first new years eve - Bubbablue and me
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Sticking the first New Year’s Eve party

Firstly Happy New Year. I hope 2019 brings us all what we wish for.

I haven’t celebrated new year at midnight for about 16 years. I think that last attempt was 15 years ago when we were invited to my salsa friend’s house for the evening. I presumed it was a party but it turned out to be a dinner party for 8. Nice enough but the OH only knew me, I knew 1 person other person there, and I had a killer headache so we left at about 9.30.

Usually new year’s eve is just like any other evening at home. In front of the tv, the OH goes to be around 10 because he’s still up at 5am to do the feeding. And I’ll stretch it out til just about midnight in the hope of lasting to see the countdown and fireworks on tv.

The past 3 years, farmer friends or my sister in law have hosted new year’s day for friends and the children instead. It’s been usually as drunken as evening parties (when will nearly 50 year old men realise they can’t handle their drink – I’m looking at my OH, who was asleep in the living room from 9am to at least N’s bedtime on new year’s day!). And lots of fun seeing everyone. Plus the children get to see their farming friends they don’t often see as they mostly go to different schools. They can also get plenty of outdoor play in which is often lacking over the Christmas holiday period.

This new year was different. Friends who are now living just 5 minutes from us changed things up and instead of doing day time, hosted a Hogmanay housewarming party for new year’s eve. We weren’t sure how N would cope (let alone the OH) but it was N’s first grown up evening party.

first new years eve - Bubbablue and me

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N was sure what the protocol would be. I had to explain what hogmanay was, and what a housewarming was. He was insistent that the house tours would be done on arival so the children could then have the upstairs to play in. He kept reporting back to me through the evening to tell me who’d had a tour. Once he’s got something in his head, he doesn’t want to let it go! It’s very cute, and funny.

In the afternoon, I’d made sure we came back from a friend’s house early enough for him to have a short nap. He usually can’t get to sleep in the day, but snuggled down in his ‘den’corner of the living room under various blankets and got a good hour’s sleep. I think that really helped.

I took N’s sleeping bag with us in case he flaked out but we didn’t need it. He was still as awake at 12.30 am as he was when we arrived.

The food they’d put on was amazing. Mostly my friend’s own made up concoctions but delicious and far more plentiful than a finger buffet would suggest. We ate barbecue sauce meatballs, cocktail sausages, loaded half jacket potatoes, pulled pork and coleslaw rolls, smoked salmon and cream cheese crackers, marmite pinwheels, and garlic bread with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Delicious. The children had their own drinks and food ‘bar’. With a fire pit outside we were able to spread out and many finished the night toasting marshmallows and making s’mores.

It was a shame that one of N’s farming / camping friend’s he’d been looking forward to seeing couldn’t make it, but it didn’t matter. N knew all of the children there from either school, camping or farming. With ages raning from him at 7 through to 15 for those playing, they all mucked in toether. As well as computer games featuring, they also got up to hide and seek and 40 40 out, those classic games they always play camping.

Like so often, we had a bit of a music quiz. You can’t beat having Alexa to help out with those. N turned up everytime rock music appeared!

The new year was seen in with the countdown on tv and the fireworks in London. Then dragging the children outside so they could experience singing Auld Lang Syne.

N loved being out so later and having all the children to play with. It kept him entertained, I know he wouldn’t stay up if he was just at home with us. It was lovely to go to a proper new year’s eve party which was enjoyable and not a chore.

While new year’s day parties are great because you can let the children loose in the garden, doing new year’s eve felt more special. I don’t think N will stop talking about it for a while yet. He was so exciting about seeing things so early in 2019. Plus I got a lie in til 8 and he slept in til 9am which is unheard of.

A first new year’s eve party experience and it was a success.

How do you celebrate the new year’s arrival?

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