New, New, New

On New Year’s Eve people seem to do reflecting over the last year and make plans for the upcoming one. Every year I usually stay home with Big Brother. Twice I left him with Tota Girl after I had brought in the New Year with him, grabbing a late bite to eat at the casino. He has never made it to midnight to see the infamous ball drop in New York City or seem to care what day it was. It’s just another night to him. I always take a picture of him sleeping right at twelve am. This year I got the chance to do that with a new little boy.

Now I have two children and I find myself looking back over the last year. It had been one full of big changes. I got married; yes I’ll no longer be calling my husband ‘the kids’ father’ in this new year. We made a move closer to my in-laws, welcomed a new baby to our family, got the special opportunity to share a baby’s first Christmas with the perks of knowing what he really would be into versus what is cute. I became an aunt to a little girl. She really eases that “I need a girl” urge. I can shop and ooh and aww over pink all I want now. This past year my kids have really gotten to know my mother now that she moved back into town. We lost our beloved Grandpa wheels. Big Brother tells his baby about our wonderful family hero, a man of few words but endless smiles. I have become more like my grandmother this year than I could have ever imagined. I look forward to our daily ritual of having good hour-long chats. She is one woman who is all about me staying home with Little Brother and loves to hear about what cupboard he is emptying or what new skill he is mastering. We took a family vacation this year all four of us. It was a breeze. One parent per kid was fun and we could just get up and go all day.

On New Year’s Eve, we watched the ball drop on TV, this being the first year that Big Brother has ever witnessed the festivities in New York City. I had explained to him that a sparkly ball would drop on the last 10 seconds of the year and that the whole world was celebrating this change. Not at the same time but each at their own. Little Brother didn’t make it, he slept on the couch while we hugged and kissed each other. Big Brother was not impressed by the ball drop. He said, “That’s it? It just goes real slow? It doesn’t smash? It should be like a big glass breaking.” Even after he had rewound the TV to see one more time he was still unimpressed. The only thing that was great about it was I bought him a New Years hat, noisemakers and served sparkling grape juice. Big Brother thought it made him have super energy, (I’m guessing he thought the bubbles did this) and ran from end to end of the house as fast as he could.

Not too long after that Big Brother joined Little Brother in slumber and all was quiet. He finally made it to watch the ball drop because he’s a big kid now. He’s five, he’s “almost a grownup.” Well at least that’s what he’s been telling us since his birthday. A nice relaxing night at home while it snowed outside. We got the chance to bring in the New Year with a new baby and a new Big Brother in a new neighborhood, as a new married couple.