Last night was the first new years my big boys were not home with me. Yes they are 16 and could very well have been out to parties and what not the past few years but they have not. This year since it was a weekend they left with their father in the early evening. I was not happy about this at all but what can you do. I was also not happy in general as I've been of late. It was looking to be a sucky new year just as the end of 2010 had ben for me. Jake was playing wii. Em was on the computer. My husband was on his computer. Good times. I went upstairs for a bit and just sat feeling sorry for myself in Roberts room. Maybe 20 minutes in Jake came looking for me. He felt reassured when he found me and went back to playing. I felt like I needed to do something.
So we didn't have the money to go out. Or a babysitter for that matter. We could still get dressed up and have a good time right? Why the hell not? Well unless I couldn't even fit in a dress, which was a worry with all the damn cookies around my house lately not much is fitting. I needed a big boost and getting dressed up even if I had no where to go sounded fun. I locked myself in the upstairs bathroom and prettied myself up. I painted my nails put on some make-up and curled my hair. Then I got my dress and called Emily upstairs.
I brought her in on my plan and she looked at me like I was nuts. "Why are we getting dressed up if we aren't going anywhere?" She wasn't going to go along with me at first and I thought, "oh great now i feel like a fool." Eventually I convinced her with all the fun girly things we could do to get dressed up. We straightened her hair but she didn't want any make up on. Really she just wanted to make the confetti to throw around I told her we'd do after we got dressed up. Jake had come in and out a few times and we put him in his cute little boy suit we had gotten him for Christmas. Emily had picked out a sparkly red dress from last year that still fit but had sleeves so was warmer to wear.
I felt sort of funny walking downstairs past my husband vegging on the couch in his comfy t-shirt and shorts. Emily thought it funny he didn't notice as soon as we walked by that we were dressed up. I told her to go in and tell him to get dressed up for new years too. She did. And then a few more times without my coaxing. He finally went up and changed. We put on the radio. Emilys favorite station WBLI and cut up our confetti. Then the kids danced and raced around awhile. We flipped around the tv channels that had times square coverage. They threw some confetti around a little early. Not much though. And we had to keep it in the living room with the dog blocked out or he'd eat it.
Jake didn't quite make it to midnight. He was down at 11:35 saying, "I just want to sleep." We tried to wake him. We threw confetti at him. Emily thought it hysterical when she nailed me in the face with it. Glad I had my glasses on. Rob didn't seem too into it. Asked who was cleaning it up. Gee, duh, must be me in the morning, since you're never up first. Unless you're leaving for work. I much prefer confetti to his idea of banging pots and pans. Maybe that why he wasn't into it. We called the boys to say Happy New Year. I called one of their phones with the house phone and the others with my cell and had one in each ear at the same time so it was great.
The confetti reminded me of when I was a teenager and had new years parties in my basement. We had tons of confetti then and were cleaning it up and finding it in fun places months after. It got everywhere. I needed some of that back and got it with the kids last night. It was fun even if it was just us. And even if I'll be finding some of our confetti months from now in crazy places. Although I do intend to have a party next year. Cheap cut up construction paper and all! And everytime I find a piece I'll be reminded of the fun we had no matter who joins us.
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