Happy New Year!

Only a few days late, here's the NYE recap. We once again went over to our friend Nicole and Mike's house where they had a great playroom set up for the kids and two teenaged babysitters who could keep the kids out of our hair until 9pm (when we celebrated the ball drop on live TV.) Last year, my kids came out every ten minutes to cry about something, but this year, they were able to stay with their friends and act like human beings, allowing Tim and I to actually talk to adults and have a good time. It's a good thing all of the kids are cute.

Yes, Ellie and Lexi ARE wearing matching outfits.

This picture cracks me up because I feel like in fifteen years, they'll still have those solo cups, except it'll be beer instead of sparking cider (friend Olivia on the left)

The moms got hooch in their cups, because we're grown up ladies.

New Years Day we ended up back at Nicole's house, this time with a smaller group, to have the second annual chili cook off. I lost my crown, but hey, lots of good chili and the Packers won!

Then we spent our Monday New Years Day mostly laying around like turds. We had people over to watch the Rose Bowl, where I begrudgingly rooted for USC over Penn State, because their cheating does not involve covering up child abuse, and when we told Adam to get a sweater if he wanted to go ride his bike, he found a 12-18 month sweater at the bottom of a drawer and insisted on wearing it.

That kid is a beefcake.

It's been a good week with everyone back to school. I think they've missed the routine, and I know I certainly have. A quiet house after two weeks of togetherness is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Though I will say, Ellie made good use of her time, writing and illustrating her first novel, The Little Sea.

I find the author photo particularly lovely.

Lastly, last night we went to Tim's office to check out the new cafeteria. Please enjoy how they made a sweater for the Orc.