Gloria at number 1. Today is the first birthday of little Gloria. We took her out for ice cream this afternoon but proper celebrations will be occurring in Recife this weekend. Unfortunately, she looks a bit like someone's been using her as a baseball bat (I promise we would never do that! Please don't call social services!) as her head is covered in bruises. Basically, she's been exercising her new found freedom to walk by careering off into the nearest wall or doorpost or fence or whatever. Steering has yet to be mastered.

Anyway, we're so grateful to God for a great year with her despite the health scare in January. This was the post I wrote when she was born last year. Rach posted a cute picture of Gloria over at her (Rach's) Mummy Club blog.

Two special videos. Rachel (and the kids) were on a local TV show promoting the Mummy Club recently. They all did excelently. We've got the short 2 minute TV clip and wacked it on YouTube. So, this seems as appropriate a way as any to celebrate with Gloria today - by viewing her first (but perhaps not last?) official TV appearance.

Another video which really made me laugh. The football club Corinthians (who now have Ronaldo playing for them) won the Sao Paulo state championship. The ridiculously large trophy was given to the captain who was then (along with a few other dignitaries) raised up on a platform to parade the prize before the crowd. Streamers, fireworks, sparklers, smoke were wafting through the air... well, you'll just have to see for yourself what happened next. Let's just say it's a miracle nobody got hurt. Even more astonishing - once the platform was lowered, everyone just picked the trophy up and started the party again. This just goes to prove three things that I have oft repeated on this blog: 1) Football is a drug that stops Brazilians seeing the problems immediately before them 2) Brazilian health and safety is not all that great 3) Brazilians know how to party OR, that is to say, Brazilians will probably be the ones obliviously dancing away when the 4 horseman of the Apocalypse gallop into town.

For more info see: TILAB #19. TIMAE #7. Thanks to Danny Byrne for first drawing my attention to the video.