For the past several years we have spent New Year's Eve as a family, just DH, myself and the 5 critters. We have dinner, then play board games, then we gorge ourselves on chocolate fondue and sparkling cider (the real stuff for me and DH). Last night was no exception. We looked forward to it all day, each child picked a board game of their choice, I prepared the fondue dips.
It was very Norman Rockwell-ian.
Until it wasn't.
Oldest son's game of choice was missing an integral piece, and choosing another game? Well, I may as well have suggested he do homework. Critter #2 and critter #3 argued over who won more games of Zingo. Critter #4 only wanted checkers, not understanding why everyone couldn't play. The pokemon DVD board game fell apart when someone pushed the wrong button on the remote. Everyone cried at least once.
So we gently ended the evening, without having a chance to discuss resolutions, and put everyone to bed. More tears. More whining. My resolution became "next year I'm renting the children from the Pottery Barn catalogue for the holidays, they're never fighting!"
Then DH and I decided we would have another glass of bubbly and watch a lighthearted romantic movie. Notsomuch...I picked P.S. I Love You. Shoulda watched the preview, since it's a really sad movie and cried through most of it...
The good news? The edges of last night's memories have softened, DH said this morning "it wasn't too bad." And the kids are already asking when we can have another fondue/game night...maybe by 2010 I'll remember it fondly too!
Happy New Year!!!
Sounds perfect!! I love how the memories soften by the next day. Our night was surprisingly good...relatively little fighting and we even got in a game of scrabble.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year dear friend!