Tender Tracks Tues, Day 11 (no school days 9 & 10 due to fires)

Oct. 17, 2017
Waning Crescent Moon
Lake Lagunitas

Our reunion from a week away was so very , very sweet.  We all, some parents included, just hung out in the bus at first with what seemed like, just having a good time sharing together!

Parents left, stuffies came out, Devin went with his mom to join us and off we went.
There was so much that took place in just one spot I know I will miss sharing with you the many, many, many jeweled moments and words spoken so please know, this day was; sweet, beautiful, EASY, friendly, fun, playful, peaceful and………..:)

When we got to Lake Lagunitas Puma and Avaline wanted to set up circle with Ruby. I took Vita to the bathroom and Austen was with Ruby but I wasn’t there so I am not sure what he was doing.  Devin came a bit later.
Today was the day we were finally able to have our tea party and bring out all the Stuffed animals. These animals have never been out to join Tender Trackers and hear their songs and stories.  We put out all the mats and even then there were so many stuffies it was hard to find a spot for them, but, we did!  And, we sang for them, we told the story for them, they sang to us their songs( the two that do “sing”/the bird stuffies) and the children were delighted.  With our snack we drank delicious Rose Hips Tea from the rose hips we gathered the last time we were together!

After circle they went straight out to play and then Ruby and I brought out many wonders to spend time with for the rest of the day.

• hammer and nails
• mortar and pestles
• basket for gathering the many, many Redwood Cones that Ruby started to find

I found rocks down by the creek for them to pound and some of them found rocks to pound too.
At first, they all heard about Hammer safety and then they got set up with 5 nails and two large stumps to hammer in.  They hammered and hammered, Avaline, Puma and Devin hammering on one stump and Vita, and Austin on another.
Devin finished hammering and then he got into pounding Oster shells. Vita pounded Oster shells in the other mortar and pestle but wanted the one that Devin had. After a time he was more thant willing to trade.  Puma got a hammer and began to break up the red brick/stone that I brought up from the creek to pound and then smooth it out with another stone.  Avaline stayed DEDICATED to hammering and very regularly asked Ruby or Puma to see what she was doing.  She and Puma were showing each other what they were doing on and off and on and off all morning.

Austin wanted to play with Devin a lot and, by the end of the day, they were truly playing happily with each other. Earlier Devin was very focused on all the work he was doing.
I look forward to sharing the pictures I took of them all later on. 🙂

Austin found a garland of Autumn leaves and brought them over to us. Avaline LOVED them and began decorating the trees with it. Others came to help. We then went to eat lunch.

Our lunches are just so peaceful and sweet!  There was one conversation that took place that was quite funny and in very four-year-old style. Vita was playing a guessing game about “What is sticky?” We all were sharing what was sticky: strawberries, honey, sap, peanut butter…… and so on.  Finally, we guessed Banana Slug and she laughed and laughed. That was what she wanted us to guess. She had a toy Banana Slug with her.  I thought it was a real one that she was REALLY squishing.   But she wasn’t, as I discovered.  A good laugh was had by all.

After lunch, they all went to play together accept Austen. He was still eating.  We wound up having a very fun conversation about Yoda who was on his shirt.  I said that I really liked Yoda. “Why do you like Yoda?” Austen asked.  “Because he is very wise,” I said. “What makes him so wise?” Austen asked.  “He really knows how to laugh a lot.  “Very wise people really know how to laugh.”  I said. “I am very wise then,” said Austen. “I laugh a lot!”  And from there we laughed and told a lot of Knock Knock jokes.

We then joined the others.  Vita had to go poop so she and I  left and when we came back,  Ruby was a horse that Devin turned her into and the rest of them were turning others into Monsters.

From there we had a grand time dying and then being eaten by a Mt. Lion/ Vita, Puma was just sending us to the other world, Devin was making sure Ruby was fine, Avaline decorated us with the fall flowers and Austin was joining in the fun. We were covered with little happy children.
But oh, it was time to get ready to go, though it was hard to believe, the time just flew by with focus and fun.

I began to gather our belongings and put them into the bus. And, what did I find when I got there?

Ruby had her Bird Watching eyes on and there were 5 little Owls hooting and hooting in the tree right in front of her!!!!  ( the children were so sweet standing all together hooting away.)

We then finally got in the bus but they disappeared! Oh dear, but then one by one, they popped out! We sang our songs and made our way back.