Tender Tracks Tues. Day 59

May 8, 2018
Waning Moon
Lake Lagunitas

Avaline, Devin and Owen were absent today.

This day was very Sunny with coolness around the edges. And, it was full of life, vitality, unity and a great deal of laughter and joy.

The day began with chasing, hiding in the bushes, finding each other, getting the stuffed animals they wanted and deeply playing happily with one another, ALL DAY!

Truly this was a grand day and so very peaceful yet so very, very full.  Curiosity, exploration, exuberance and deep involvement was present throughout the day.

They instantly went to playing with the Newts as soon as we got there.  We let them play and then explore for a good amount of time. They went up on the rocks, under the diminishing waterfall and through some of the water.  When it was time to come to circle we wondered why Austen hadn’t come. We looked over and he was still on the side of the rock facing. I asked if he needed help getting down. He shook his head YES!  I came over and, with the smallest of suggestions, or rather reminders of how he got there, he figured it out and came on over.  There we turned to face the sun and sang our songs to It. This is the ONE song that we have sung every day. The children have grown a bit weary of it so, today we turned our bodies right to the Sun and gave such gratitude as we remembered the days when it was so very cold and how much we were enjoying the warmth of these strong rays and the clouds that were not covering it up.  We then sang our other songs.  I then taught them a new song.  This song was inspired by some conversation that was happening on the way up to the Lakes.  It is a song in two different languages and it is a song that honors the Tree People and how they speak to us.

The story was about all of the children and basically around where Owen was yet also about what they will be doing on this day.

After circle they all cleaned up and then charged right back to Newts and play.  After a bit, we brought them over to begin making our Healing Salve that we began over two weeks ago when we went to harvest Plantain and Calendula flowers.  They went over and half filled one of the pots for the double boiling. Then they all squeezed out the oil and plant matter from inside a cloth bag that we poured it into.   Puma was NOT  into getting his hands oily. Vita was fine and Austen REALLY gave it a squeeze. He was very proud of his strength!  They all then went down to the creek to wash their hands.  We then began to warm up the plant mixture and they measured the beeswax on a measuring scale. Vita picked out the exact chunk that was one ounce!  They each took turns stirring the pot with the beeswax.

Inspired by the fact that they wanted everything to melt right away I began a story about the caterpillars long and patient journey in becoming a butterfly. But then, but then……I BECAME A BUTTERFLY LOOKING FOR FLOWERS TO LAND ON!!!!!!! And so the chase began.  We spent a long time chasing one another, climbing up hills, stalking each other and then, our salve was ready to be poured but first, they each put in three drops of Lavender essential oils.  We poured it all into containers and then went to lunch to let it all harden up.

We had a fine lunch filled with easy eating and sharing of stories.  Then, we checked on the salves.  We thought we would then go on an adventure but, they found some of our cooking pots, charcoal from the fire pits filled with burned up wood and the rest of the day was FILLED with pounding, making potions, singing, playing music with rocks, table and sticks. Ruby and I serenaded them and they found good rocks for pounding as well as pulling LARGE sticks over for??? and then, they covered themselves with the wonderful black paint.

Each one of them were just so very very content and happy playing altogether.  It was just grand fun and that is about it.

In the bus during our gratitude time, they were very quiet so I shared, in a story manner, all about our day and if they liked this or that. The more they heard, the more they smiled and the more they said yes, to enjoying this and that and then, off we went.