The Big 5 and I celebrate New Year's

There's  nothing I like more, than to bring the New Year in with some great snogging. I'm fairly superstitious about the whole first snog of the year, in my opinion it gives you an indication of how the rest of the year is going to go. I like to go for a totally cliche snogging session, fireworks exploding in the background, streamers sailing through the air and Old Acquaintances not being forgotten by everyone else.

 This New Year was absolutely and utterly snog free, spent at friends of the children, an evening of ping-pong, chair soccer and a movie featuring several Guinea Pigs. By the time midnight stealthily crept into the room, there were sleeping bodies everywhere, 4 of my five had succumbed to fatigue and I confess I was laying tracks of drool on the carpeted floor myself, at 4 minutes past 12, I was conscious and prone, the carpet had left a semi-permanent tattoo on the right half of my face and I groggily wished all a Happy New Year. Thereafter, several bodies were loaded into the Silver Bullet, our weary farewells complete and we were heading off into the New Year.

By all indications a snog free New Year doesn't bode well, but it is a good time to put the old superstition to test and see if it carries any weight. Let's see if the old witch floats before we burn it at the stake.

New Year's dinner this year was going to be a royal feast, a small gammon was ready and waiting in the fridge, next to the cherries and the pineapple rings. ( The toothpicks would have to be loaned from the next door neighbours) I donned my black apron, and set to work. Four bleeding hours later it was ready. I'd like to say it came together like a well rehearsed symphony, but I got a little stuck in the cheese sauce movement and had to redo it. I was sweaty and disheveled but happy and a tad proud of my masterpiece as I triumphantly called :"Dinner!"

This year the children had been given homework to do; they had to list their 20 top accomplishments of 2009. Each read their list starting from the oldest. We punctuated each accomplishment with blasts from our noisemakers. Some children had five in their mouths at once. Can you ever celebrate their wins excessively?My nerves were jangling and my ears ringing. We ceremoniously handed round "the jug to end all noise making "  before dessert could be served.

My chocolate pecan pie looked absolutely amazing and we dolloped great globs of cream on top. There was ice-cream and chocolate and caramel sauce, 2010 would not be short of calories. As we ate our dessert we spoke about our goals for the new year and whilst I hadn't come close to a good New Year's snogging I knew we were all making some childhood memories that were indelible, and maybe that is an even better indicator for the success of a new year.

We washed a mountain of dishes together some of the smaller children fell asleep rather suspiciously on the kitchen floor too exhausted to scrape another plate. We chatted and poked fun at each other and then carried off the sleeping bodies to their beds, each one sporting a Mona Lisa smile. Then we  rolled off to bed full and exhausted and yet content all at the same time.