Happy New Year!

In Kayli's opinion, the two most exciting things about New Years Eve, are getting to buy party hats and horns at Party City, and staying up until midnight! I love planning an evening at home that begins with a steak dinner, complete with steamed broccoli, twice baked potato, and a nice tall glass of red wine! Then, I light a fire in the fireplace, and settle in to the living room for the night. Tonight, Kayli and I decided to rent a movie from Redbox, and we went to 3 different boxes before we found the movie we wanted...Mr. Peabody and Sherman.

Kayli had spent some time in her craft room getting party hats ready for her dolls...

Then,we got the snacks out, and let the night begin!

we celebrated the countdown to midnight twice, once with New York in Times Square, and again an hour later with the local news!

there were lots of noise makers and fireworks in our neighborhood, so we just joined in with our noisemakers out on our deck until we couldn't stand the cold (about 2 minutes, ha!) Sprinkles was not amused with all this noise...but was a good sport to wear her homemade party hat, for about 2 minutes!

one out of our three party poppers actually worked like it was supposed to, popping open and throwing confetti into the air, in our living room!

we both had a fun time tonight, but I was telling Kayli that although this night is traditionally a very big night, and very significant for most people around the world, for me, I always feel that my New Year's Eve is truly the night before starting another school year.  When I was the one in school, there were always so many goals, so many adventures, so much to look forward to. When I became the one working in the school, I had so much to celebrate as I looked back over the previous year, and still so many new experiences, adventures, and new goals to be accomplished in the course of a new school year. There was always so much to look forward to. Then, when my child began school, the starting of each school year took on a slightly different significance, in that it represented all that my child had accomplished the previous year, all that the two of us had accomplished together, and all the adventures that still lay ahead for us. It was a celebration of so much! Yet, still, the new beginning was always bittersweet, as it was a blatant reminder of time flying by, of my child growing up too fast, of time just marching on, with each new school year, this one, being 2014-15. I can't decide if I should say this school year is "half way over" or "half left for adventures ahead?' I think I'll go with the latter! Happy New Year/Happy School Year!