Let The Games Begin

The Big Dig

The Bauma is in town! The world's largest trade fair for construction machinery. So off we went. Another plus of our new home - there's a bus right in front of our house that goest straight there (well, since the Bauma only happens every three years and the likelihood that the boys's passion for diggers and lorries lasts past first grade is rather miniscule it's a very remote plus).

Every kid gets a special ticket where you write your cellphone number on it, since the big thing is of course that you get to climb on any machine you like:

Absolutely mandatory: to accompany the climbing and lever pulling action with your own engine noise.

As loud as you can.

There were also great digger ballets again.

Great power choreographies to a great mix of power music. Plus choreographed machinery:

It's all pretty exciting and exhausting, so lunch has to be had.

Mark your calendars: The next Bauma is in 2016.

Sunday in the Park

Today Henri and I hit the park. Despite the glorious sudden summer weather Fred and Karl went to the movies (a promise is a promise - you try talk a five year old out of a movie, just because "the weather is so nice, we should go outside"). Since The Croods was definitely too scary for a three year old, Henri I had a picnic.

We hung out for quite a bit, walked up to the Monopteros for the scenc view, had a few rides on the caroussel and met up with the others at the beergarden.

Looks like we skipped spring this year. Fine with us.

Even if there quite a bit of springtime chores, like liberating our sidewalk from winter debris. But with a team of four, things go swiftly.

At the Circus

I took the boys to the carwash. The original plan was to get cranky Henri to fall asleep during the drive, but then the boys spotted a circes across the street with a throng of kids lining up for a show just about to begin. So we went.

Turned out the circus was a small family business from Turkey. The girl from the cash register did some hoola hoops and some tightrope walking (in about 1 meters height), the guy who sold us popcorn was the balancing act, the horse handler doubled both as a (not on purpose) awkwardly shy clown and a knife thrower who threw his knives from a very short distance,, and there also was a very chubby 11 year old girl who did gymnastics routines with the air of a ballerina. They also had ponies and horses and dromedars.

The boys loved it.

The best thing was that during intermission (for a modest fee) you could go out through the artists' entrance and visit the animals.

There were pony rides.

Henri got to sit on a camel.

There was some classic flame-throwing.

And some toys that twinkle in the dark. Big hit for a quick trip to the car wash.