Summer Festivals

Not so Warm family at Jungendfest in early July

Summer has always been our favorite time of the year here.  The weather is perfect, warm but not too hot and cool in the evenings.  This summer has been a bit of a different story, mostly cold and rainy with very few days above 80 and way too many days that were just downright cold. Fortunately the poor weather conditions didn't stop the myriad of festivals from happening (although it did put a damper on a few of them).

Watching the afternoon festivities

Jungendfest, happens in our town every year at the end of the school year (early July).  Some towns celebrate every other year or every 4th year or even every 10 years. But our town does has a huge week long celebration every year (Jungendfest).  They even add in an extra event every other year, called maneuvers, where they reenact some historic battle in the afternoon and then ride through town on horseback, bicycles, even armored cars. The town folk of all ages are dressed like Indians, pirates, soldiers, you name it.  It seems like just an excuse for everyone to get dressed up and have lots of fun.  My Swiss friend Tamara had a great blog post that explains it a bit better (Maneuvers).  The week long events starts on Sunday at the castle and includes evening dances for kids of all ages, along with volleyball tournaments, a big street party on Thursday night, even carnival rides.  All of which culminates into the big parade on Friday morning.  All the children, from Kindergarten through high school, parade through town dressed in blue and white (town colors) with flowers. It has been this way for decades apparently.  It's a bit of a holiday, with stores closed and most adults taking the day off. There are bands playing and all sorts of fanfare associated with it. The men in the parade wear tails and top hats, with ladies sporting fancy hats. We also have an incredible view of the Friday night fireworks from our bedroom window, which almost makes up for the cannon that also goes off at 6am that morning.  Anyway it really is a fun week, with a sense of pride and community that is hard to explain.  This year, although it was cold and rainy, we still managed to get out and enjoy a few of the festivities.

Most awesome carousel ride

A month later in mid-August, after school starts, our town hosts Gauklerfestival, a three day festival with street performers from around the globe. Think magicians, high wire acts, jugglers, comedy routines, fire eaters - you name it. Alison still remembers an all girl unicycle act from last year that sparked her interested.  It is 4 young sisters from a nearby town that, she was very excited to see again this year. True to form for this summer it rained Friday and part of Saturday but then warmed up with some nice sunshine on Sunday.  That Sunday, we invited some friends and new colleagues over for a BBQ in our garden. It was great getting everyone together and we had a really lovely time.

Avi, Ali and M checking out the kugelbahn

A couple of weekends ago, Lenzburg held a 40 hour cultural festival, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the cultural commission in our town.  There were so many things going on I couldn't even keep track.  Once again the weather for the weekend started poorly, but then cleared up nicely for the rest of the weekend events. I participated in a cooking fundraiser for the family center that we are actively involved in.  I was asked to prepare a traditional American dish along with other ladies to give the Swiss a sampling of international cuisines.  I choose chili since you really don't see it much here and it is relatively simple to make and serve.  That Friday I spent most of the day cooking and Saturday I spent most of the day serving.  Let's just say the Swiss aren't really into chili as I had quite a bit leftover.  Oh well more for us (meaning Erik and I, and a few close friends). But one of the coolest things we attended was on Sunday in our altstadt - a huge kugelbahn.  The town set up a marble run for the kids that stretched half the length of our downtown street. And it was so simple, lots of wood boards, nails and rubber bands - the kids had a ball (sorry for the pun).  There were so many families out enjoying the nice weather that day also. It's events like that, that cause me to pause, smile and feel really blessed.

Kugelbahn

I love that our town has so many fun events.  Last week was the medieval festival at the castle. Again I am always amazed at what our kids have experienced already at such a young age.

