3 . . . 2 . . . 1 Happy New Year!

They clear out all the furniture from their very open living room and family room.  They install a disco ball on the ceiling that spins and sparkles light all over the dance floor.  They invite oodles of neighbors and friends with kids under the age of 9, and the fun begins.  The kids dance.  They play toys.  They dance.  They run.  They slide down the plastic slide again.  And again.  We eat.  The kids dance.  The kids tackle Greg.  We eat.  The kids dance.  

Midnight happens at 8:30 p.m.  Noisemakers are handed out to everyone.  Sparkling cider is served to the small guests.  (Many adults sneakily have something else in their glasses).  

The kids go CRAZY with their noisemakers, jumping all about.  A grown up sits down at the piano and gets ready to play.  Our hosting friends explain to the gaggle of kids how to celebrate New Years by counting down backwards from ten and then making crazy noise.  

The tallest adults hold up a bag of balloons next to the disco ball (Note that Dr. Peds was selected). And the countdown begins.  

  

The dance floor turns into a mosh pit filled with toddlers, preschoolers and a few kids kindergarten and above.  That famous new year's song rings out from the piano.  Adults continue to chat.  Kids jump up and down and twist with their balloons.  And gradually people filter home.

We had a FANTASTIC time.  The Banana was particularly enjoying herself, dancing away while wearing dress up shoes and fairy wings, holding a baby doll wrapped in a blanket and toting around a special yellow balloon.  She loved the sparkles from the disco ball.  She has the craziest way of bouncing her knees and dancing without really moving all that much.  It was hilarious.  And everyone will sleep very, very well into the new year.