Dzien Dziecka

Apparently, way back in the 20's sometime when the world was reveling in post WWI victory, jazz music was at it's finest and some daring women started showing off their ankles, someone decided to create a day, a whole day, just for kids. Dedicated to children. A day to honor them, tell them how much you care about them, buy them little gifts, and all around just love on them.

Wha, wha, whaaaaaaat? Back it up... a whole day? Dedicated to children?

Are you kidding me? Have you been to my house?
What day around here is NOT children's day? These kids already live in a fantasy world of homemade chicken nuggets and chocolate milk. They eat ice cream that comes in three different flavors right out of carton, right out of the carton! And the toys, my gosh the toys, flowing like milk and honey, in Biblical proportions, out of every nook and cranny that would normally have, well, nothing but empty space. Empty space! I don't even know what those two words mean side by side any more in my primary colored world of plastic.

My kids think that a trip to the doctor's office is a special treat because, while there, they get plied with so many stickers and coloring books that you'd think they just come out of a fun house at the fair. The hair cut place doles out lollipops like candy, and even a trip to the grocery store, a boring old trip to the grocery store! gets them samples, and sips of so many foods, foods that I would never buy, that I think the only thing we have ever turned *down* is the free wine tasting that they offer to *me* because I would be likely to overindulge (I've been tempted in the past to walk straight over to the beer aisle, crack open a Pacifico, pop it in my back pocket, and sip it as I stroll. It should be complimentary considering how much money I spend there... and the fact that I have all four kids there by myself!) and not be able to get home in time to put the ice cream in the freezer before it melts, the three flavored ice cream!

They are served only foods they will eat, their favorite foods, from morning to night. Their clothes are laundered and put away for them. Their teeth routinely brushed by another. Heck, at our house I get them every sip of water they drink, and open every door for them to go outside. (I have to, they all have special locks on them to keep Hejjo from wondering out in the middle of the night...it happens.) If the t.v. is on it is only playing their shows, their music is etched into my brain, and their bums and noses are squeaky clean thanks to my bum and nose wiping expertise.

So, what exactly does Children's Day mean around here?

Martin...and I quote..." Hey Olivia, today is children's day, don't tell the kids."


Happy Children's Day!

P.S.

Little bit of History:

International Children's Day celebrated on June 1 was adopted in 1925. Universal Children's Day was adopted by the United Nations in 1952 and is celebrated on November 20th. Countries all over the world celebrate one of these two days, or their own day, as the official Children's Day, varying from country to country.

In Poland, the children receive a holiday from school. My children are home-schooled...every day is a holiday from school!(... or, *every* day is school, but they haven't figured that out yet...shhh...) ;)