Tender Tracks Tues. Day 29

Jan. 9, 2018
Waning Moon
Lake Lagunitas

What a Glorious, glorious day!!!
Our new friend Owen joined the day and it could not have gone any better. He joined right in, he was taken in by all and the dynamics felt like everything just completely smoothed out.  They all took the easiest of turns playing with each other throughout the day.  An unexpected balance took place.

Puma came in today with such calm. It was also the first day that he showed no signs of sickness, cough or runny nose too!  Avaline and Vita played together a lot today with such aliveness.  Devin was just happy.  He was also very happy to make “jeeps” for Ruby and me too. He spent a lot of time, building and being a builder with trucks, bulldozers and he found a great deal of tools on the ground too and used them to fix many things.  He loved the story told today about a great Knight riding a Pegasus horse with a long Silver Sword who helped a Princess be safe from a Dragon.
Owen jumped in with great ease and fun. He spent time with every one of the children in one way or the other and in happy play.  And Austen, he had so much fun playing with Owen first, then Puma with Ca. newts, and then inviting all the children to SWIM in puddles and pools.
6 children now and a new kind of balance.

The ground was wet, the air rich with crisp smells, the sky was warm and clear until lunch time where the temperature dropped and the sky turned gray and overcast. During circle the children got some Jobs.  Guardian of Safety= carrying little first aid kits that they can attach to their backpacks, Weather watchers= a stick we harvested last week and then attached a feather on a string to it so it can move with the wind and Snack helpers.
Vita and Avaline were the Guardians of Safety. Vita REALLY liked this and made sure that the first aid kits were attached to both their back packs. Avaline noticed that no one got hurt during the day.  Often children are a bit sad about this because they really want to use the first aid kits!!!  Puma and Austen were the snack helpers and made sure the dishes were given to Ruby before they left circle.  I was weather watcher today to show them how we use the Weather stick: holding it up and seeing if the wind blows the feather or not.  We saw that there was no wind way high up, in the middle of the trees and way down low.  Thursday it will be Devin and Owen’s job.

The first half of the day was filled with hidding, seeking, porta pottie breaks, Puma sitting perfectly still for 10 min observing a Ca. Newt, playing with Newts, finding worms to put ON the newts, playing with burnt wood and selling the black part to draw with, drawing on faces with this, exploring the creeks and so much more.  Hunger came quickly as the rich winter air brought aliveness to their metabolisms.

After lunch they all went to playing on the small creek near the parking lot. They played on the bouncy tree, climbed up and down the hill, Devin kept building, and the others found their way in, out and around finding treasure, mud, water and fun.  Ruby and I did a time check and we really wanted them to go and see the Lake that was now full so off we went down the path. But, there was so much to see!!!!!! Vita however was the first to run to the lake and be excited when, where we used to easily cross the dry lake bed, now we could not.  Finally they all made it over and from there so much fun happened until finally ALL of them, accept Devin, literally SWAM in the puddles and a little pool there.  Devin was busy climbing and navigating up and down the side of a hill.  The children were in watery, wintery bliss!  Well, we did need to go back early and have our First of the Year Changing party!!!   They all stripped down outside the bus while Ruby and I got all their extra clothes and extra bags for the wet clothes and changed them up.  In the middle of this Devin had to poop so I took out the Tender Tracks Porclein potty and he was very willing to sit on it, though a bit challenging, and poop right in it.  A SUCCESS!!  and I got to continue finishing up with Vita.

After cleaning/tidying up a bit, getting them all buckled up, Ruby drew a picture of the day as we remembered so many of the things we saw and experienced. We then sang our good bye song teaching it to Owen, and then off we went.

Today was filled with so many delights and warm interactions. What a great beginning to 2018.