Unreal...

Last night, (which happened to be a Saturday night) we took Jasper to YET ANOTHER Birthday party. Perhaps I dwell on this too much, but it continues to blow my mind. His classmate was turning 4, and the party took place at a very posh party place and started at 6:30pm. I thought i had read the invite wrong....
Seven o' clock is when we usually start to wind down for the day, give Jasper his bath, choose a few books to read for bed-time, and, well, you know - the usual routine.
We arrived at the "buffet" party place at 6:45 and the place was rather empty. But oh boy, that gave us time to sample (ad nauseum) the monorail elevated train (which circled the venue and went outside as well), the pseudo chair lift swing ride (also suspended from the roof of the building), the drop and spin ride (made me want to puke), and numerous other funland frenzies. Video games, play pits, deep fried food from hell, and of course, champagne, beer, wine, and soft drinks. I have given up asking for juice....
We did our best to talk to the augmented, toned, and styled big people present, but it takes a concerted effort to get into the mind-frame necessary. We waited, and waited, and ate and drank, and waited, and waited. When? When were they going to sing happy birthday so we could get home to bed? At 9:30pm we breathed a sigh of relief as we saw things were getting organised. Alas, a troupe of dressed-up, made up "actors" arrived to give us a Portuguese rendition of "The Little Mermaid". By 10pm we gave up, just as the lights dimmed and the Birthday girl (who looked wired and exhausted) got behind the banquet table (decorated elaborately with little mermaid toys, brigadeiro, and other special effects) and posed becomingly. We raced out the door to the sound of " Parabens para voce! Nesta data querida! Muitos felicidades! Muitos anos que vida!"
In bed at 10:30 with purple circles under his eyes, our little man said he had a wonderful time. Well - at least one of us did!
The question I am still asking myself is.... What time did everyone else leave? What kind of social life is normal for 4 year olds here? And - in two weeks time - what will be the expectations for Jasper's party? Stress......