Happy Birthdayzzzzz.....

When your kindergartener falls asleep on the way TO the birthday party, you're definitely not in Kansas anymore. We left last night at 7:30 (PM!!) for a birthday party of one of Penny's classmates from kindergarten. She was turning six, and the other little boy was turning five. It started at 7:30, which is Portuguese for, "If you show up at 7:30, you can help the catering staff set up."
So we left our house then. It was outside the city in a suburb I've never been to. I couldn't find the exact address on the map before I left, so I set out with just a vague idea of where it was. Cut to the point: we got lost. We made a brief detour through one of the little towns outside Brasilia. Isn't that why we're here in Brazil? To see the world and explore new places? It is, but I don't usually mean to do it on the way to birthday parties. We found the place on our fourth try, and Penny was asleep in the car.
I woke her up, and we went to an amazing party. It was at a birthday party center, which was like a small carnival with rides, an extensive McDonald's-type play place, a zip line, and cotton candy,  hot dogs, and kebabs. It was a fun party, and Penny ran off to do the rides with her friends from school. It's amazing how being at a carnival makes my sleepy five-year-old suddenly perky again!
There's not a lot to do at a party where you don't know anyone or even speak their language very well. But Penny had a blast.
Eventually, I decided we'd better go home. I knew Penny would sleep the moment she sat in the car, and I was guessing that William was probably awake and hungry again at home. When we left at 9:45, we were the only ones leaving. There was a buffet set up, but the food hadn't come out yet. The party favors and grandiose birthday cake had yet to be broken open. We were leaving several hours too early. But we're crazy Americans who go to bed early-- even on weekends.