I got married a few years before any of my siblings did. So on New Year's Eve I would always worry when they would go out and drink for the night. They wouldn't have a designated driver, because that wasn't in vogue at the time.
So one year, I decided to have my brothers and sister come over my house for New Year's Eve. I had a small two bedroom house at the time, but I knew it would be plenty of room for sleeping bags and family.
We would all chip in for snacks, chinese food, and party favors. Everyone would bring a game they liked to play and a drink of their choice. We would start around 6pm and play games, eat snacks, drink and watch the ball drop. I had two little boys at the time and they would have an awesome time with all the family around. And they could go to bed whenever they wanted.
One year, I thought we would have to cancel. I was seven months pregnant and I started to go into labor. So I called everyone and told them to come to my house and start without us. We went to the hospital and they gave me some medicine to stop the contractions because it was too early to deliver. And we went back to the house and celebrated the New Year and the fact that my baby would have more time to grow!
We would always take a picture before we started, all of us with our party hats. It was fun to watch how everyone changed and how the group would get bigger. As my brother's and sister got married, they would bring their spouses. We continued for about 8 years. My sister had a baby and we did it up until he was about 2 years old.
It was so much fun having family over and waking up in the morning to a house filled with people. We would all chip in and make breakfast and sit around the table and talk about the New Year!
One time, one of my brothers had to work late. So we decided to record the ball dropping. Back then it was on VHS. After we saw the ball drop for real, we rewinded the tape and waited to see when he pulled in the driveway. As soon as we saw him, we yelled for him to hurry up so he wouldn't miss the ball dropping. He was very confused because he thought he had worked till midnight. We all ran in and blew our horns and said Happy New Year and hugged and kissed everyone. He was happy he hadn't missed it. The next day, sitting around the table we told him the truth. He was happy that we thought enough to do that for him.
Now they're all busy with their children and their lives, but I still reminisce about all the fun we had together.
So remember when you want to celebrate the New Year, you don't have to go to a club and drink till you drop. You can make it any kind of celebration you like. You can have a children's party during the day. A New Year's Day brunch with friends or family. Or just the two of you and your children and dance and sing the New Year in.
But please be cautious when you're drinking. If you do go out and drink, take a cab or limousine. Or get a designated driver to pick you up or come with you. Or go to one of the many celebrations they have at hotels and rent a room. Whatever you do, DO NOT Drink & Drive! It's a horrible way to start the New Year!
I tell my son's, who are between 25-30 that I will still pick them up if they drink too much and need a ride, no questions asked.
So if anyone has a special way to celebrate the New year, I would love to hear about it. BE SAFE!
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