Tender Tracks Tues. Day 5

Sept. 27, 2016
Waning Crescent Moon
Roy’s Redwoods

Jesse was home sick today and was missed, particularly by Ruby.
The new bus, Juniper Rose, was introduced and experienced. Not being able to play kick fighting while in the bus was a big miss, particularly for Archer and some other things were warmly welcomed! Ruby loved the name and the bus and over all it was joyfully received by everyone. They were actually quite quiet as we drove in this new friend of ours. The quieter ride I believe facilitates a bit more of this as well as the newness of it.
When we got to Roy’s there was the rushing out and enjoying this wonder filled place called Roy’s Redwoods. It is also easy now for them to get their back packs on their own because the packs fit so easily underneath their seats and there is LOT’S of room to not only get them but also not to have to bump into each other.

Once out of the bus they are learning where to put their back packs before circle time begins. From there we played chase and bouncing on the bouncy tree. There was great talk about how to be with sticks. However that was still not working out well so by the time, and when, Michelle came another circle was created around this with the grown up decision that the sticks would be put to rest for a time and not even little sticks would be picked up for now. Our hands would be free for gathering other things.

This was taken in yet not met well by Archer for sure and it took a bit to let go of playing with the beloved sticks. Even hard for Michelle and I to do yet, in the end, it worked out quite well. A slow integration when their skills get built up more will come. And now, back to circle time….

We gathered on our mats and they really love finding their symbols on their mats. And oh yes, before circle Trilly Trully, and Trippy Troopy went galavanting off for the children to find them. Jake finally found them sitting sweetly in a tree and brought them back to circle. There they shared a story that they had heard that I then told for them. It was a story, another story, about how the seasons came to be only this time it was a game between Grandmother South/Summer and Grandfather North/Winter. They hold a pebble behind their back while the other sings a song. While the other is singing they move the stone back and forth, back and forth between hands. When the song stops, the other guesses what hand the stone is in. If they guess right they take one of the 12 sticks ( for each month) that the other has and puts it in their pile. If Grandfather North wins a stick the days get colder. If Grandmother South wins the days get hotter. It turns out that they are both rather evenly matched so that this is why about half the year is warm and warmer and half the year is cold and colder. And that is why this story is told this time of year because….. 🙂 yes, you guessed, our days keep changing!!! Hot, cold, hot, cold, hot cold……………until we finally settle down into a season.

After story and snack we played a bit longer then off on our adventure we went. We took a different, longer way to get back to the place we went before through the woods, over logs, under tree branches and then, we found our place and remembered the houses we were building!!!

They found the Cathedral of Redwoods and there we had our lunch in a circle. Michelle told a story of how the lambs were born where she lives yesterday and I told some funny stories about my cat Sam. They loved them all and were involved in the stories.

Then it was time to settle down in this place, explore, revisit and play.
Kuba found “chalk” to make and he scrapped and scrapped a small piece of wood to make “chalk.” Eddie and SKylar took off most of their clothes because it was so hot and they LOVED this. Eddie decided to get dressed again a bit later. Kai came a bit fiery about a lot of things on this day yet still had a great deal of fun with Isabella. Isabella was quiet and was happy to play with Ruby since Ruby did not have her close friend Jesse with her. Archer’s day started a bit hard as he REALLY wanted to play with sticks yet it was clear he does not, at this point, have the skills to notice who is around. After awhile though he settled in to other things that one can do without sticks and had a grand day! And Jake, he seems so happy to be running around outdoors that at times he is tripping tripping, yet all with a smile because he loves it so.

It is clear that everyone is still in a time of getting to know one another and staying close to those children they know the best. And with that, as we work to provide more opportunities for connections wth each other it was very nice when Ruby found a bay nut and wanted it cracked open because she went and asked Archer if he could do it for her. And, he was happy to try and figure this out!

After bouncy tree time with Michelle, building little houses with sticks, playing the game we learned from the story and poop and pee time in different groups, the day got hotter and hotter. Then they all wound up settling down and listening to Michelle tell a gentle version of: The Three little Pigs. They were very present with this tale and then, well we had to pack up and leave.

As far as we can tell your children are happy and deeply involved in their days at Tender Tracks. It is all new, even for the ones that were here last year and great growth and development comes about each time we are together. It is an exciting and precious time as we all build greater and greater unity and care one for the other.