We stayed home last night, and friends came over. Ned and Vanessa also didn’t have a sitter, so we decided to do a slumber party again this year. Surprisingly, our friends Matt and Shannon, and Carlie and Brandon, both childless, came also. I guess we are all getting old and they didn’t want to do the whole bar/party scene. (I did sneak out for an hour to my neighbor’s party, and would liked to have been in two places at once. Looked fun.)
Ned and Vanessa brought their lab, Summer, and Matt and Shannon brought their dogs, Omar and Bodhi. There were dogs everywhere, and Simon (the black cat) is still livid even after they have all been gone for hours. If I die by an anvil falling on my head, Simon is most certainly responsible.
Lisa and Dashie came, too. They just stayed for dinner.
Rollie, Scarlett, and Tiller watched movies.
Then, the kids started going crazy, wanting sparklers.
And more crazy.
Yes, those PJs are flammable. @NervousNellieMother
I love those damn goofy kids.
So cute together.
Kids waiting not so patiently for Ned to fire up the big fireworks.
Scarlett used her time to strike some poses. Nessie claims that she didn't teach her this, but come on. We've all seen Nessa get self-whiplash to get into the proper pose before the camera clicks.
The kids ran like crazy in the front yard inbetween the big fireworks. Carlie and I cowered in fear behind some bushes.
Ned and Carlie relaxing after setting things on fire.
This is Matt. He is probably saying snarky, back-handed things about UGA.
Before midnight, we did some hanging by the fire with the dogs.
All the couples kissed at midnight. We are all cute. Then we all kissed each others husbands and wives. Yeah, that's how it is.
I totally threw Brandon under the bus on this one, but Carlie looked so cute, I had to include this one.
And Ned and Nessie. Isn't her new hair color cute?
And me and Mr. Dogwood. Not a great picture, but the only one of the two of us.
Love these girls!
Matt ruined the picture watching tv. We've all been spending NYE together since Y2K! Except we used to go to the beach and we didn't have kids. We did have puzzles and other recreational activities. And a lot of alcohol.
Shannon and Nessie and I solved all the problems of the world after midnight. Unfortunately, I cannot remember what we decided now.
Matt was dressed like a WWII airplane mechanic. Lisa and I called him Hawkeye.
And Ned, back in black, tending the fire.
So, overall, a very low-key night. The kids never made it to midnight, but I think they could next year. They were still up at 7 this morning. It was fun to get up in the chaos of coffee-making, casserole-baking, cereal-pouring, and dog petting. What a madhouse. We ate breakfast and chatted and lounged with dogs, then everyone left.
I put on the greens and the black eyed peas. Lounged on the couch with Tiller and watched about ten episodes of Tom and Jerry. (Thank you, Boomerang!) Watched some football with Todd and Rollie. Ate two helpings of the peas and greens. Tiller had the worst hangover – she fell asleep on the couch and slept for almost two hours. I fell asleep on the floor with my dog. Can’t remember the last time I fell asleep on the floor in the middle of the afternoon. It was nice, but that weird waking-up-in-the-dark thing always makes me feel strange.
Kids are in bed now, and I watched Saving Private Ryan (sucks me in every time), while eating a Bowl of Shame for the ages. I think Bridget Jones said it best:
I do think New Year’s resolutions can’t technically be expected to begin on New Year’s Day, don’t you? Since, because it’s an extension of New Year’s Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year’s Day isn’t a good idea as you can’t eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second. ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones’s Diary
So, my resolution, to hit the Weight Watcher’s again, will start Tuesday morning. The kids go back to school that day, and no sane person would spend over two weeks with their offspring, 24 hours a day, and then try to quit drinking before the reinforcements come. That would be crazy.
So, I bid you all a Happy New Year! I am too tired to go on. Sweet dreams from Dogwood Girl.
Tags: New Year's Day, New Year's Eve
Wonderful post! Sorry I missed solving all the worlds problems. I would have been really good at that. Glad Ned didn’t set anything on fire this year. That goes for me too!
I’m glad no one set anything on fire, period. We missed you. Stupid old sick people!
Great post Anne!
Matt and I talked on the way home about what a nice night it was with good people.
love love.
I all about optimism and activism this year damnit.
Sounds about perfect.
Happy New Year!
How did I not visit and see this before now? Love the post and I have never had whiplash…a sore neck, maybe. We had so much fun and love you all!
I’m easy to miss. 🙂
We love you too. Sore neck. Ha!