I measured the boys on my pretty measuring stick and the two oldest have grown four inches since last Christmas. One has a faint beginning of a mustache and the two oldest have feet bigger than mine, and both their voices crack every day. At about 5'6" I am still taller, though. (Youngest still appreciates a stuffed animal and I knew he'd like a pet pillow).
We'll be up until past 1:00 a.m. because Oldest son is at a party in a nearby neighborhood. Clearly he has a more active social life than we do, and we had to have a chat last night about how another parent needs to help do the driving as we shouldn't be the only ones to drive Oldest and his friends to a bowling alley at 6:00, pick them up at 8:00 to transfer to a house party, and then retrieve at 1:00 a.m. Plus, Hubs and I had not had a bite out to eat alone in forever so Oldest did find another buddy's parent to do the 6:00 bowling alley delivery.
Hubs and I walked on a trail at a nearby park for 2 or 3 miles in the late afternoon and we reminisced about some past New Year's Eves. For several years, before kids, we went to an English pub that included dart playing, a roaring fire, lots of smoke in your eyes, an 80-year-old woman playing show tunes on a piano and the owner would pass out champagne and party favors. Hubs would order a "Black and Tan" and years later when we found a dog to adopt at the Humane Society, his description read "black and tan" and I suggested we name him Guinness, which I heard of at this English pub.
This year we went to a Cuban cafe for a 5:00 dinner (we may be getting closer to the "Del Boca Vista" lifestyle-age like Seinfeld's parents, but mostly it was because we wanted to try this restaurant and it was booked at 6:00). It was just okay. I did try a frozen mojito and it was good but the food was disappointing...in the few times we go out alone a year that happens a lot, unfortunately. We were back home at 6:15 and I fixed something to eat for Middle and Youngest sons and baked some brownies to go with ice cream and got into my fleece pajamas as fast as I could. I never have coffee at night but I made some a little while ago and we bowled on the Wii (wearing my soft, fuzzy socks and not bowling shoes, and I won but don't even ask me about the golf--I couldn't do it and quit).
Tomorrow the tree gets hauled back to Home Depot for recycling, the decorations get put back in the attic, the boys get put to work cleaning the bathrooms and the Christmas ham goes into a soup pot with split peas.
Two days left of Christmas vacay. I wish I could make time stand still!
Happy, happy New Year!
7 comments:
First to comment again! Yeah! Loved this post, especially the last paragraph, which, although the topic was sad, the tone was heartfelt and I related. Love how you use "parallel structure" to paint a portrait of how the holidays are officially over and everything gets put back in its place. The thing about getting older is that it's universal: we all feel the same way in general about life. Earlier dinners, not easily impressed with a new restaurant's offerings, looking back on old times and reminiscing. Tonight, on our way home from a New Year's Eve party that officially ended as soon as the ball dropped (seriously, at 12:05 everyone was like, "well, gotta get going", it was ridiculous!), we drove through Westwood Village, which holds a host of memories for me (us): it's where my mom worked for YEARS and where I visited her in her corporate office hundreds of times, where we used to hang out as high schoolers for fun, where my sis attended college, where I attended college. As we drove by and it flew by me outside the car window, I thought it was a lot like those times, they flew by as fast as the physical space was flying by me in the car. They are no longer my life now; they are in the past, gone except in my mind. I wondered if I would ever be able to let them go, or would I always feel the past tugging gently at my sleeve. Time marches forward...and waits for no one. Happy New Year!
Damn. Everyone had a better New Year's Eve than me.
And I have no one to blame but myself.
So did you make it until midnight? I didn't, but my kids kept poking me awake until it was just about midnight. So I did greet the new year. But I don't think being poked awake by young children should count as having made it.
This was the first year we let our two oldest stay up for the midnight ball drop and I have to say they were pretty underwhelmed by the whole thing. Here's hoping they decide it is not worth staying up for for at least another few years. We did have lots of friends over today which was the perfect way to ring in the New Year. I hope 2012 brings you and your family much love and happiness.
So how was your Oldest's party? Sounds like he's found a great group of friends. Happy New Year to you guys!
Sounds cozy and comforting!
And I'm looking forward to the day the children redistribute the carpool burdens. Right now it's between the moms and it can get, umm, awkward.
Our whole house was asleep at 10:20.
Wanna be shuffle board partners at Del Boca Vista?
P.S. Santa brought the same pillow pet to our house for Oldest. Santa rocks. Happy 2011 sweet Michele!
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