windinthemaples: A lane of red maple trees in riotous fall color. (G&I)
[personal profile] windinthemaples
Sunday afternoon, we had our September SpiralScouts meeting at North Park Village Nature Center. It was a small gathering, four children under five years old, but we had such a wonderful, sweet time. Our theme for the month was Autumn Blessings, acknowledging the passing of Mabon and introducing the idea of falling leaves as bright and beautiful symbols of blessings in our lives.

We started with a game of The Spider. The children (and us parents) thundered back and forth over the grass with shrieks and giggles as one after another got caught and became part of the hand-clasped web. Once everyone had been caught, the web linked together quite naturally into our opening circle where we discussed the five elements and how they are expressed in SpiralScout activities and badge work before I broke out into a rousing rendition of Air I Am. :D

Our main activity for the day was to make gratitude mobiles. To start, each child was encouraged to think of four or five things/people/experiences/whatever that they were grateful for. Really good things. With a boatload of stencils, they cut shapes to represent each of these blessings out of cardstock. Some freehanded their designs, so by the end each of us had a small pile of colorful, inventive paper shapes--keys and hearts and leaves and stars and dogs and cats and birds and fish. On the back of each shape, they wrote what the blessing was they were grateful for. It was heartwarming to hear some of the responses from such young children. Graeme and the other two year old present were grateful for things like fish and squares and whatever adorable words they came up with first. The older girls mentioned loved ones beyond the veil, a pet cat, shoes.

We tucked these blessing cards away and hiked through the autumn woodlands, gaping at the fearless deer that crossed our path and talking about the changes we could see in the fall landscape. We arrived at a very popular fallen tree in the center of the Preserve just in time for snacks--gorgeous organic pears and apples, little boxes of raisins and crackers. The children clambered over the fallen tree with their snacks and we read them a story, a translated Iroqouis thanks-giving prayer, Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp. The light was slanting in golden cascades through the canopy overhead, the breeze was light and refreshing, the children were happy--it was magic.

Thank you, all the animals in the world,
for keeping our precious forests clean.
All the trees in the world, we are thankful for
the shade and warmth you give us.
Thank you, all the birds in the world, for singing
your beautiful songs for all to enjoy.
...
We give you thanks, twinkling stars,
for making the night sky so beautiful
and for sprinkling morning dew drops
on the plants.
...
And most of all, thank you, Great Spirit, for giving us all these wonderful gifts, so we will be happy and healthy every day and every night.


We packed up and the children skipped and ran back to our picnic table for the rest of the crafting. Here, we took found sticks and tree branches, punched holes in our blessing cards, and strung them along the branches with yarn and embroidery thread and little brass bells until they blew in in the breeze as blessing mobiles. The wind hopelessly tangled mine and Daniel's and it was both pleasantly sunny and cool and the children peeled off to play with each other at the end of our meeting.

It was wonderful.


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Next month, we're going to teach the kids how to use compasses and to read (very simple) maps with an outdoor treasure hunt!

Date: 2009-09-29 07:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aerialmelodies.livejournal.com
I so love this group. What a wonderful way for parents to interact with their children and for those children to learn, grow, and experience the world around them. Those photos are too cute, as are all the mobiles! :)

Date: 2009-09-29 10:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com
It is. I feel guilty about all the time I could but don't put into developing the group, but what we have is still pretty darn great. :) It is awesome getting to spend time with other families and to see that I'm not alone in being totally in love with, invested in, and entertained by my child.

Date: 2009-09-29 07:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mermaiden.livejournal.com
Oh, honey, this is so ridiculously happy~ <333 These pictures absolutely glow!

(And OMG YOUR HAIR IS GLORIOUS. :O :O :O)

Date: 2009-09-29 10:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com
I'm glad I could share it. :) :D

(My hairdresser is Air. ;) )

Date: 2009-09-29 08:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] greyeyedpixie.livejournal.com
Looks like a wonderful, happy time~ :)
Such a great way to welcome Autumn.

Date: 2009-09-29 10:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com
It was! I love spending time with unjaded children. Nobody else can open my eyes to the magic, the wonder, the incredible awesomesauce of life. :D

Date: 2009-09-29 08:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] suzanna-o.livejournal.com
Sounds idyllic. :)

I added you after buying from you in the sinandsalvation community last week. Hope you don't mind!

Date: 2009-09-29 10:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com
Oh, excellent! I've added you back. :)

Date: 2009-10-01 03:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mrsbrewer.livejournal.com
I so wish that we lived close enough together that Dot (and I) could be a part of your Spiral Scouts group. It always sounds so wonderful for both the kids and the parents.

Date: 2009-10-01 04:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com
Oh, so do I!

Date: 2009-10-02 07:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] folkchick3.livejournal.com
Hi - Mermaiden has paired us up for the sacred swap and I have been enjoying reading your journal! This is such a wonderful expression of what you do with children; how wonderful to teach them to love the Earth and be grateful for blessings and express themselves. They all look so happy! I work with children too, and I love to see this kind of positive input - it is so apparent that you care about them and are thoughtful and concientious about the example you set and the values that you put into their lives. This whole post just made me smile!

PS
What a beautiful blessing/prayer!

Date: 2009-10-02 09:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com
I left you a message earlier in [livejournal.com profile] mermaiden's swap survey thread. Not sure if you get email notifications of things like that or not.

Short story, I'd say that I'm inspired by looking over your journal and am excited at the opportunity to put a swap together for you this month. :)

I love children. (Well, I love people but children are pretty special in how open, accepting, and appreciative they are of everything.) Every iota of energy I put in with them will magnify over the course of their life into something pretty impactful. It is a joy to be involved with children on a day-to-day basis--they keep me young and spiritually aware.

Date: 2009-10-04 12:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] folkchick3.livejournal.com
Oh, I so agree... it is a little awe inspiring to realize that the things we do with children today will shape the world of our future. I count it a privilege to work with them. (I do storytelling, children's theatre and run creative after school programs for the YMCA.) It is such a wonderful opportunity to teach them about the Earth, about creativity and diversity and acceptance. My preschoolers and I also used to hug a great many trees. Again, you are very right - the children keep us young and open!

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windinthemaples: A lane of red maple trees in riotous fall color. (Default)
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