed.
I began the story from Tues of Sean O’Houlaghan and Mrs. O’Malley, how he began grumpy and mumbly always looking for gold at the end of rainbows and never finding it and then finding gold and love all around him.

After circle and a bit more breathing out we then came together to go on a new adventure.  They are so solid in their bodies about the routine that it is regularly asked, “When are we going on our Adventure??”  So, packs on and off we went.  Ruby and Isabella wandering along, Kai and I holding hands and then Jake coming back to join us and Michelle with Archer and Kuba ahead.  We crossed the road and began our climb up the beautiful hills of our area. Then down a hill and……Michelle, Archer and Kuba saw something remarkable, TWO NEWTS SLIDING DOWN A SLIPPY SLIDDY WATER FALL! Yes, there were two newts in a rivulet. They were swimming about all through and around some pond slim and woooooooooooooo they slid right over a small water fall(for a newt it was most likely quite large!) and into the pool below.  The children were delighted with this and shared the story with  the rest of us when we got there. Then we went up, up, up, up, up, up up the hill with Kai and Archer convinced that really they just couldn’t do this any more. Yet with some hand holding and singing, up we made it, to the top!!  And there we settled down and settled in.

Archer began exploring in the woods right next to the meadow and then Kuba and I joined him. But oh yes, right before that Jake found a tree to see if it was a bouncy tree. It wasn’t. Archer and Kai tried the tree and they agreed, no bounce.  After a while Archer, Kuba and I were exploring the wonders in the woods and Archer found an old vine that he was playing with.  I saw the most beautiful sight and was sharing my joy over it when Kuba shared a Tender Tracks memory of his about a place and time that he LOVED and wished he cold go back to the season of the year and the place that we had visited earlier in the year.  While we were doing that Michelle and all the other children were basking in the sun with her and hearing a rendition of the Velveteen Rabbit. (inspired by Jake bringing his Rabbit)  They were so peaceful and relaxed.

We came back to all eat lunch and then ( after I disappeared to “go to find a bush”) when I came back the most incredible thing happened.  I found some golden nuggets while I was out there on the ground.  I brought them all over to this sight.  I thought that there was more but that maybe with their bright eyes they may find something else. AND, they did. There was a a little path with golden nuggets and a little package for each one of them. They were more delighted then maybe we have ever seen or heard. SQUEALS  and PEELS of delight over finding gifts exploded from them.

We went back down the hill, got in a circle and then, they were invited to take a deep breath, and hold their golden nuggets in their hands.  You see, they grabbed them up with such lusty delight that they never really slowed down enough to be and see what they had just received. So, slowing this all down, they looked at their nuggets, they smelled them, listened to them, felt them, held them to their hearts with appreciation and then, they took out their green wrapped little presents. They felt those as well and then all guessed what they thought it was. They then opened them up and found a shovel just like Sean O’Houlaghan had, an oyster shell and a packet. But, before they were to open them I read and shared what they were. They were Sunflower seeds to take home and grow.  Truly they were deeply delighted. Some thought they couldn’t use the cloth that they came in but then Jake realized that his little sister could use it for playing with her toys and Ruby said her sister could too. They thought they couldn’t use the ribbon but then I put their nuggets in the cloth and tied it up in that. Kai was REALLY delighted about that and did not let go of his package all the way back to the bus.  Kuba was going on about what they have planted at home and was very, very excited about now planting Sun Flowers in his yard!!!!

They all put their treasures in their packs and we began our descent back to the bus.
I was in the rear with Kai and he noticed that not only had he survived making it to the top when he didn’t think he would but going back down was faster and easier and he was content.

Then Kai, Ruby and Isabella and I took the slow pace of walking and the others went ahead. Right before we got back we came upon a puddle that had OOOODDDDLES! of tadpoles. Yes right in a very small pond!  Some tadpoles were getting more of a frog body and others were still very small. We had a very nice time noticing these squiggly beings!   When we made it back the bus was so quiet.  Were they really asleep!!!  NO they were not:)

Michelle told me later that when she got to the bus with them Jake took his rabbit and began telling it all of his grand adventures of the day with such kindness, love and just like talking to anybody that was very real.

When they all got buckeled up and upon their ongoing request, we drew our picture of the day.  We drew our many adventures and they insisted that they all be drawn up there. And so they were.

And here is where the day got very exceptional:
Right before we left Archer got really upset. He had been feeling left out on and off during the day by Isabella and Ruby’s joy over having a play date together.  He was only able to find angry words about feeling left out and didn’t know what else to do with his feelings. They didn’t like that and started to get unfriendly back. I quietly spoke with them about being gentle as he just really wanted to feel loved by them, or something like that. .Well, it appeared to work because Isabella changed her way and decided to include Archer, then Kai then all the rest of them in what they had begun talking about. Then, the ENTIRE ride home they ALL were sharing back and forth their imaginations with creating fantastical and funny things like: Lets have a machine that could put make up on us and then we can take it off again, Kai: Lets have a machine that makes a cake where you never forget anything! Yeah they all said and lets……. on and on they ALL were creating together the funniest things.  These simple words do not come close to describing the joy and happiness that was felt in the bus. Sheer delight and great joy with BIG smiles were held by ALLL.

The day was magical fun and happy.