Matapihi

Luna is attending the Matapihi Kindergarten while we are in New Zealand - an incredible school for children ages 3 to 5. On the first day, a couple weeks ago, we had our initiation and learned the rules at the new school...   1) Kiwi kids don't wear shoes.

2) Kiwi kids are encouraged to play in the mud. (Here is Luna and her friend Felicity cooling off in a mud pit.)

3) All works of art should be inspired by the great outdoors.

4) Each week a small group spends a day in the "bush" - the wooded area down by the little stream. Here is Luna eating PBJ for lunch on her "bush day".

Bush day often involves fishing in the stream,

taking turns with the high-tech fishing equipment (= bamboo stick, string, sock filled with bits of sausage),

developing the zen patience of an angler,

and feeling the joy of watching a freshwater eel nibble on the sausage sock!! These are longfin eels - native in NZ and actually rare. They live up to 80+ years and get pretty big. They leave the rivers of NZ to traverse a thousand of mile of ocean to breed in Tonga. Luna has caught the local 'big one' that is named Black Beauty. very special to see these on a regular basis!

5) Most days should involve pretending to be dinosaurs. Here is Luna doing her Velociraptor imitation.

Yeah, to say Luna loves it, is the understatement of the year.