Shattering Ice

At the bottom of the hill
Of what was the Sugar bowl
There was a small pond.
A puddle
of ice.

The Children ran around it and on the edges of it.
Picking of pieces and throwing it into the center to shatter like broken glass.
Look at this one Baba!
Smash.
Let's do another one.

I didn't realize this would be the activity for the day.

A freind of Noah;s came along, and his younger sibling and it was four children shattering ice and treading dangerously over the thin ice. The puddle was not deep enough that one would drown.
But deep enough to get soaked.

It was getting wet, in the end, that was the excuse to go home.

But that was later.

First there was gathering of stones to crack the ice
by lobbing them from high on top of the hill.

And then there was the collecting of sticks to create a dam

and then a fort

and then a tipee.

There was throwing of sand, which was discouraged
And so we got the children to go back to the puddle once more.

A running leap and Noah;s friend tried to race across as if lightness of feet would keep him from breaking through. It didn't. and then it was time to go home.


Today we went back to the puddle.

The water had soaked through the ground so walking on the ice, you broke through and found only air. Yesterday, what was not allowed, was encouraged.

Jonah spent an our shattering the ice

as I did Tai Chi on top of it.

The greatest things are free.