Tender Tracks Tues. Day 23

Dec. 5, 2017
Waning Moon
Lake Lagunitas

Crisp, cold in the shade, warm in the sun, present, still, alive, allowing of time and space to flow with greater and greater ease, kind of a day.

We stayed in this one spot all day. Our sunny hill, mostly sunny, with the water-filled trough. By doing so, by days end, a calm and settled state within everyone arrived and fully manifested as we drove home.

The day began, however, with the aliveness that often happens when we haven’t seen one another for four days. It is that reacquainting time. When we got to our place they did as they always do, fan out to explore the places that bring them curiosity and joy: The fairy house area, the water filled trough, the fallen down log with the pole attached…

We came together for circle and a story that continued from last week. A bit funny as I was using little Gnomes, lanterns, little hammer, Trilly-Trully and such.  They fell down often and I was a bit clumsy with them yet the children seemed so present and right there with it all.  Internally, I found it quite comical.

The story was about Lanterns that the Gnomes use to see in the dark.  They taught Trill-Truly and Trippy-Troppy how to make them. And then, we made our own!  Yes, after circle we got out  cans that had frozen water in them, got out our nails and hammers and worked together to hammer holes in their cans so that light will come out when a candle is put in them. The Gnomes will teach us how to make the candles at another time ( next week!)

The children, all of them, really enjoyed this adventure.  Each one of them was able to take those nails and hammer and hammer away at their can.  Vita seemed the most confident and went at hammering one round circle of holes all around the can.  Each one chose the spots to put their nails in and then decided when they felt it was done. After that, the great fun part came when they shook out the ice from within or tried to figure out how to get the ice out!!!!  The sun was asked to help a bit and some had to wait a while for the ice to melt enough to get it out and they did. Then hammering on this ice was most fun as well!!

We had a fine lunch circle today as the children continued their game of “broken, unbroken.”  They break a piece of their food, show it to us held together and try to trick us to see if we can tell if it has been broken or not.  Then Ruby brought out a great game/ song to see if something was hiding in which hand.  The children LOVED it!! That was played throughout the rest of the day.

They all got very involved in building up the logs so that they could climb up on the big bar and swing or stay up. Vita had an EASY time doing this. Puma too. Avaline was determined to get up there even though it was hard. She pulled and dragged more and more logs over to build them up so she could get up. Ruby and I helped and then after Vita moved from one spot, AVALINE DID IT!!!!!!!  She was, as you can imagine, quite pleased with herself and did it, again!  Austen found some old cans and he and Devin spent a great deal of time making this log pile into a recycling center. Now they were DELIGHTED with what they were doing.  Finally, Puma wished to play one of his most favorite games: Monsters.  When asked what Monsters looked like he simply said, Yourself.  Avaline, however, had more Monster like description. But, no matter, the game ensued, I was the monster and the chase began.  Devin too finally became a roaring monster with big grimaces and clawed hands.  OH NOOOO, I better RUNNN, For I was no longer the Monster but the Monster being chased!  Ruby took Puma to the Porta Potty for a little poop moment and, when they came back, who should be stalking up on us but, oh dear, I do believe, Coyotes were about.  AHHHHH, more fun came into our circle.

Earlier in the day, there was a woman with two dogs down the hill near us. Puma, Vita and Avaline befriended this woman and dog for a bit before circle.  Right before lunch, there was a large group of people eating lunch on that side of the hill. All the children and Ruby were sitting there looking at them and wanting to connect. Austen, Puma, and Avaline went down to say hello and then they found the water spigot.  Well, that was a bit too close to those folks and a bit too much fun for Austen so, I called them and off to lunch we went ourselves.

When it was time to leave I needed to use the rest room. When I came back Ruby went. But what did I find when I cam back???? Just lumps of blankets.  Where could the children be?????  I began to make nature sounds and be in some stillness, and they stayed still as could be until finally, one, two, three…four… popped out but oh no, where was Devin?? he stayed faithful to the covered fun. Ruby was coming so quick as bugs they hid again as she slinked in and they POPPPED out with glee.

On the drive back there were sweet stories between them all with quiet, still and peaceful smiles while they listened one to the other.