Unless you live near family (and sometimes even then), chances are you are hard-pressed to find a babysitter crazy enough to look after your Bunch while you paint the town red on New Year's Eve. Of course, if you're like us, chances are you wouldn't have the energy to head out anyway. Ever since I became a parent, my idea of the perfect evening is ringing in the new year with a full night's sleep and the hopes that the upcoming year will include more sleep than the previous year did.
Which is why five years ago, we started the tradition of the Fox Family New Year's Eve Extravaganza. At this family-friendly event, we invite our friends and their assorted offspring to join us for dinner around 5 pm. I provide a main dish and everyone else brings an appetizer, dessert, or side dish and wine. The kids play while we chat and drink and we have a mock countdown/champagne toast at 8:00. Typically, everyone is out the door by around 9:30 and most of us are sound asleep at midnight, knowing full well that our little ones have no intention of letting us start the new year off by sleeping in.
Honestly, I can't think of a better way to spend New Year's Eve. Babysitters are in short supply, restaurants are overcrowded and overpriced, and the roads are increasingly more dangerous the later it gets. Celebrating the New Year with friends at our home allows for the best of both worlds - we save money on an evening out, we still get to eat and drink with friends, and we have minimal parenting responsibilities since our kids keep each other occupied in a baby-proofed environment.
We'd love to hear how you ring in the New Year!
That's such a great idea! My parents are always booked since my brothers both have kids now and always beat us to the punch. We always spend New Years falling asleep on the couch while we wait for the ball to drop. I think we'll use your idea in a couple of years when the kids are able to stay up past 7:30!
Posted by: Casey | Dec 27, 2008 at 10:13 PM
we are heading to a friend's house to do the same. hubby won't be there as he will be working but me and the girls will attend.
Posted by: feener | Dec 27, 2008 at 10:22 PM
that is a fantastic idea!
Posted by: April | Dec 27, 2008 at 10:49 PM
We have friends who we ring in the new year this way with, too. They have a son about the same age as the babies, a little older, with plans to have another soon, so we've all left our wild days (ha, we weren't very wild, I guess!) behind us. Want real wildness, though? SOMETIMES we even stay the NIGHT at each other's houses on New Year's Eve! I KNOW!!
We eat ourselves SILLY on New Year's, too...Ham, mashed potatoes, finger foods, pies, ice cream, punch, etc. Mmmmmmm!
Posted by: JessPond | Dec 27, 2008 at 11:52 PM
im guessing we'll ring in the new year while playing sims 2 on our new addiction...xbox 360. Our sims will woohoo while we down champagne and snort laugh while trying not to wake the babes...Happy new year mommas!!
Posted by: beth | Dec 28, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Great idea! Maybe we'll give it a try next year when DH is home from Iraq. For this year, I imagine that New Year's Eve will be just another day for the girls and I.
Posted by: MaryBeth @ FourSillySisters | Dec 28, 2008 at 01:44 PM