A Year that is New

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creative commons license
This year we're spending New Year's Eve at the arena (Champagne on Ice - ha ha, get it?). I'm not really bitter, since we've had quiet ones at home with the kids the last couple of years anyway, but come on... who schedules hockey tournaments where you have to play New Year's Eve AND New Year's Day? Last year the kids did make it almost all the way to midnight, but this year Angus will have to go to bed earlier or be playing half-asleep tomorrow at eight.
New Year's Eve is a funny holiday. I've always sort of felt like I should be partying, or climbing a mountain or burning sage or something to commemorate the old year passing away and usher in the new one. On the other hand, it's so soon after Christmas that I'm often exhausted and still trying to dig out, so I sort of resent the (self-imposed) notion that I have to do something. Now that we have the kids, we either get together with other families that have kids or just stay in WITH the kids, and it's easier to say "we're staying in with the kids" than just "we're not doing anything". Is this improper use of kids? I hope not.
In a way I'm glad we have the game. I even like the sort of noble self-sacrificing feeling I get from having to go to the arena on New Year's Eve (I know -- I'm a slightly jerky head case). Sometimes it feels good to do something you don't really want to do for your kids. It makes me feel like -- what's the word -- a mother.
Happy partying, or hermit-ing, or sage-burning, or however you choose to celebrate tonight. See you in 2010, when we'll all be writing the wrong date and cursing and scratching it out to write the new one for the next four to six weeks.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Happy New Year! As for me, I am staying in with the kids, too. ;)
December 31, 2009 at 9:09 PM
Julie said…
My husband has that feeling. I just like getting an extra day off! ;-) Last night was spent watching a movie and going to bed at 11:30! Didnt' even want to try and stay up since we are heading to Mtl this morning.

Hope it was a good game and Happy New Year to you and yours!
January 1, 2010 at 5:25 AM
Mary Lynn said…
Seriously? They schedule a hockey tournament over New Years. I'm so not up for being a hockey mom.

Hope the games have gone well. Happy 2010 to you!
January 1, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Rosemary said…
Happy New Year to you too! We went over to one set of neighbors for dinner, brought the kids back home to bed at 10, went back over, rang in midnight and then slipped our way home on some very icy sidewalks. Then, just before going in the front door we notice that our younger neighbors were still awake because thier front room lights were on. So we decide to stop in just for a New Years hug. Several hours and several drinks and chunks of cheese later we're partying like people that don't have kids that are getting up in oh let's say - 2 hours. So I guess I fall somewhere inbetween, stayed home with the kids but dammit I still got to party. I hope the rest of the year is the same way for me!
January 1, 2010 at 3:23 PM
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