Day 2: Tuesday

Josie's version of dismounting from the beam

Newsflash: Snails can escape the homes you make for them! Beware! Upon waking up Tuesday morning, the snails have *gone missing* from their lovely homes on the balcony despite being carefully covered up with tea towels so they "won't get cold." But we don't have time to find them because we've got somewhere to be. Tuesdays are easy to get up for because there's tumbling to go to! I know this has very little to do with nature but the girls dig it. I'm not quite sure it's totally good for them but seeing as I haven't nailed down an affordable eurythymy class for them (more on that and all things Waldorf later) we get to drive over the hill into the cute, clean and lovely village of Lafayette and pretend to have much more money than we do. The class takes place in one well-equipped room with only 3 other small children - all girls. A far cry from Head Over Heels, the enormous warehouse building in emeryville, that we tried out and definitely did not like. Well Josie liked it, but she was out voted! Addie actually got lost during her trial class! Well okay, separated from her class but honestly, wouldn't you say that's too big for small children? 

Addie a dead-ringer for Olga Korbut from the back

Josie on the beam

 

















While the girls tumble and ribbon dance and dangle from rings and whatnot, I sit outside the door, completely riveted by their blossoming abilities. The other moms (all local to Lamorinda) are a nice bunch but they don't feel compelled to watch their children. They hang out in the lounge area with younger siblings, chatting. I sometimes slip out and grab a cup of coffee and muffin at the cafe around the corner but the girls have become accustomed (after doing anything once it becomes a habit) to getting a muffin after class so i try to refrain and wait for their class to be over to get my own treat. Today I try, without luck, to look up nature areas in Lafayette on my phone. I find some really cool places that end up being in Lafayette, Indiana and Lafayette, Louisaiana... I ask one of the moms if she knows of any good "nature spots or parks". She tells me about Moraga Common which sounds like a decent park and is only about ten minutes away so that's where we'll go!

Today, our friend Margaret, my dear departed friend Julie's mother, is going to meet us for our nature walk. She lives in Rossmoor which is a hop, skip, and a jump away. After coffee we caravan (so exciting!) to Moraga Common and, as we do whenever we leave or arrive anywhere, we go to the bathroom! I try to coerce the girls away from the beckoning play structures to the "interesting nature walk!" but they put up a pretty good fight so we decide to let them play first. God am I a nature tyrant or something? Just let the kids play on the playground equipment for gawds sake! Turns out this park is awesome - playground area after playground area after... wait there's a big grassy hill here!!!



After the requisite swinging, we run up the hill which is incredibly squishy and almost muddy. I guess they water their grass out here in Lamorinda! The girls do some hilarious hill rolling and we finally take a break atop the hill in the shade of a walnut tree that doesn't appear to be nutting.



Suddenly, a little furry brown head is popping up out of the ground a couple of yards from our picnic table. I *think* it's a groundhog! We watch it for awhile but when we try to get up close he disappears of course. Pretty exciting...

Waiting for the groundhog: Josie is standing "very still"

Addie has no fear of jamming her hand down into the hole!

Today, however, getting home and having quiet time goes miserably... We are home late for lunch, which is never a good idea when you have a josie child. She has about 4 breakdowns before lunch begins and claims her hands are too tired to lift the sandwich to her mouth... They are cheeky as all get out during quiet time and only the promise of a cookie treat before bedtime (i know, what an awful idea but believe me it works) quells the rebellion. So nature every morning doesn't appear to be the balm of life producing wonderfully cooperative children as some books would have you believe. And alas today I can't claim genius mom status. I'm tired, hot, and impatient if you must know.

But we discovered a wonderful new park (next time we go to tumbling we will bring our suits because Moraga Common even has a splash park) and got to spend the morning with Margaret which is always a treat.