Dia das Criancas!

Kids Day!! We've said it before, Brazilians love kids. It is both equally awesome and a huge break from the US's often "love to hate kids" mentality at our most kid-full time. There isn't a place I can think of here that when we walk in with the boys we feel unwelcome or are the recipients of any eye rolling or sideways glances. This includes a nice restaurant filled with couples, any store, bank or auto dealer. Last Wednesday was a Brazilian national holiday, Nossa Senhora Aparecida, but most of the country (as I understand) celebrates instead, Dia das Criancas, or Day of Kids. Much like Christmas is officially the birth o' Christ, but we prefer to make up stories about a jolly old fat man in a red velvet suit, delivering gifts to kids on a magic sled driven by tiny deer. We are all so alike is so many ways.

Sam's school celebrated all week long, by letting the kids dress in their street clothes and by scheduling a different fun activity each day of the week. On Tuesday they had a special story day on Thursday, Sam rode a bus down the street to a teacher's home (try that in the US) and had a picnic lunch in her backyard with his friends and played in the homes tree house filled with toys. On Friday the preschool's Capoeira teacher turned futebol buff, and the kids played soccer all morning then returned home with goodies bags filled with candy, stickers, games and prizes. Not to mention many congrats and kisses for being a kid, from his teacher, Tia Patty. Being a kid in Brazil is a pretty posh gig.

On Wednesday, as a family, we hit up Parque de Cidade, the city park, to find some hot kid action of our own. The place was mobbed, a la Disney World on spring break. A typically silly wonderland of unitards, knee high sport socks and athletic fun, was further infiltrated by marching bands, clowns, plays, shows, free popcorn, cotton candy and free go kart rides for all children over three. (Again, go karts for three year olds! I adore the anxiety-free, good times spirit of this place). We offered to let Sam go for a ride, accompanied by a side-saddle sitting adult driver, but he choose not to go. Cautious spirit that he is, he chose to play on the playground with his dad instead. Peter on the other hand, hung fence-side with me and waved to all the drivers, while making race car noises and pointing out the colors of each car. He'd have slapped on a helmet in a second, had they reduced the age to one. True.

We wandered the park, snagged free balloons and played on the playground. Pete even "got all Brazilian on us" taking off his shirt and flashing thumbs up (a way cool gesture here) at passers-by. A day of Kids was had by all...especially me who had an extra 19 weeks of crianca in my person.

Let there be Kids Day in all the world and let it begin with Brazil!