how we celebrated the new year

After birthday presents and cake on Sunday night, we counted down the new year at 9:00pm so we could get kids to bed. 3, 2, 1... we ran to our front porch and blew our recorders, shook our moroccas and banged on the tamborine... we whooped and hollered until Kate was reduced to tears from the crazy string in her hair. We had Martinelli's Sparkling Cider- Ethan loved it! He kept saying, "Mo Apple Mom!" It was so cute! And then, to be the "fun" parents, we played one game of Apples to Apples. The kids went off to bed and Kelly and I watched Prison Break- a new addiction for me! He and I were in bed just after midnight and looking forward to sleeping in.

We spent Monday morning being lazy and loving it. Then, since everything we could think of to do was closed for the holiday, we decided to go to Target and let the kids spend their Christmas gift cards. We got everyone dressed, loaded, buckled... and our van was dead!

I knew this was coming. My van has had trouble starting for a month now. But, today of all days for it not to start! Sheesh! My kids were NOT happy. They moped around for a while and then we decided we would just go in shifts. Kelly took Soren and Ethan. Then I took the girls.

It was like Christmas all over! And SO fun to watch 'kids in a toy store'! Kids with money to spend and lots of ways they'd like to spend it! Soren came home with 2 footballs, a baseball, a remote control car and this cool thing I don't know how to describe. Ethan was giddy to own his own Woody doll. Kate and Megan got new bedding so they can retire the 25 year old quilts passed on to them by Kelly's mom. And Emily was all smiles when she showed off her new baby doll, stuffed cat, toy cell phone with hidden lip gloss and stroller/crib set for the doll!
I have to be honest, I thought Kelly was taking the easy way out with gift cards for his present. But I didn't have any other ideas for him. Turns out, it was an awesome gift! I loved seeing their anticipation for the shopping trip, then wandering down every aisle, the smiles on their faces when they "paid" for their own things! It was a little exasperating to recalculate every time they found something else they wanted, but worth it to see how happy they all were with their last wave of Christmas gifts.

So, today the kids are back in school. It was a short break for them, but I'm happy to not have to listen to them fight! They just towed my van away- hopefully to be fixed! We remembered Angela's car is parked by our park- too late to get us all to Target together but in time to leave me with a car for after school pick up! And I have the fourth of 14 loads of laundry in the washer. Welcome 2007!!

{update: 7 hours and $200 later, my van is fixed and parked again in my garage! hip hip hooray!}