Tender Tracks Tues. Day 3

Sept. 20, 2016
Waning Crescent Moon
Roy’s Redwoods

The children came filled with exuberance and great energy. Since it is Tuesday Michelle met us at Roy’s. In the bus they settled sweetly and received the stuffed animals of their choice with great delight. They saw the drawing of the moon in the front of the bus and we sang a song that we will sing to the moon every Full Moon and New Moon. It is a sweet, gentle and welcoming song sung in another language with only two words to the song with easeful hand movements.

When we got to our place they jumped out and began to explore. Boundaries were given as to how far they can roam. I showed them the large “bouncy” tree near by. There are actually two different sized tree trunk/branches that are at a horizontal angel, perfect for climbing on and then bouncing. What fun they had all figuring out how to climb up one or the other, helping each other, waiting for each other, bouncing each other, singing songs while we bounced and laughing together.
Truly they enjoyed themselves greatly and had so much to figure out. Eddie and Skylar were really working out how to climb up this one spot that they wanted to get up on. I pulled over a log for them to use and they did. Archer LOVED singing and wanted us to sing and sing and sing some more. Jessie LOVED being up in the front and bouncing, bouncing. Isabella watched mostly and with a very big big smile!! Kuba had a great deal of fun figuring out how to climb over someone to get to where he wanted to be on the long trunk. Ruby was spending most of the day with Jessie so was on the log and joining him in many adventurous climbing moments that normally I have not seen her do. And Jake he was just simply delighted by the whole thing!! He climbed, traversed and just loved it all!
The group is, at the moment, spending a lot of time in pairs and one triad: Archer and Jake, Ruby and Jessie and/or Isabella, Isabella and Kai and or Ruby, Kuba with Isabella and Kai, Skylar and Eddie.
We have our morning and lunch times together in circles where we stay together until whatever we are doing is fully finished, such as lunch. This brings a greater sense of unity, each other and getting to know each other. With this they are indeed getting to know each other and each others names and greater and greater interactions are taking place.

Circle time was again, very sweet with singing, and hearing the continuation of “Trilly Truly and Trippy Trooppies adventures. Today they figured out how to create a Coyote call when they get lost in order to always know where each other is. And, as you might have guessed, that is what WE played with today. Jake, Archer, Jessie and Ruby are filled with a bit of mischief and like to go a little farther then desired so we continue to work with how Tender Tracks works and how we stay together in our group and how we communicate when we want to go farther then usual. Ruby pronounced that she enjoying being “Tricksters”with Jessie today.

After morning circle we explored our area. It has a WONDERFUL tree hideout kind of place up the hill with a GREAT slippy sliddy area. WOW lot’s of learning and physical navigating here; how to climb up a very slippy area and how to slip down. One by one they each figured out how to navigate it for themselves and then help each other, when needed. Jake and Archer found some flat redwood bark to use to slid down the hill on and LOVED this. Jessie and Ruby liked trying to climb the tree. Isabella and Kai went to the bottom where our packs were long before everyone came down and talked and talked and talked. For the rest of the day they created from Redwood bark these “shooters” that shot ice and would freeze any one that they shot at. The day was also filled with learning to respect others when they said they did not want to play any particular given game that someone wanted to play with them. Really beautiful “work” that took place around this. So much to learn!!! 🙂

We then went on a journey to another spot a bit away where there is the most beautiful Redwood Circle that is like a Cathedral and another bouncy tree and such great areas!! From here on out there were wonderful games, adventures and explorations.

I brought, as promised, another ocarina that I had made so they could play it. Jake remembered my promise right away and I gave it to him first. Michelle suggested that he go a bit of a ways away, play it and we will come and find him by following the sound. From there they all took turns finding a place to hide, playing the ocarina and the rest of us then come find them.

After that we had a beautiful lunch time and after that we found great, already built, shelters that they all played in. Archer and Kuba had a great time building up one of them too!

Then it was time to go so we packed up and made our way but, we saw some folks on horses and watched them as well as followed some horse tracks. Back in the bus Michelle drew their “story of the day” on the board in the front of the bus. They shared their joys of the day and she drew it and then we sang our good bye song and off we went back to you all!!!