In between all that

it was Bluet's last week of Kindergarten this week - after the summer holidays she will be in school. Last Friday we went to her Kindergarten Circus fest, where Bluet took centre stage as one of the clowns that were the glue that linked the performance together. Unfortunately it was interrupted by a monsoon, and our view was obscured by other parents heads, but aside from that the clowns were very funny, as Bluet had promised (especially when she had 4 hands). Here is a poor quality video of the whole event.

Ersatz Birthday

On May 11th I went with Bluet to school for her belated birthday celebration (delayed because Kindergarten was on holiday on her real birthday). This year, we took some chocolate muffins. There was all the same rituals as last year - including a special table for Bluet to sit at, and some games to play. Yet again, Bluet's favourite bit was standing on the table, banging on the drum.

 

Back to school

Bluet started back at kindergarten yesterday. Now she is a somer vogelle (Butterfly) she gets to go two afternoons a week! Here she is yesterday just before her first day back

busy weekend part I

So this term Bluet has been learning all about pirates (piraten) at kindergarten, and on Friday we got to go to the school after work for a 'Piraten Fest', followed by cake etc. It was very interesting to be on the other side of the school play for the first time. Obviously this one was in German, but it seemed to be about some pirates who set sail for new lands, found some islanders, fought of a boat with cannonballs, cleaned the decks and caught some fish. Bluet dressed in a long dress as one of the islanders, and sang the songs and danced the dances with concentration. She was also very happy to see us in the crowd, and smiled and waved from the stage as soon as she saw us there.



Meanwhile Ilona was more interested in enjoying the big kids playground than watching the play



As was Bluet after it was all over

River walk and other things

On Sunday we went for a walk by the river before the rain came, where we saw a squirrel and Bluet and Ilona played on the see-saw




Here is Ilona, pleased as punch with her new dress Emily bought her in Boston



And here is Ilona's hair all curly after removing the braids Veronika put in



Bluet on the way to her English phonics class on Saturday morning



And posing with the local Hoengg bear (at her request) on the way home



Waiting for Bluet to go to kindergarten (this is every day)



I am not convinced Ilona is being very careful

Kindergarten Birthday

Today was Bluet's official kindergarten birthday. They take it seriously here. First, we had to make some kind of treat for all 20 kids in the class - we made cookies with smarties. Then I had to go with Bluet to school and hang around through the festivities. They do the same thing for all the kids as Bluet knew what she was doing. First, she got to sit at the head of the class at a special desk, where there were toys she was allowed to play with while all the other kids toys had been put away. There were some songs, birthday related and not. The teacher gave Bluet a knitted bird as a present which she loves. At one point, she had to pick a friend to dance around in the circle of kids sitting in their chairs, which she loved (she chose Tara, one of the other kids who speaks English). There was a bit where anyone who wanted could put up their hand, come over, and give Bluet birthday wishes. There were 5 tea lights, and songs about the number 5, and a dice where they had to do something each time the teacher showed the number 5. Then some kids made an arch with their hands, and Bluet went underneath, followed by everyone else. There was a conga line. But I think the thing Bluet enjoyed most was when she got to stand on a chair with a drum, which she banged while the other children danced. When she stopped, she would do something with the drum stick, like spin it round, and they would have to copy what she did. Each time the one who was slowest, or did the wrong thing was eliminated. Then everyone got to eat their cookie.



After that (which took about an hour), it was back to normal. Everyone had to draw around their hand and colour it in, for some reason. Strangely when Emily went to kindergarten Bluet also had to draw round her hand to make an Easter rabbit. So I assume this is what they learn most days. Then after snack time (even I got a coffee) it was time to play outside, and Bluet told me I could go home. Overall, it was surprisingly entertaining, and nice to see what Bluet does, and who she spends her time with every day.

Kindergarten

Bluet loves her kindergarten. Yesterday Bluet's entire class came to visit our house (apparently this is a thing they do - every Wednesday (but postponed by one day because of rain), the teachers take all the kids to 4 different houses. So about 20 small children ran into the house, straight upstairs to Bluet and Ilona's room, back downstairs to eat all the cookies we had made, and about 10 minutes later they were queuing up outside to go onwards to the next house. Bluet was very excited about this visit, talking about it beforehand, helping make the cookies, and holding the basket of cookies to offer all the kids. Then she had to bring this toy duckling to the house, where it would stay overnight, then return to school today with tales of what it had seen. Of course, this meant Bluet had to sleep with it in her bed, and woke me up in the middle of the night when she couldn't find it. In the morning it watched breakfast and getting ready, then was strapped firmly to Bluet's bag for the trip to school.

Also, here are some things Ilona can now do: 1. play with little Lego

2. Do her own hair

Bluet's Commute

Now Bluet goes to kindergarten, she has to learn the route to walk, because here after a while kids walk to school by themselves. Fortunately it is not very far - 5 minutes for an unaccompanied adult, or 10 minutes for an adult with a slowly moving kid. This is the way we go.

This being Zurich, there is of course an enormous hill to go up before you get there. At this point Bluet inexplicably decides she needs to push Ilona. This does not last long.

Running up the school steps with excitement

And then when we get there the doors are not yet open, which is why Bluet looks sad