Tender Tracks Thurs. Day 58

April 27, 2017
New Moon
Lake Lagunitas

What a glorious sunny and fine day.  Today we celebrated Kuba’s fifth birthday.
We started our day at the “Witches Brew” hill. It was sunny and the children scattered to their favorite places.  There was a new and beautiful Fairy Home there that the children added more gifts to.  The boys afterwards got VERY into building and all worked together pulling logs and such to do so.  Isabella and Ruby played at the Witches brew pot.

Circle time was filled with the Birthday story and the snack that Kuba brought. He passed them out graciously.  We then made our way to a journey back to a place that we have not been to in a while. We went to the other side of Bon Tempe. The trail is through the woods and is ever, ever so beautiful.

The girls had fun, as they do, slowly walking along the trail talking and finding interest in many things.  The boys were up ahead with Michelle and settled into our place that was right next to the lake and in the sun.

Truly, for over an hour before and then after lunch the boys were building. Kuba was the head of this and had quite the idea of how to do it.  Throughout the day the boys were quite funny about who was leader. Jake, Kuba and Archer ALL wanted to be the Leader/Boss and there were some very fascinating dynamics going on around that.  Jesse had played a game to figure out who would be the “boss” at the beginning of the day. It was Jake. Archer was NOT happy about that. They then decided that there were many different kinds of bosses so they each chose a name that worked for them. For example: Regular boss, Special Boss and….many different variations.  They figured it out.  And, that is what we saw a lot of today.  We were able to sit back and give them room to figure these things out more because, they have really grown so very, very much.   The quintessential moment happened when we were at our final place.  Jake had splashed Archer with water from the lake. Archer got made and splashed him back and then said, with out a lot of anger but just clearly ” This is what you did to me and how it felt.”  Jake was about to give it back to Archer but he stopped, heard what he said to him and completely stopped his impulse to strike back.  Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!  The day was filled with these wonder filled milestones of their maturing processes at work.

But, back to Kuba and building.  Kuba was trying to build a shelter. Archer said a shelter and a fort are the same thing. Kuba explained how they were not.  He continued to build and he kept asking for help, particularly from Jesse. But alas, Jesse really liked playing more then “working.”  Jake  however really wanted to help but Kuba was less interested in his help.  I did come in and assist them at this point just a bit and then Kuba saw that Jake’s desire as well as skills could be of use.  So Jake helped, I helped, Kuba lift a really big log,  and in and out they all came to create this amazing home.  By the end of the day we all thought it would be good to come back and see if it was still standing or if wind and weather might take it down. So, after holiday we must come back!

The girls were delighted to play in the water and try to go quietly and slowly up to the ducks that came by.  They gave a valiant attempt but alas the ducks never let them get that close.  The butterflies were of great interest to all as well as the beautiful Lupin flowers that were all around us.

During lunch I read the beautiful story Miss Rumphius/the Lupin lady.  Isabella knew it by heart!

The day was sweet, warm and filled with so much new life!