When we walk from the barn down through the garden, there's a spot just before the bluestone seat where you can feel the looming vines and trees. The garden moves from gentle shade, soft flowers and rose bushes, a seat in the sun and the plant nursery, to raspberry vines and feijoa and apple trees. It gets a little shaded and cooler and greener.
There's a place where the flowers give way to the looming green. At this very spot Ted always has a little gasp, 'Oh..oh.. a Tiger!' He feels the loom of the changed landscape and instantly expects to see a tiger somewhere ahead.
This little spot in the road, feels to Ted like he is entering the jungle and in his little weekly 'Oh..oh.. a Tiger!' moment he expresses that very simply and deeply.
Same spot, each time we walk through. Totally immersed and drawing on his life experience to express how life feels at that point for him.
We spent time on the hill we climb on near the Witches Garden. Ted was very brave and Magnus very supportive. Ted made the climb 2 or 3 times with me close by to help him over the trickier bits. Next time he went on his own. I encouraged him all the way for the first trip and then Magnus followed and he did the encouraging for Ted who was being so brave trying on his own.
The sun shone for us all and we found it a great time to play in the sand. After a good while there, Dakota walked up to me followed by Monique. Dakota announced she was tired. I asked what she'd been doing. 'Hunting', announces genteel Dakota, to my surprise. I asked, 'What have you been hunting for?' She opens her skirt held tight in front of her and with a big smile and followed again by Monique, she announces, 'Rocks'. Both girls standing with their skirts full of little rocks they'd picked from the sand.
They both played for ages and even attracted other children to their game. Magnus came and let me know they were Cheetahs. I asked him where they were and he looked at me as if to say, 'Are you kidding?' and said, 'In the sand.'
Magnus was determined to do a big puzzle that is kept in the barn today. He tried fitting pieces together and when we got our first two laid out on the floor in front he shouts, 'Scrach-el-ay-shons' with his voice full of joy. Each time we got a match, he'd announce again, 'Scrach-el-ay-shons' so in the spirit that each acheivement is worth a celebration.
Jyra came up to me while we played in the sand, and got me to follow her to where she'd been diggin and playing to show me what she'd done. Little sand piles and holes on display. She then set about making one pile with a rock and announced, 'Birt-day' I asked her whose it was, and she said, 'To tu.' Me knowing it was for me. She Ted and I sang and ate cake and Jyra was in total delight to be entertaining and celebrating with us both.
She also showed her determined will and happiness getting her boots on for herself.
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