Tender Tracks Thursday Day 40

Feb. 14, 2019
Lake Lagunitas
Waxing Moon

Josie, Luna and Ruby were absent today.  Ida came again.

Today was a cold, invigorating and wonderful day. The rains touched upon us on and off throughout the day yet nothing that was too challenging.  The waters from the night before were the MOST AMAZING that I have EVER seen at Lake Lagunitas.  The creek was only about a couple of feet lower than the bridge that is at the other end of the parking lot.  It was a winter, water MAGICAL space and place to be revered for the power of water and wind!  So, that was the foundation of the day to explore upon.

We set up the crafts things and put our back packs under the covering there and then set the rest of ourselves  up around the fire pit.   There we got out our fire materials and began to make kindling from the wood I had brought.  The children helped us split the wood. We held the knife in the wood and they would hammer it down with another stick.  We made enough kindling to put around the dry tinder that they worked with last week with matches.  And so they set this up and then….Ellie lit the fire!!

Poof, off it went. Ida helped them through many ways of being with the fire and I supported them about having one Fire Tender that you always work with when you want to add something to the fire. She aided them on how to lay sticks in a way that they will burn well and on it went.  So very grounding and expansive at the same time for their learning, fun and growth.

Uma and Ellie, earlier in the day, made their special pockets for the little friends they received on Tuesday.  They all had put their pieces of wool into different dye baths.  From here they took their dried pieces and, with little pincher fingers, pulled and pulled to make them soft and fluffy and then stuff their “heart pockets” to be a cozy bed for their new little friends to go in and under their  pillows at night.

The boys did theirs right at the end of the day.  All of the children had no hesitancy about the muted colors that they made and, they could have a little bit of the very colorful other wool that I had.  They all seemed very excited to make these for their little friends.  And, that was the Valentines “event” of the day.  And oh yes, for snack they received little brownies that were in the shape of a heart.

This day was just so much fun. We played a lot of games, particularly, Fire in the Forest.  First, boundaries with big sticks were made, then the children had to think of what kind of animal or bird they were and keep it to themselves. Then there was the person in the middle of this bounded area. That person asks a question about who they are such as: ” Do you have four legs?”  If you do then you run across the forest to get to the other side. If you get caught, then you become a burning bush and, though you can’t move, you can “catch/tag” a person running to the other side. Then, sometimes, the person in the middle will call “Fire in the Forest!!!” and EVERYBODY RUNNNSSSS to the other side.  Eamon loved this game very much and stayed with it the longest.  Holden and Theo were IMMERSED in putting out the fire by stirring it , as they were taught.  Then Uma stayed with it quite a bit and Ellie came in and out.

We explored the waters all along the area. We threw things into the RAGING creek and watched them go down stream. We checked on the many LARGE puddles and played one with the other.

Then, on the way home, Ida sang with them more of her songs that they love and back to you!