A (Belated) Happy New Years!

Didn't see that one until after the New Year started, but the kid in me just couldn't pass it up. So, there's one for all the "beaver lovers" out there.

New Year's Eve was a gas this year. We didn't go anywhere or do anything, really, but we had a pretty good time.

[Kid 1] and [Kid 2] wanted to invite a few friends over. For some reason, all of these kids are transportationally-challenged. They can't drive, can't get their parents to drive, and can't navigate the public transportation system in this city. So, we tried to work through some of that. Honestly, though, having them all at my house was the preferable situation.

The kids were at their dad's for the weekend and just before coming home at 6PM on the 31st, [Kid 1] called me (at about 5:30) to see if we could provide transportation for one of her friends. I'd already been talked into picking up a friend who lived thirty minutes away and, because I didn't want to be out returning him home in the wee hours, agreed to a sleepover. The second friend, of course, was not anywhere close to the route I'd be travelling. So, I asked where the friend lived and was advised that she lived in my ex's neighborhood. Her parents, apparently, were "too wasted" to drive her over to our place. I'd already agreed that anyone who came over could spend the night, so it was simply a matter of her getting there.

"Is it possible that your dad can pick her up and deliver her with you when you come home?" So she asked and he agreed and just after 6PM, four kids showed up at my door.

Highlander and I had been out running errands, else we'd have had one kid before ours even got there. He's a likeable enough boy, but he definitely needs some help learning to socialize a little better. "Eric" called and said he would be at our house at 3PM. I told him the kids wouldn't be home until later and that we'd be out running errands. So, he postponed things a bit and showed up not long afterwards.

Before any of them got there, though, Highlander helped me get some dinner ready for the kids (some baked ziti) and then root through the pantry and fridge to come up with party snacks for the kids for later. I'd specifically bought a box of brownie mix (my homemade brownies are so much better, but I just hadn't had time to make them), softdrinks (which I rarely keep in my house), some canned crescent roll dough and some cocktail smokies, just for the party.

With his help, I was able to come up with brownies and some pigs-in-a-blanket (from the cocktail smokies and crescent roll dough), of course, along with cubed cheese and summer sausage for a tray with a variety of snack crackers, some veggies with ranch dressing for dip, some quesadillas filled with turkey, shredded mexican cheese and carmelized onions, some tortilla chips and queso dip, pretzels, and some pepperoni french bread pizza.

I had the whole kitchen table full of food and, believe it or not, between five teenagers and a rampaging 6 year old, there were very few left overs. Okay, Highlander and I probably ate a little of that, too.

The order of the evening was games. [Kid 1] broke out her new "Apples to Apples", which, admittedly, is kind of fun and everyone got to play at least one round of it. As it accomodates up to 8 players, and even [Kid 3] can get into it, everyone enjoyed it. A few games of Magic The Gathering sprung up here and there, as well.

[Kid 3] made it until midnight, but not much later. I was somewhat surprised she'd been able to stay up that late, but there was so much activity going on that she was in her glory.

One game of Scene It! had [Kid 2] paired with mutual friend Allen (of the thirty minute drive), [Kid 1] paired with Eric and with Haley (she of the drunken parents), and Highlander and I all set to take our usual victory from the grubby paws of the children. Unfortunately, while we came close, our team was dealt their first loss EVER. And by some snot-nosed punks, to boot! [Kid 2] and friend reigned victorious.

Not long after, [Kid 1] advised me that her friend, Eric, wanted to play Scrabble. Heh, my own kids bringing me victims. Brings tears to my eyes. Haley piped up that she wanted to play, too. So, Highlander pulled up the last chair at the table and we were able to school them thusly. I'd like to note, however, that Highlander snatched my rightly won victory from me when Eric (whose turn preceded Highlander's) gave him access to not one, but TWO triple word score squares in back to back turns. Grrr!!

The X-box was given a work out, and at about 4AM, a boardgame called Imaginiff came out for a while, as well. I played one round of Imaginiff and then I called it a night. At that point, [Kid 2] had already crashed as well and Highlander had recently done the same.

I was wide awake, though. Hopped up on Mountain Dew, alas. And began to do an inadvertant imitation of Glenn Close in THE BIG CHILL. You know...the scene where's she's in bed talking to Kevin Kline and he's trying to sleep, but she's done some cocaine and her mind is just going and going. I didn't have any cocaine, but I felt just like that. Highlander was doing a pretty good Kevin Kline, too, begging me to go to sleep and trying to ignore me talking to him. LOL!

The last time I looked at the clock before succumbing to sleep it was nearing 5AM. As Highlander had admonished, [Kid 3] was up at 8:40AM. The teens were sprawled all over the living room and had, as I was to learn much later, gone to sleep at 6:30AM. I walked her back to her room and laid down with her until just past 9:30AM. Though, I was, at most, drifting in and out of consciousness. Never really sleeping. Finally, she was ready to get up and we grabbed a video and some coloring books and traded rooms with Highlander.

Our bedroom is at the back of the house and I figured if we were going to be awake (and therefore noisy), it would be most considerate to try to keep away from the sleepers. We never did put the video in, instead spending an hour or so coloring many pictures in her books. It was nice to have some quiet, alone time with her. We had a nice talk, too.

Sometime before noon, she and I were going to venture out to Krispy Kreme to pick up some breakfast for the still sleeping masses. Highlander woke just in time to join us and, by the time we got back, everyone was up. Apparently, rumors of donuts had done wonders...heh.

Once everyone had eaten and dressed, Highlander and I set them all to work undecorating the house. And within about an hour and a half, the exterior and all of the interior Christmas decorations had been packed away for another year, everything had been put back as it usually is, and at least the first wave of pine needles had been swept up.

We worked in a little more MTG and Apples to Apples as we waited for Haley's dad to pick her up, and, as soon as she'd gone, Highlander, [Kid 1] and I took Allen back out to the country, which was at about 4:30PM. Eric ended up staying for dinner...hardly an unusual occurence...before catching the last bus back to his neighborhood.

So, as of January 2nd, all of the "returns" have been done, all of the giftcards have been shopped up (save one that will be spent this coming weekend), and all of the holiday clean-up is over. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Okay, 2007, I'm ready.