Tender Tracks Tues. Day 19

Nov. 14, 2017
Waning Moon
Lake Lagunitas

Devin was absent today.

Such a gloriously fun day this day was!!  The children were unified, alive, playful and their imaginations were in full form!
The day started out quite cold yet ended up warm and very comfortable.  Going to the same place most of the time brings about such deepening and a great sense of place.  They know this place and have their favorite areas to play and imagine that which warms their heart and soul.
As we were driving into the Lakes area I saw an incredible hawk, yet to be determined which hawk, sitting on the telephone line.  The children could not see it very well so we stopped and unbuckled them to see. What an exquisite viewing for us.  It was beautiful and then it FLEW away as we got to see it’s great wing span.

When we got to our parking spot they all happily, happily hopped out of the bus and scattered to enter into another world of fun.

We went to where the Sun was shining warm and just outside the Redwoods.  It took quite a while to set up circle too due to the many things they found. Firstly we went looking for the pumpkins they put out there about two + weeks ago.  Avaline couldn’t find hers, Vita, not hers, Puma, well, not at first.  It wasn’t until about an hour or so later that Puma found first the handle of his pumpkin top and then the top.  We all looked at the markings on it to try and figure out if they were animal nibbles or just the rocks that were embedded on the inside.  They are really getting attuned to tracking things all around.

Austen wound up getting all those little prickles in his hand again. We still cannot figure out what they are from. I have never seen these things in this area before. I spent quite bit of time picking them out too. All the children helped to see if they could see them as they were so fair in color that the light had to be just right to see them and then try to gently take them out.  During circle Sandy suggested that he rub his hands against his pant legs in a particular way to see if it would get them out.  Austen believed that it did help, and that was that.

We did come to circle and did a great deal of listening to the bird sounds that were all around us and then the sounds that weren’t around us.  Was it the people that walked by that brought out the large Bird alarms that were going off near us or was it something else that disturbed them?  Listening and listening and then, moving into our own songs and story. Today the story was about a little mouse Fredrick, from the story Fredrick the mouse, only this story had a little different twist.  Fredrick had saved for the winter colors from rocks he had pounded and he made paint brushes for everyone!  I demonstrated all of this via the story and I had brought out some blue, red and yellow rock paints that they have not painted with yet.   After circle they were very excited to paint and went right over to the picnic table. All of them wanted to paint on wood, rock or stone so they began there and then went to paper. Puma really wanted to paint with purple. They all worked at remembering, from the story last week, what colors, when playing together, make purple. They figured it out. We mixed the right colors together and yeah… PURPLE!!!

When we were finished with that we set everything up to dry and then, they found the beautiful Redwood climbing tree nearby.  They played together in that tree until lunch time!   They were Chitas, and monkeys and I was a Cobra that was going to eat them. Then there was the Cobra they wanted to chase them and eat them but then, they kept getting all camouflaged ( putting a redwood branch in front of them and standing there hidden!!:)  )   There was much climbing, hanging, swinging, figuring out how to climb up, and all working together and playing together.

We finally had lunch and then, they went back to it for a little bit. We then went up to see if we could spy some turtles. I saw one and Avaline and I went running to see if we really did.  Then they all went running to a spot we used to go to last year.  They all climbed up this big fallen down tree and were throwing some of the stones down together.

The day was so filled yet so easy and flowing. When we had to leave this place they couldn’t believe it. Usually, we stay for much longer. What they did not realize was how long we were in our other spot exploring the tree, painting, in circle, chasing, hiding, camouflaging, looking for pumpkins, finding tracks and the like.

And then, their favorite thing to do when we get in the bus,  hide under the seats.  What fun what fun!