Happy New Year!

Hubs wasn't home for New Year's Eve either.  He was on the 24 hour drive home from NJ to ND.  Since he wasn't going to be able to spend the night with us I (again) was planning a low key, pretend it's not happening night.  

My sister in law had other plans :)  Her husband was away for the week also.  She called and asked if the boys and I wanted to spend the holiday with her family.  She packed up her four kids and took the hour drive to come play and spend the night at our house.  The kiddos had such a fun time playing and watching shows about... what else... trucks.  

I felt like such a shmo when I realized I should have planned something fun.  There was no way I was going out in the freezing cold with my 3 boys just to buy party hats and blowers.  I had streamers laying around so I hung them up.  I cut out paper balloons, hats and stars so the kids could color them if they wanted.  I was thrilled when they all sat at the table and colored a balloon.  

My brother in law and sister in law came over too.  Actually they came over early in the day and while my brother in law when to the store to pick up ingredients to some party food (that we last minute decided we wanted) my sister in law and I hung the streamers and sat around enjoying the quiet of my napping boys.  

We were going to do a count down with the kids at 6:30 but none of us were too into doing anything.  My sis and bro had colds and were happy just hanging on the couch and playing with the kids when they wanted to play specifically with them.  My other sis also had a cold.  Non of the 'party' food was ready for the kiddos dinner time so I threw some left over meatloaf and potatoes on a plate for them with some salad.  They had no idea that we were going to enjoy yummier food after they went to bed :) shhh.

I did pull out my sugar cookies that the boys and I made for Christmas for them to decorate.  I'm totally over decorating santa, candy canes, stockings, etc.  I was happy that I made 3 different sized circles and  hats so that the boys could put together snowmen.  I didn't want to do that with the group because I didn't have them pre-decorated AND they didn't need that much sugar right before bed.  I just took out the large circles, made some butter icing and put out some canisters of sprinkles.

G was thrilled when he saw the cookies waiting on the table for them.  

He was the first one up there and was ready to eat.

My sil's oldest K

The rest weren't too far behind.  

M 

My sil's I and K  

G 

My sil's M

I 

G 

M didn't think it was necessary to spread the icing onto the cookies.  He was more than happy with scooping the icing into his mouth.  (Excuse the snot face... finally getting over his sickness)

K

G put on his icing and was ready to eat. 

 Then decided sprinkles sounded like a good idea.

Oh this is more like it.

YUM!  Thanks Ma!

M had eaten enough icing from the knife that I had to take it away.  He did sprinkle some sprinkles on his cookie without the icing.

K, the oldest, knew how to do it :) That looks like the perfect amount of icing and sprinkles.

 The happy gang.

There were two other kiddos there too.  My sil's youngest L and my nugget L.  

They had a blast.  After eating our cookies we watched the rest of a little holiday movie and then went straight to bed.  I was surprised with how well everyone went to sleep.  My sil and her babes slept downstairs (yea the renters are gone and it's all ours).  

After getting the kiddos to sleep we broke out the grownup food, watched a movie and then toasted in the new year with some sparkling grape juice.  Yea we know how to PAAARTAAY!  

Happy New Year everyone!!