Tender Tracks Tues. Day 7

Oct. 3, 2017
Waxing Moon
Roy’s Redwoods

Just a plain and simply beautiful and most peaceful day yet.  Truly, everything was magical, easy, peaceful, kind and playful.  From the time we got into the bus to the end of the day this is what it was like.

Circle time was one beautiful flow.  We have been doing mindful breathing since the beginning and today I added different types of breathing like Turtle breathing and fish breathing.  It is all playful yet brings in breath, ease, calmness, and relaxation.  Since it is now October we have added some new songs, verses, and finger plays.  They all seemed to enjoy these very much.   Before circle they went to find Trilly Trully and Trippy Troopy. I am not sure if I have introduced these friends to you, the reader yet, but they are two nature friends that come at story time and invite me to share many of their wonderful tales that they have learned as they live upon this beautiful earth.

They had hopped out of their beloved box and hid inside a little hiddie hole. The children found them and brought them to circle where they stayed to listen to a story about a little turtle that got a bit scared from all the Halloween sounds and sites. He hid right inside his shell, too afraid to move, until a kind and caring Trilly  Trully and Trippy Troopy came to bring him to safety.   A very sweet tale indeed.

After listening to the singing bowl to send us out of circle, they all went, led by Avaline, to the bouncy tree!!!  They ALL had fun climbing up this tree and then having Ruby and I bounce and bounce and bounce them along.   Devin was very clear that he was directing this whole experience. He had special turning on and off gadgets that Austen and Puma were completely involved in and engrossed in the play that he offered.   When that subsided a bit I led them up the hill behind us where we found a WONDERFUL area of Redwood trees to play in, find black bark from the trees to scrap and a perfectly wonderful sliddy hill to slid up and down and up and down on.  Puma and Austen were creating a home, Avaline and Vita kept going up and down and around and down again and Devin was very involved in being on a hill there and figuring out how to slide up and down it.  We then went down the hill to this most incredible Redwood Tree that was shaped in a most unusual fashion.  We explored and then found a very interesting hole in the ground.  There were no animal track or sign that we could find to figure out how it got there. But, we searched for signs for a while and then wandered off.

Avaline found little houses that someone had built. Puma came over to see and then they begged the other children to come and see these wonders that they instantly fell in love with. The other children did come and see and then, off we went through the woods on a lovely adventure to find a place that they had not been to. As we walked we came upon, A VERY LARGE REDWOOD TRUNK to climb on and play around.  It was there that they we stayed for the rest of the day to eat lunch, hear frogs, make a net to catch frogs, and make a home out of just trees and GREAT imagination.

Lunch time was quite remarkable, it was basically quiet as we all sat eating, listening to the sounds around us and just being peaceful.  Ruby had introduced Grandmother Whisper the first week or two in order to bring us into silence while we ate. But we haven’t brought her back really. Our lunches are typically quite peaceful with sweet conversations. Today, however, was indeed an unexpected and completely organic immersion into peaceful eating and listening to all that was surrounding us.  Quite beautiful and profound really.

After lunch, Devin, who had been waiting all day to make the net, had the moment to do so.  It was made and while we were making it we heard a frog. Or actually, Vita and I heard the frog when I took her to go poop in the woods.  When the net was finished and we couldn’t hear the frog anymore I suggested that we go find it. Everyone wanted to come so we quietly went but we really didn’t hear one single frog sound. I suggested that we sit ever so still, ( like our stories have been sharing) and allow the frog to feel safe and comfortable again in order to begin singing. Then, maybe we could find it.  We all sat in a row in the woods completely quiet for such a while listening to hear the frog and then we heard many other sounds of the forest.  When they finally wanted to get up and find the frog elsewhere they went in whispers!  It was so exquisite to see them being together in such peace and ease as they searched. However, no frog was heard nor seen. But, right as we were leaving to go home who should give us a few notes of his song: FROG!!!!  🙂

When our frog adventure petered out all the children went to play house in the Bay Grove near us.  Their imagination was wild with fun. Their home was grand to anyone with an imagination to see. If you had not that, you would only see some gentle trees growing in the forest.

Austen and Devin found this incredible bug with two small pinchers. Every time they put a stick gently near it it lurched ahead with it’s pinchers to protect itself.  Devin and Austen played with this little friend together for quite some time until we truly had to go. Devin wanted to take it home but alas, these little friends must stay in their own homes as we go back to ours.

There were many more adventures that took place and the day just flowed and kept flowing with grace and beauty