Tender Tracks Tues. Week 4 Day 7

Oct. 2, 2018
Waning First Quarter Moon
Lake Lagunitas

AHHH, today was simply BEAUTY FILLED, BEAUTY FELT!
Everyone was alive with the cleansing rain that was falling upon us strong throughout the night and at the beginning of the morning.
They came into the bus and we proceeded to assess everyone’s clothing needs, emotional needs with regard to how they respond to wetness, warmth, clothing, shoes and the like and then made sure they were all appropriately ready for the day. Phew, that took awhile yet, we all had fun during it all!!

When we got to the Lakes those who explored the mud last Thursday were very keen on jumping out of the bus and partaking in full force again. We encouraged them to check it out yet stay a bit clean until after circle and snack:) They were quite lovely about that request.

Even though the rain actually, and quite unexpectedly, had stopped by the time we arrived, we set up our circle in the shelter area on one of the tables there as the ground was so wet.

Circle began at 10:30, which is quite later than usual. They did not mind as they were all having sooooo much fun exploring the puddles, the mud, the trees, the waters……
So when we started circle we jumped right into some new October songs and then a story that was inspired by the children from their conversation in the back of the bus last week.
I told a version of the 3 Little Pigs with the focus on building different kinds of shelters which led into us practicing building a shelter for when the rains really do come down hard upon us.

The children were interested yet it was the girls that all came in to help “make house” as it really felt to them while the boys, well the call of the mud was FAR to grand for setting up this tarp house. 🙂 I wish I knew a symbol for playful laughter to put here…

I enjoyed seeing Uma, in particular, pounding away at one of the camp stakes to keep the rope tied down along with Josie and Ellie. The boys would regularly call for joyful help because “The Mud Monsters” sucked up their boots!!!!!

Luna was doing her sweet meanderings singing to herself and calmly, caringly walking the land. I heard her giving thanks to the waters and the plants, the birds and all that was around her. More beautiful to hear then I can describe.

The boys had found some toy object in the culvert near the pond and got it out and then proceeded to throw it in the pond. Oh no! they cried as they wanted it back and didn’t know how to get it back. Ruby and I gave them sticks but still they could not figure out how to coax it back to land and into their hands. They gave up and the girls came in. They called me over, I pulled it in enough to where Josie got it out. She then shared it with Uma who REALLY wanted it and then Uma was going to give it to the boys. Josie said “NOOOOOOOO I want to do that!” with an annoyed voice. I acknowledged her desire and suggested that maybe they do it together. Instantly, they both said YES. They shared it with the boys. Then Josie said words something to this effect ‘We know your smart so we thought you might know what to do with this.” Well, how great is that I ask you?!!!!!
Holden, however, got hold of it and instantly threw it back into the water. Oh no, the cries were heard and now, how to get it back again????
I suggested to Josie, who showed the most interest, how to change the currents of the water by different ways of splashing. I then left and I am not sure they ever really did get it back out. No matter, the amount of play that happened with the Banana Slugs and Newts throughout the day AND this great mathematical puzzle made the day, marvelous!!

At one point Uma was playing with all the boys climbing up and down the banks of the pond. Eamon straight away in the morning was conversing with Luna and all of them were playing in different configurations together and helping one another out. And the girls just had so much fun bringing Ruby and I over to help them when they “got stuck by the mud monsters!!!”

And Josie, she was more talkative and alive than ever before. Each one of the children were vibrant, happy, curious about life and fully engaged with their environment. YEAH!!!!!