My grand plans of a toddler NYE party didn’t quite materialise but we did have a lovely day on NYE and then time with my parents today.
New Year’s Eve doesn’t feel like the same big deal that it used to. As I sidle closer and closer to 30, there’s generally nothing I like more in the evening than to curl up with a drink (wine, hot chocolate or camomile tea depending on how the day has been), with my slippers and my latest obsession on Netflix and be snuggled in bed by 10.30 at the very latest. This rarely happens because I’m often marking until nearly 10, then I have to make lunches etc and collapse into bed later than planned and totally exhausted. So the appeal of staying up past midnight just to watch some fireworks on the telly and make up the words to Auld Lang Syne (because no-one actually knows the words right?!), and then wonder how short amount of time it is socially acceptable to leave after the chimes of Big Ben/kick people out and then collapse in bed!
This year, I was in bed later than normal – I believe it was just gone 11pm (dirty late night!), having consumed no alcohol, just some peppermint tea and I was asleep pretty much before hubby joined me!
This is how we welcomed in 2015.
Hubby had a few bits and bobs to do outside of the house so Sprog and I played. Firstly, with the train track… although that is still mainly Sprog destroying it. Secondly, with old clothes as I sorted out the change around from 12-18 months to 18-24 months. 😦 He’s getting so big, not even quite 17 months yet but at least he has diddy legs… they will stay in the smaller size for a while yet. Thirdly, my Christmas present to myself arrived … a Kindle! Whoop whoop! Big attempt at actually reading a book for the first time since he was born happening here, he was obviously most interested in the box. Lastly, he had a lovely nap from which he awoke and starting giggling to himself. This was the cheeky face that greeted me when I went in to him!
Then, we went out for a NYE dinner with friends. I know the family selfie is horrifically out of focus but I totally love it! He couldn’t stop giggling as we tried to take a photo. Then along the bottom, I just love Sprog’s new hat that he got for Christmas, even if it goes wonky pretty quickly each time we pull it back down! A long story and misunderstanding, 12 miles later on the opposite side of town in the ‘other’ Harvester, we sat down for dinner! You can’t quite make it out in the middle shot but one of our friends was in the process of teaching Sprog to fist pound… He got that down and proceeded to spend the rest of the meal trying to fist pound everyone at the table repeatedly. Thirdly, love this… we’ve just noticed how his arms are growing into proportion with his body a bit more and he can now reach to put things on/pull things off his head.
It was then home, Sprog to bed marginally later than normal. What is it with toddler’s getting more hyper as they get tired?!
Today has been quite low key really. An epic play in the park with my parents in pretty strong winds, followed by a scrummy lunch out (this time, I ate very healthy options and didn’t have desert when everyone else did). Then, sad times, the Christmas tree came down. I don’t like how empty the house feels when you’ve taken all the decorations down. But it’s time to start getting organised for back to school and work on Monday, I marked a set of assessments this afternoon as hubby and Sprog played and watch Toy Story and that’s it. The festivities are over.
We’ve had a lovely couple of days, with all the hub and business of Christmas with a toddler, it was particularly nice to have a chilled out and relaxing New Year. I think my partying nights are behind me, but I’m really not very sad about that.
I hope you all had a truly brilliant Christmas and New Year with all the people who are important to you.
mamavsteacher 