Miles looking dapper for Jungendfest

Jungendfest

Ali and Avi about to walk to the Altstadt

My little golfer

Jungendfest

The crowd for Gauklerfest

Ali rationed out the kugeli = marbles

How the adults enjoyed the kugelbahn

Ali at Gauklerfest playing with big bubbles

Ali "washing" at medieval festival

Making candles

Keeping an eye on their kugeli

Kugelbahn

Spielgruppen fur die Kinder

For the past two years, Ali was attending a spielgruppe not far from where we live, up a steep road and close to the castle. A spielgruppe is basically the cheaper alternative to daycare, typically run in someones home or at a family center type facility for 2.5 - 3 hours a day, a couple of times a week.  Some places allow the children to start at age 2 while at others they have to be 3 years old.  After we moved here and shortly before Alison turned 2, a friend recommended one of these spielgruppen.  The lady who runs it two days a week is super nice, and has her whole cellar converted into a dream play area for the kids. She takes no more than 6 kids at a time and has a huge outdoor play area as well for when the weather is decent.  Ali went once a week after she turned 2 and then twice a week last year (mainly so Erik and I could attend German class once a week).

Ali's 1st day at the farm

And when I say "year", the playgroups follow the public school schedule, or rather mid-August - early July but with lots of weeks off for the spring, autumn and winter holidays.  I was a bit nervous last year when we increased her to twice a week, as two of her English speaking friends had moved on, so she would be with a whole new group of kids who didn't speak any English. But true to form she did great and was even a bit sad to see some of her friends graduate to Kindergarten this year.  And although she enjoyed it, I was afraid she was getting bored with it after two years and plus she was now old enough to attend other spielgruppen such as the Waldspielgruppe, Forest Playgroup as well as one on a nearby farm at the edge of town. 

At her farm playgroup

So now on Thursday afternoons, I drop her off in the woods, literally IN THE WOODS, rain or snow or sunshine, and they spend 3 hours playing in the forest.  This playgroup is one of the reasons we moved here as Erik had read an article about how kids at a young age are taught survival skills, i.e. learn how to start a fire, climb trees, use a knife and play in the woods regardless of the weather (Forest Kids).  Again I was nervous, here was a whole new group of kids and new teachers, and very few English speakers.  Of course she loved it and the teachers rave about how mature she acts.  On the first visit moms were allowed to go with the kids into the forest and Alison basically told me I could go home, she didn't need me.  Bummer as I surely wanted to see what they did.  She is always the first to come running out of the forest at the end, smiling and covered in mud.  So far we have been blessed with nice days since she started. I'm sure it will be a different story come winter in a few months.

Off to their 1st day of new spielgruppen

Her second spielgruppe is at a farm on the edge of town (Farm School).  This one only happens twice a month but she loves it and looks forward to it also.  They also go for walks in the woods and then get to play with the donkeys, goats and chickens and help around the farm.  She loves to show me how she can pick up a chicken.  I love that she gets to experience this at such a young age.  Needless to say she gets a bath right away after these two playgroups.

And since Miles turned two in May, we enrolled him in the playgroup that Alison use to go to by the castle.  He is doing great, as I was bit worried about him but he loves it.  He knows exactly what he's suppose to do when he gets there, hang up his jacket and put his finke (house slippers) on.  He is so Swiss.  So once or twice a month I get a morning to myself for a couple of hours (Heaven), although for some reason that hasn't happened quite yet as we are still trying to squeeze in a few German classes when we can.  But it is nice on the Fridays that Alison is not at the farm but Miles is at spielgruppe, and we get to spend a couple of hours together just the two of us.  Something I know is rare and valuable and will be fleeting once she starts school next year.

Ali running out of the forest

In addition, Alison started a swim class on Saturdays as well as a yoga class.  Needless to say we are staying busy.

I was telling my MIL the other day that I don't know whether to be proud, sad or ashamed at how well  my children are coping in their new spielgruppen.  Part of me wishes they missed me just a little bit but I guess it's a good sign that we are raising some independent and confident children, who are having the time of their lives.  

She's so cool

Miles waiting for Ali

Picking plums

Picking up chickens