Our translator Makhabbat collected us to go to the fair. She was accompanied by her daughter Arajaan (in light blue), and her nieces Edonna (in green) and Donna (in purple).
Here is the fair from a distance. I think all of Kokshetau was there! The fair was held on the streets surrounding Gorky Park, where ferris wheel is in operation all summer long. 
Here is the ferris wheel. This is the first day of the year that it is in operation. Calvin was SOOO excited... as it was an ancient soviet thing, a little bit rusty, and with no safety features, his mom and dad were not quite so enthusiastic.
A crowd gathers around a wresting match. Many of them are watching from the steps of the Tsum Store, the bazaar/grocery store where we do a lot of our shopping.
Many different companies erected yurts on the street. 
Here we are inside the yurt. The walls are lined with beautiful hanging carpets. The way the light filters into the yurt is really soft and beautiful.
Couple of yurt guys all dressed up. Don't ask me why he's carrying a pinwheel.
One of the street vendors selling whistles, mickey mouse kites, and pinwheels to excited kids. Calvin got a pinwheel. 
Having enjoyed more than "brunco vodkee" (a little vodka), these women laughed and danced to the music from the big stage. We never see the Kazakhs smile, let alone dance, so this was a sight to behold. 
Here are the performers that got the ladies on their feet.
Calvin on Tim's shoulders walking by a stand of festival flags.
Here we are with a couple of the performers in traditional Russian attire. They were about to go on stage and just before this picture was taken they had been giggling while applying lipstick on each other.
Here is Tim buying ride tickets for Calvin and Makhabbat's girls. 
Tim also got cotton candy for the kids.
Yup. We took Calvin up in the ferris wheel. It didn't stop for new passengers, so you had to hop on as it took off.
Here is the view of the festival from the top. 
Here is a street scene from the top of the ferris wheel. Notice all the fur hats. Sorry PETA, but fur really is beautiful and practical in this weather
Traditional Kazakh tea steeping in pots. 
Kazakhs cuties enjoy another one of the rides at Gorky park.
Just like at home, the EMTs were on hand. This ambulance is very typical and a good reminder that you don't want to get sick in Kazakhstan. 
A really beautiful Kazakh woman with her sleeping boy. She wasn't quite as fashionable as most of the woman we see, but I thought that she had a beautiful look. 
Donna and Edonna on a traditional Kazakh two person swing.
I sort of fell in love with this little pumpkin. I photographed her mother above. The kids here look so cute all bundled up.
Here she is with her brother. Aren't they darling? I wanted to get a shot of the whole family together, but with four kids under the age of five, mom didn't look to aminable. 
Calvin and Nana and burnt tasting cotton candy.
Here is another very Kazakhstan snap. Smartly dressed women and chainsmoking men in black caps. 
Here's another very typical street scene. More black cap men. 
This was our last ride of the day. I swear it was getting colder by the moment, but Calvin loved it. 
Mom walked home after Tim, Cal, and I left. On her way she saw these kids playing on the war memorial and snapped a picture. 
When the boys realized that mom had taken their picture they called after her and all came running to have their picture taken again. Then they all introduced themselves in broken english. When mom told them that she was from America, they pointed to themselves and said "Kazakhstan!" and started cheering. Very cute. Kazakhstan loves mom.
Paka.
Becca
He loved the balloons and once he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he couldn't get enough. He kept smiling at himself in the mirror and then shrieking with joy. Those happy guggles just melted me. He's been so quiet until now. We have hardly hear a peep, but I think he is starting to open up a little. He even did a little "ba-ba-ba-ba" talking. Pretty advanced stuff. He's so smart.
Since the babyhouse is closed tomorrow for Nauryz, we had to hug and kiss him enough for two days. Tomorrow will be the first day since arriving in Kokshetau that we haven't seen our little bug. I'm going to go into withdraw.
Tim, however, only barely survived. The feathered hats were almost too much for him!
The rest of the performance was made up of little dances and songs and recitations. 
The boys show off a swinging stick dance. 
Two cutie pies sing a song. The one on the left is named Sasha and mom and I agree that he was the sweetest! If anyone out there is thinking of adopting a toddler, come get Sasha!!! Every child deserves a good home, but I can tell that Sasha would become the light of your life!
All the little ones jam along with the accordian. The chubby fellow second from the right was named Ruslan (too) and he was a menace his instrument. He wacked the little guy with the tamborine right in the head! 
The children perform a dance in pairs. In this "scene" they are pretending to be mad at each other. Note the crossed arms and wagging fingers. Next they turned around and hugged. 
The two girls perform a very dance where they pretend to brush their long flowing hair. Funny, really, because they have the same haircuts as the boys. 
The boys show their strength with a game of tug of war. All of the kids got to do it. It always ended with someone falling down. 
This was my favorite part of their performance: the demonstation of the children's version of the traditional Nauryz sport competition. I've heard that on Nauryz, Kazakh men and women show their prowess on horeseback by competing in complicated races. In one such race, a man on horseback takes off after a woman on horseback in an attempt to catch her and kiss her. The kids at the babyhouse did the same thing on hobby horse, galloping around the music room in pairs and then nearly knocking each other over in clumsy embraces. Soooo cute. 
They all seemed very pleased with themselves and they should have been. I just wanted to scoop them all up in a big hug!
For the remaining half hour, Nana got to hold Garrett, Calvin got to run amok in the playroom, and Tim and I got to breath a sigh of relief that everything had gone so well. What a good day.
Makhabbat told me that this group had won the babyhouse prize for best decorations and the caretakers were having a small feast to celebrate. 
We were truly honored to join in their party. A group of six of them were seated around a low circular coffee table that dominated the room. The table was covered with a white cloth, small dishes of food, and mismatched cups of tea. 
(Nastarovia!)
Several of the caregivers also slipped away and put on tradional Kazakh jackets, head scarves, and hats. The jackets were sleeveless, beautifully bright, and intricated embroidered with gold thread. One of the women put on the traditional men's costume, much to the amusement of the other caregivers. She and a friend then pretended to be "deyadooshka e babooshka" (grandpa and grandma), linking arms and giggling. 
Tim and I nibbled on cookies and apple slices. Before long all of the caregivers had to get back to work, so we retreated back to the activity room, where Garrett proceeded to alternate between looking darling and puking on me. Ahh the joys of motherhood.
