I arrived in Portland just in time to pick up my grandchildren with daughter Alison. Knowing their school is a critical part of knowing them these days and filling out the picture of their lives. Schon knew I would be coming (so thank goodness I made it in time!) and when she saw her Mom began looking. We peeked around bushes and posts at each other and then she started running and flew into my hungry arms. It was just the greatest moment. To be known by a child, to be loved—what greater blessing?

We took a brief tour so now I can talk about the cat and the bushes and the fairies with her. I can ask about Mr. Gallagher and morning tea. And I know the routine of picking up brother Jonah and have a sense of how that feels.

Of course, being known is part of knowing. Since their family lived with us this summer, we can talk about working in my office, their desk next to mine, and about things we did in my house and the toys we all share.

It’s been tough living a huge flight from each other. Now we have a reasonable drive and more frequent opportunity. It’s going to be hard to control the urge to drive, every morning, toward that hug.

We took Claire Warden, our guest from Scotland, to visit programs in Seattle. Ann Pelo arranged for us to visit Hilltop Children’s Center where we met with Meg McNulty and Sarah Felstiner, toured their new facility and talked about children, documentation, spaces. The work at Hilltop is well-known through the work of Margie Carter, Deb Curtis, and Ann Pelo and we were honored to see it firsthand. I think I visited it about 20 or more years ago, so much has changed since then. We raised many issues together that will keep us thinking.

Scott had arranged for Tara Katz, director of Tara’s Tots and Fremont Community School, to join us at Hilltop and then take us to her own program. There is quite a contrast to these two schools we visited which makes for some provocative discussion. It’s wonderful to work in a profession where each program can be different yet good and that quality can be offered in many different ways.

We returned from the beach to a flurry of visitors and activities. Kay Albrecht stopped in to debrief from World Forum 2011 on her way to a week of sailing in the San Juan Islands.

Kirsten Haugen arrived for the big meeting and is now officially the World Forum Working Group Coordinator. Her ease with and knowledge of technology and her commitment to global issues and young children will be a huge boon to the World Forum. Besides so many of you already know her. So welcome, Kirsten.

And, on that note, another big change at the World Forum is that Selena Fox (NZ) is turning over responsibilities as National Representative Coordinator to Henry Manani (Kenya). Henry has “big shoes” to fill but is certainly up to the challenge as he has been involved with the WF in so many ways. And Selena will be holding National Reps close to her heart, but turning her energy to creating strengthening our World Forum community of teacher educators. Thank you Selena. And great wishes for both Henry and Selena in their new roles in the WF.

So Kay was in our office, as was Kirsten, and then Claire Warden arrived from Scotland to talk about big ideas for the World Forum. Carole White and Scott Bilstad, my colleagues here, worked with me to create some rather outstanding experiences for her. Carole and Ann Pelo organized visits to Oxbow Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment in Duvall with Sarah Cassidy and John Chilkotowsky, Wilderness Awareness School. I’m including photos from those visits. The scene of what we in Seattle call “the mountain” is the view from Ann Pelo’s cabin where we enjoyed dinner and celebrated the Summer Solstice.

Apologies for the weeks of separation here. Life and time have been at odds with each other and I couldn’t make my commitment to blogging happen. It’s been quite a summer. My daughter Alison, husband Blake, and children Schon (3) and Jonah (1.5) lived with us two months. It was so wonderful, sticky, messy, physical, exhausting and fun. I learned so much from these little children and thought of so many things to think and write about–and then I didn’t have energy to write. (I am hoping the important things haven’t left me.) And I was outdoors and focused and I played. I took thousands of photos, but here is a picture of our sea fairy house. Schon and I were at the beach. “Oh, I forgot the sand toys.” So we started finding little pieces of stick and seaweed and shell and a sea fairy home emerged.

At the beach Roger and I had the great blessing of time with Nancy and John Rosenow to talk about the World Forum and the Nature Action Collaborative for Children and life.

And not too much later, Yasmina Vinci and husband Bob Manning joined us. We talked about Head Start, Exchange, World Forum and the Voices of Hope for Children Impacted by HIV/AIDS and life.

It’s crazy how fall seems like a time to get reorganized, and those first few spider webs and crunchy leaves make us think we will find ways to get a hold on things. We’ll wish ourselves luck on that one!

I just read yet another distressing news article about the issue of men in classrooms and the fear of allegations. Bryan Nelson of MenTeach was interviewed. Here is the link:

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/07/3821760/male-teachers-wary-of-hugging.html

I’ve just spent weeks with my grandchildren, weeks of skin time. Schon 3 and Jonah 21 months are hungry for touch. They roll around on the floor with their Mommy, roughhouse with Daddy, snuggle with Night Train (that’s grandpa) and schmush faces with me (Gramby). They are lucky; we all are. As humans we are nurtured by all this physical contact, and this summer together has fed us all as family.

When I read the article above about men seeking out alternatives to touch like sideways hugs and high fives, the contrast really hit me. I’m not naive. I know there are important issues around abuse and we need to protect children. But there is a high price for this protection — a resulting deficit of touch, and a dire shortage of male teachers and caregivers in the lives of our children. This is important to think about. It will impact the humans of the future and the future of humans.

We need to ask questions–here are some of them:
•What are we going to do about this?
•What protections make sense?
•Why are we so focused on and worried about men and young children–what about the women?
•How are we going to address children’s need for touch?
•Is there an impact on sensory issues?
•What is appropriate touch?

Every program, every teacher, indeed every person needs to deal with these issues. There are no easy answers. If we believe that children need physical contact, how can we create safe places for both adults and for children where this need can be met?