Fasching - 2011

Each year our younger children’s German school puts on a fantastic carnival at the end of winter.  It is the school’s biggest fundraiser making about $25,000 in just one afternoon.  And it’s a great deal of fun.  Many families come back for this event even after their children have moved beyond grade six and the community members come for the fun and to support this school as well.  It’s a fantastic school and we love it.

We started with lunch; just $25 which is about $10 cheaper than it is for my family’s typical McDonald’s total these days.  I love the sauerkraut and potato pancakes.  Nathan did a good job sitting up at the table with us for his lunch this year.  Last year he was still eating baby food from a jar.  They grow so much in just one year.

After lunch the older kids, armed with game tickets and whatever spending money they brought, went off with friends while Kaitlyn, Nathan, Rick and I saw a silly clown show.  I told Kaitlyn to protect me from the clown but it turned out that this clown talked, which wasn’t so bad.  I had a bad experience with a non-speaking clown a couple years ago in a parade and since then haven’t been too thrilled with clowns.  The children were also amazed at the height of these stilt-walkers who walked around the school juggling pins.  They put on a great show too.

There were carnival games in the gymnasium as well as outdoors.  The kids played all sorts of games to win prizes.  Outdoors Nathan met up with a friendly dog from the SPCA who was there to be pet along with many of their other animals.  He was a big dog but that didn’t stop Nathan from wanting to give him a kiss!  Nathan loves animals.

Nathan went to play games and won a pin-wheel while Kaitlyn stood in a long line for the moon bounce and decided she loved the experience.

Maryanne is right between my two girls in age.  She used to go to school with Lindsay and now attends school with Haley.  My girls planned and met up with three more friends to spend the afternoon with pictured on the right.  The girl on the far right has been Haley’s friend since Kindergarten.  Lindsay attended school with the girl on the far left until last year and has known the girl just to the left of her since they were three years old.  Next year all five girls will be attending the same school.  They are all nice kids.  By the way, they are only drinking IBC Root beer.

After playing games and working lunch off we went in search of some German Goodies.  Nathan enjoyed the dark German Chocolate that Rick and I shared with him and in the midst of wandering through the crowds he fell asleep.  Kaitlyn found something she wanted and Rick and I shared an Apple Struedle.  We admired all of the German goods they had for sale.

 

The parades began and it was a beautiful day for them to go through the school and circle around outdoors for a change.  Every year it seems to be raining on Fasching but not this time.

Tristan marched with the other second graders with the mask he made in Art class for the occasion.

Kaitlyn decided she was done with games and just wanted to be out on the playground.  This was a fine way to wait for Lindsay’s parade time with the older kids.

When we heard the marching band coming we ran back over to see Lindsay march in her very last parade here.  Lindsay sports her mask and got to carry the German colors.

Waiting for the older kids to finish spending tickets and spending time with friends, these two had a great time on the Kindergarten playground.

Surprisingly they didn’t get too wet, and Tristan joined Kaitlyn on the climber for old times sake remembering when he played there as a Kindergartener.

Ready to head home to prepare for Sunday, and a time change as well, it was getting late.  Haley had a babysitting job to get to and I had some pretty tired younger children on my hands.  Thank goodness for crock pots!  I managed to collect all five kids and get them all looking my way for one final shot at Fasching – 2011 – Great as always!