Shiny New Year

This year both KC and Lissa were home for New Years Eve. Rob was working so it was me and my wife and the youngers who watched the New Year come in.  We watched a movie, played Apples to Apples and then noshed on the apps Lissa made from her new cookbook and while we watched the events from Times Square.  It was fun.  Low key fun, but made me think back to how much they have all grown.  New Years Eve used to be from a country some where else where it would be midnight there when it was about 6 to 8 p.m. here.  We'd have a feast based on the cuisine of the country we chose, play games jump on bubble wrap and it was literally done by 8 at the latest.

But they have grown so much.  Snuggling on the couch with them to watch the frozen folk in Times Square I am mindful that in a not distant future it will be me and my wife watching the new year come in.  Probably at that stage in life with a nice meal and an early bed. 

We have spent today taking down the tree, ordering a new tree since this one has survived all the kids, a plethora of animals and boy does it show it! We have cleaned and tidied and the house still looks pretty but also has a neatness and order about it that tends to disappear over the holidays.  Life is always busy and when you add in the holidays there is precious time to do much more than roll with the celebrations.  So I long ago decided that this was how I would handle it. I would clean thoroughly before decorating and thoroughly AFTER and the during was what my grandmother affectionately called "a lick and a promise."

I also got great headway on projects that are hard to fit into my regular schedule.  I have scrapbooks well in hand for 2017  On the one hand, since I only have 2 kids that I do this for now, you would think I could keep up better.  On the other hand, they have reached the point where their lives, experiences and interests do not mirror each other exactly so it increases the work in creating pages.  I have printed all the picture pages for both of them for all of 2017  I have organized all the additional memorablia--ticket stubs, receipts, menus and such and placed them in order with the pictures.  I now need to buy the scrapbook pages to insert in my plastic sleeves and then I can attach things permanently.  I always have great and grandiouse plans of keeping this up better.  I am not sure that i really can but am thinking of trying to literally schedule a scrapbooking date with myself at the end of every month.  We shall see.

Tomorrow my vacation is over and I return to work.  I have enjoyed every minute of my time off.  It has been a gift beyond measure but I am also ready to return to my familiar schedule. The week eases in a bit as it is a short week and the kids don't have any committments till Thursday.  Happy New Year all.  May 2018 be a good year to us all!