Friday, June 25, 2010

Hazel is Six!

So, this year I didn’t do a party for Hazel. Nor did I do a cake with candles. Ummm, lame, I know but things kindof fell apart. She colored invitations for her friends at church for a horse party, so I thought that we could just have the “party” at the ward waterskiing activity which was the day before her birthday. But then it was cancelled because of rainy coldness, and so I thought I’d just make the cake for her on Sunday, which was her birthday. But then we went to a baptism after church and never got around to it afterwards (though she did get to open her presents). Then I made a cake on Tuesday (I can’t remember why I didn’t on Monday), and I was going to ice it and put candles in and sing, but I went to German class and Brett didn’t realize that that was the plan (because I hadn’t told him), and they just ate the cake. Oh well, I guess. This has really been a lame-o year for holidays. No valentines, no birthday cake or anything for Brett, now Hazel’s birthday was a flop. OH WELL. Such is life.

Luckily, Hazel’s kindergarten class knows how to celebrate a birthday! Firstly, Hazel stayed home from school in the morning until all the kids in her class met at school and walked down to our house. Then Hazel got in the special birthday wagon, and they all sang to her (listen, it’s in English and German), and pulled her all the way back to school.

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DSCF5441 Then Hazel got to light six candles and sit on a special birthday chair. One by one as she called their names, each of the students picked a little bead from a bowl and came to Hazel and put it in her little bag and told her Happy Birthday or best wishes or something. Then her teacher helped her put all the beads onto some string and make a bracelet.DSCF5445Here are some pictures of Hazel’s classroom which I think is so awesome. DSCF5448

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DSCF5454Then we shared the treats we brought with all the kids.DSCF5458Remind me next time to NOT make something so involved for kindergarteners.DSCF5456 Then we went to Sport with the class. It was so awesome! They had a bench set up like a slide that the kids could climb and slide on. DSCF5459


DSCF5460They had a ladder attached by ropes to make a swing.DSCF5465And they had a bench with mats on the sides, and the kids would walk to the middle from the ends, shake hands, and then try to push the other one off. DSCF5470

Rings to hang on.
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DSCF5474Then the kids helped put away all the benches and mats. I was impressed with how well they all worked to get everything put away. Then they played some good old freeze-tag for a while.

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DSCF5479I've never seen a gym so awesome in the States, and I’ve attended lots of different schools growing up. And correct me if you think I’m wrong, but I just don’t see anyone in the States letting kids try to push each other off the balance beam.

While we’re on the subject of classrooms, here are some pictures of Jethro’s. DSCF5483

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Here’s the view from his classroom window. Hard to beat that.DSCF5482

8 comments:

Tiffany Alldredge Smith said...

Wow! You're convincing me that we have to move to Switzerland more and more with every post!! I'm sure it's going to be hard to come back after spending 2 years there!!

Kristi said...

those classrooms are amazing!- when you were showing the pictures of the gym I was thinking that they would never allow that here. the slide! the ladder! so dangerous!
(makes me wonder how we survived childhood- back when having fun and adventure was okay, and we weren't so coddled!)
love it!

Rachael said...

Very, very cool. How are you ever going to leave?

Lynn said...

What an amazing birthday for a sweet little girl. She will always have such great memories of your life there. I am sad the video link doesn't work for me. All I get when I click on it to play is the photo that you already have at the end of your post.....the one with the view. Which is GREAT! But I wish I could hear them singing. ; (

Kris said...

yeah, I was thinking the same thing about allowing the kids to slide down that bench, pushing each other off the balance beam and FIRE in the classroom! ha! Quite different than here, huh? But the classrooms look way cool!

Megan said...

Happy Birthday Hazel!!! I thought it was a cool classroom and play area. thanks for sharing.

Kami said...

That was awesome! Andrea and I were talking and we're both officially extremely jealous of your kids' schoo. Wish Hazel a happy birthday from Ana (and the rest of us)--she's been wanting to call and I've tried several times over the last couple days and it always says the line is busy. I don't know what's up with that.

Brooke said...

Yea I don't think any of that would fly at a school here!!! A bench as a slide, what fun!!!! You lucky ducks. It all looks beautiful!!Glad to hear that you are having fun!

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