There were discoveries of spring this week, despite Sir Walter Wally the groundhog's prediction. There were squeals of glee at the discovery that there were "bumps" all over the growing shrubs and trees. It's so exciting to see the children discover a small bud and to see their faces change as they realize the whole forest is beginning to transform itself.
The trellis arches in the garden have been resurrected and the children helped to plant peas along their bottom edges. We also got some beets and kale planted as well. As always, here's hoping.
The trellis arches in the garden have been resurrected and the children helped to plant peas along their bottom edges. We also got some beets and kale planted as well. As always, here's hoping.
It's been beautiful to watch how the children tenderly care for one another. As the older ones are growing (though they are still quite young!), they are beginning to slow down and wait for the younger ones. I love watching them as they pour their water for snack, the pitcher goes around the table, and the older children will watch the younger child take the heavy pitcher in their little hands and let them know "Careful, it's heavy...now tilt it just a little, aaaannndd...that's it! Stop there!". Or in the forest, an older child will get ahead a bit and hear a younger one calling their name, and sit on a stump while the other stumbles over all the logs and vines to get to them. A little fella who had not yet gathered the courage to climb the rope ladder came up to me today to say he wanted to climb it. One of his slightly older buddies was sitting nearby, who also is not yet so keen on the wobbliness of a rope ladder. I told the first child that perhaps his friend could join him and help him to brave it. So the first child said to his friend "Will you help me be brave?", to which the friend took his hand, and I kid you not, kissed his forehead, and said "I will". The older climbed up a ways to steady the ladder and let the younger give it his best shot. This is what I try to make space in the day for, time for children to seek one another out, work through difficulties and discover that their peers, who are going to share the same world at the same time, are GOOD and there to help them grow!
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