Happy New Year!

Happy 2011!! What an auspicious date it is today - 1.1.11. Love it!

Having young children, I have not worried about New Year's festivities for a few years now (unless you count our visit to the labour ward last year - now that was a hootananny!!) So last  night's shindig at Gertrude and Lucky's place with a few of our nearest and dearest, and our combined sprogs was fantastic fun! We drove across to the other side of the city early in the afternoon - actually, at one point we didn't think we would make it at all. Bella, our little tabby cat, decided to wedge herself down behind the garage, meaning we couldn't bring her inside. Needless to say, we weren't going anywhere until Bella was safely in and away from potential fireworks, so it was with a stroke of genius that I went down the other side of the fence with a shovel, and whacked the fence at the exact point she was hiding! Christian said she shot out from behind the garage like a bat (or a cat!) out of hell, so into the house she went, and we were able to get the team on the road.

We had a pretty good run through the city, which meant that when we arrived at Aunty Gertrude's house there was plenty of time to run riot with the other kids. We cooked some snags for the children and set them up outside (and with a glass of wine in hand, I was already having a ball!). Jack and the other big boys had been playing in George the labrador's kennel earlier, and Uncle Lucky had been ribbing them about sleeping outside with the dog if they were naughty. When Jack asked for his third sausage, I said he could have it if he said, "Oh, most beautiful mummy in the world, may I have another sausage?" He laughed, and shook his head. Uncle Lucky said, "Say 'Oh Sir Lucky the Glorious, may I have another sausage?" Again, Jack shook his head and giggled. I suggested, "What about, 'Oh lovely Aunty Gert, another sausage please?" Nope, again he said no. Uncle Lucky tried again, telling Jack, "If you say mine, I'll let you get out of sleeping with George in the kennel tonight, AND I'll let you have a sausage." Jack looked him dead in the eye and quietly said, "Mine." I probably don't need to tell you we reminded Lucky all night that he had been owned by a four year old!!! Haha!!

The screaming banshees...ahem, I mean, the little cherubs were all bunkered down for the night by 9:30, which considering the excitement was a pretty good effort, I reckon! The grown-ups then had a chance to sit around and talk about subjects other than who was their favourite character from Bob the Builder, or whether they preferred Thomas or Percy. It was so lovely, having a glass of champers, chatting away with some of my oldest and dearest friends...but I think we'd all admit that the yawning began around 10:30pm! Funnily enough, the closer we got to midnight, the more New Year's Eve memories involving Gertrude and I began surfacing...especially one in which Gertrude, Ermintrude and I had woven approximately 20 helium balloons around ourselves, and got stuck in the toilet just as the clock was counting down to midnight...we popped free on the stroke of twelve! Ah, good times. (And just while we're here, I'd like to send a shout-out and congratulations to my dear friend Caroline, whom I spent the millenium New Year's Eve with in York, and who gave birth to her first son yesterday. Well done, Caz - now that's a special NYE!!)

After watching the midnight fireworks on the telly (in addition to the premature fireworks down the road which went off at 11:15...???), I'm sorry to say we all crawled into bed. But it was the thought of our little early-risers snoring away on their lilos that did it! Unfortunately, Maisie took the porta-cot-next-to-Mummy's-bed situation as carte blanche on the 3am breastfeeding menu, so I spent almost an hour convincing our wee one that sleep was what she actually needed. After a 6am start from Miss Phoebe, and a 6:30am feed with Miss Maisie, we welcomed the new year with breakfast for the Weetbixy masses. It was pretty cute, actually, seeing our combined kidlets sitting up together in their jarmies. Just like uni days at the flat, only without the hangovers or confused memories.

We waved goodbye to our extended family mid-morning, and found our way home for a very, very, very tired afternoon. In fact, as Daddy plays Wii Golf, and Maisie sits at his feet waving DVD cases, Jack and Phoebe are still trying to go to sleep after being over-tired all day. Irony, anybody? I must admit that although I am tired, it was the best way I could think of to start what will be a wonderful year. Thank you to our gorgeous friends for a fabulous night!! I enjoyed every minute. Now, if I could convince the two toonkynunks in the bunks and the littlest toonky at my feet to go to sleep, perhaps I could enjoy a little shut-eye myself?? Or do I have to put that on Santa's wish list for next year?