Tender Tracks Wed. Day 23

March 13, 2019
Waxing Moon
Roy’s Redwoods

Addie was absent, and very missed by Beau!!! 🙂

SPRING!!  It was here by way of little flowers, crickets, butterflies, and WARM SUN shinning upon us.  There has been a new policy with Roy’s Redwoods that all schools must plan a year in advance when they will come there.  So, this was the day scheduled. We don’t always go because we are scheduled yet, we thought it would be fun to see it again. We know that it is much colder there which is why we do not go much during the winter but, it would be so fun we thought and it was warm outside of the trees.

But, OH DEAR, we were wrong!!!  Jackie Frost showed himself all along the trail. The leaves on the ground were edged with his snowy glow presence and our nose and toes, as one of our song states, were truly “nipped!”
So, after we walked to our Redwood Grove spot, we had circle, bounced on the bouncy tree, explored inside the big “Cathedral” put on gloves, coats et al. and then decided, to FIND SUN!!

Backpacks on and off we went, toward the light shinning outside the undercover of grand trees and wrens alarming.

The children came upon a little stream and in there was a worm. How lovingly and curiously, they examined, explored, and delighted in this new friend.  And, then, we continued on our journey.

All along our hike up the big hill with big mud sections to figure out how to get through, little creeklets, tracks, teeny bugs and then THE LIGHT OF DAY, they laughed and had such a grand time on this little walk/adventure.

We found a deer trail that led us up a hill to the top where we could see beyond the tops of the trees.
They found purple, yellow, and red colored flowers and delighted.  At first they just all sat down appearing to not know exactly what to do in this un manicured and slopped place.  At the beginning of the day they had talked about making homes like the three little pigs. I saw a Coyote Bush with dead twigs and old branches and went down there to begin making a little Piggie house. And so the gathering and building began for the day.

They found two rocks near each other that became the perfect structure to put a grass roof upon. So, they all worked together to build this little home. But then, OH NO!  they thought covering ME with all this grass was the best thing in the world.  We ran around the hill and then they wound up having a rolling down the hill party.  Rolling and rolling.  The boys found their way into a circle where they went round and round and fell, laughed and laughed, got up and round and round they went then fell, laughed and laughed and did it over and over again!!

We finally went to lunch where we sat in a straight line this time as we were indeed on a slop.  After that the whole group went, on their own, to play at building their house again.  All accept Gideon who was happily still eating. I stayed with him.  We were called down to where they were. When we got there they were all quite quiet as Ruby had a beautiful Butterfly upon her hand. Ellery was next to her with such joy and everyone seemed delighted with this treasure but then, OFF IT FLEW!  and back to play they went.

Today was truly a most gorgeous day on so many levels.  It is so very, very evident that they are getting closer to 4.  They are waking up like flowers in spring. They are more social, verbal, expressive with their emotions/likes/dislikes. They are now entering the world of being so much more aware of their own gender.  Their bodies can do so much more. They just show signs of being more awake and a bit less of that classic three year old dreamy state.  And this lovely group continues, even in the midst of these changes, to be sweet, fun, kind, playful, alive and present.

We packed up to go back to the bus and down the big hill they went.  We got to the muddy part and they all learned how to navigate with and around that very well.  When we came to the open trail towards the bus there were a lot of big holes in the ground. They found a really large one and they all got in it and came out like the Root Children waking up and walking into Spring. They went in and out of that several times before they could find their way back to the bus.

Sienna was delighted that she went into the water with her “water shoes” even though “they do get wet inside,” she said.  Nelly was, again, SOOO Happy throughout the day and on this day she asked for Ruby and I to hold her hand and help her up and down the big hill. Usually she says “I can do it myself!”  And now, she has matured to where to can  feel good about asking for help as well as know when she can do something herself.  Another healthy mile stone to celebrate with joy.  Ellery found her self with mud on her boots and disliking this very much.  Ruby helped find ways to clean her hands and boots in the clear stream. She was content.   Beau was tired at one point and just gave himself a 5 min. power rest and then was back in business/play:)   Nathan finally had a snack that he liked and ate it all up, Graham crackers and he too was more open to Ruby and I with greater eye contact.  More evidence of growth and natural maturity. Gideon is able to speak his words with greater clarity. He too has a more mature aliveness as does Rohin.  Rohin is getting more able to withstand the “tumble bumbles” and rough housing nature that goes on with the boys.  He has been working with this quite diligently for awhile.  He now takes his time, you can see him pondering his choices to play with them or not and then, HE JUMPS IN and delights in the fun they are having.

A day of coming out of the cold, into light, warmth, color and growth.