May Festival

Yesterday was the kids' may festival at the school.

This festival is to celebrate May Day, a traditional welcoming of spring into the community and saying goodbye formally to winter.

It is a a day decorated with flowers and song.

There is also a traditional dance around the maypole for all classes. LittleR and and M did their maypole dances in their class, and R and K did them for the parents in the small field located by their classrooms - they weren't part of the Saturday festivities - that starts in grade 1 - next year for R.

It was a cute day. The kids got their faces/arms painted, played with bubbles, made crowns and kites, ate yummy local ice cream and tacos, and had fun playing soccer with their friends. R even made his way to the big tug o' war competition and took part - until he fell down.

LittleR was a cat

M was a scary guy

K walking around the maypole at her mini festival during the week

I'm finding myself needing a day, or a festival or something to remind myself why we make the sacrifices that we do to send our kids to this school. We make a lot of sacrifices, and work very hard to send our kids to this Waldorf school. I know I agreed to send them here, and I know I like it here - afterall, I *want* to be a waldorf teacher (though I think I have to let that dream go now), but they require so much funding, so much participation from the parents, and so much work - and I am struggling to see the benefits for the amount of effort it takes to send them there. I don't know, I find myself frustrated and annoyed lately. I need that warm fuzzy feeling that only Waldorf school can give me, to reassure me that all this effort, work, and money is worth it. Thankfully, Craftymama has had a few of those moments lately, but I don't really get to attend much because of work (pretty much only the financial meetings, and the 3 large festivals of the year; mayfest, christmas fair, pumpkin path). I rely on seeing the kids grow, excel, and love what they are doing to sustain me, but even that isn't working lately. Unfortunately, all that's left this year is a financial meeting to discuss next years rising tuition. *sigh* I know we are making the right decision, and I don't regret it, I just need to have that "a-ha" moment where it's just all so perfect.