KAZAPALOOZA 2010

Last weekend we joined 75 other families in Milwaukee for the third annual (our second) Kazapalooza. It is a fantastic gathering of Kazakh adoptive families who want to 1) give their kids the opportunity to know other kids with a shared history and culture, 2) raise money for a charity supporting orphans in Kazakhstan, and 3) get together and have fun. The weekend did not disappoint!!

Our only complaint from last year was that the weekend was too short and we did not have a chance to meet all of the other families. So we opted to arrive a day early and leave a day late this year in hopes that we would cross paths with others doing the same. Luck was on our side. Milwaukee’s Discovery World was our Friday morning destination. On our way out of the hotel, we happened to meet two other early arrival families, the Van Sants (daughter Taylor) and the Morleys (sons Nicholas and Jacob). Off to the lakefront we trekked, meeting yet another family on the way.

Zoe, Taylor and Nicholas on the way to Discovery World: Dads and daughters… Touching a starfish at the Discovery World aquarium Cooking in the galley of a Discovery World ship

One of the more entertaining moments for the adults was when all four kids made a beeline for the apple basket when we stopped for lunch. They each wanted one. And it was all they wanted. They made it no more than two steps out the door before planting themselves on the floor to become a happy apple eating quartet. As parents we were as puzzled as we were amused, knowing full well the response if we had actually asked them to have apples for lunch. But then again, apples (and apple eaters) are from Kazakhstan! By mid afternoon, we were ready for some down time in preparation for the big Kazapalooza opening event that evening. Our down time consisted of TV time for all. We had a two-room suite and, thus, two televisions. Julian parked himself in front of the World Cup while Zoe lounged in front of The Wonder Pets. She coped with the scary parts (yes, in the Wonder Pets!) by covering her ears. Kazapalooza officially opened Friday evening with a meet and greet pizza party at the unrivaled Betty Brinn Children’s Museum. The museum alone was worth the trip to Milwaukee. Fill it with Kazakh children and their families and you have a night to remember! Alas, our memories are all we have from the evening. We had so much fun greeting old friends, meeting new friends and chasing kids around the very large museum that our camera did not make a single appearance over the course of the evening.

Until the walk home. Saturday was the event luncheon and raffle fundraiser. A cake with Kazakh blue and yellow frosting was served for dessert. Can you tell? The kids were entertained (for a short while) by a magician. The toddler crowd soon began to entertain themselves, Zoe and Taylor included. Zoe, Lincoln and Daniar (l to r below) all met for the first time during the final stage of their respective adoption processes. Daniar is from Uralsk. Lincoln is from Aqtobe. We met both of them (with their families, of course) while we were all waiting for last minute paperwork in Almaty. Many American families have to travel through Almaty to finalize their adoptions. We had the pleasure of meeting some of them during our two month stay in Almaty where Zoe is from. For fun comparison, here are Lincoln and Zoe on their first meeting in Almaty on March 29, 2008: A few days later Daniar and family (on far right) joined us on Kok Tobe. Lincoln is out of sight behind his parents (on far left). Back to present day toddlers entertaining themselves at Kazapalooza in Milwaukee… Tougy and Zoe met at Kazapalooza in Nashville last year (click here to see our blog entry) and had a wonderful time playing, chasing, and dancing. They continued the fun in Milwaukee this year.Many of us spent Saturday afternoon touring the Sprecher Brewery and sampling their fine beer and soda. The highlight for a few of the younger attendees was the ride to the brewery on a school bus! Samples of adult beverages were somewhat limited, but children were able to sample as many flavours of soda as they wanted. Zoe took one sip of the famed root beer and opted for water –and animated conversation- for the duration of the sampling session.Saturday night was spent in our hotel’s indoor water park, Paradise Landing (Can you spot Zoe & Julian? Hint: Look for Julian's green shirt. "And has anybody seen Cooper?" :) ). Sunday morning it was time to say goodbye. Families gathered in the hotel meeting room throughout the morning for photos and fond farewells while the kids engaged in a bit more play. Tougy and Zoe played a gleeful game of ring around the rosie while Leeza ran circles around them. By late morning there were only a few of us left. We joined Jila and Kiana for a second visit to the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum. It was much quieter than on Friday, but the girls enjoyed it all the same. The audio version of this photo includes giggles and squeals of laughter. Sunday evening found us back in the water park alone, missing our Kaz friends, reminiscing about our magical weekend, and already planning for next year… in Orlando (or so the rumour goes)!