Sick & Stuck at Home for NYE

We celebrate at home with the kids every year. Last year we were low on funds so I used curling ribbon and ballons that we already had curled the ribbon and blew up balloon and decorated the living room. I also let the kids use china and wine glasses and set the table.
We usually play games (one year wii, one year xbox, sometimes board games too), and watch the ball drop(our four year old has never made it this late-but the other kids have). Last year I let them bang on pots and pans (they broke a spoon and a pan).
We really prefer to just make it a family night.

My husband is a NYPD sergeant. Many NYE's he's worked in Times Square. But we had decided even when we were young that NYE was over-rated. Dinners out were overly expensive, service was bad, parties with firends were too over-prepared and never quite as fun as you hoped or expected. So we began staying home way before the kids came. WE'd play scrabble or watch a movie (in those days a video). When the kids were babies in order to keep my eyes open to stay up that late I'd saved many days of laundry and begin folding around 10:30 while watching TV. My mom would come in from her apartment (on the side of our house) - we'd toast and I'd give mom a big hug & kiss and be in bed by 12:10.

Now that the kids are 13 & 16 not much has changed. They're home-bodies too so we all watch a movie together - they work at keeping me awake and we all go to sleep by 1:00. The big deal is waht kind of snacke & dinner we'll have so we'll figure that out this afternoon. MY husband is running an emergency response unit just outside of Times Square tonight and he'll probably call us around 12:15 and get home around 3:00. He seems to have more exicting NYE's than we do - although he'd MUCH rather by home in his PJ's!

Pick a country in all the different timezones around the world and do something that represents that country every time they hit the new year. For example, I think Japan is 11 hours ahead of us (we are CST) so at 1pm today, we could do some oragami...or eat sushi but I'm sure you aren't up for that. Or you can learn how to say Happy New Year in those languages!

Feel better!

Decide what time to celebrate the "new year." North Korea has just exploded their fireworks. Watch the fireworks online for the time you've decided that coincides with whatever country is truly having its new year celebration.

New Year takes on a whole new meaning with a baby. I just started thinking about the future when my daughter was one on New Year's Eve. I'm more of the reflective type rather than the partier type, anyway.

Hi, H.:
I know it must be tough to stay at home when you are young and
society has promoted going out and whooping it up.

Staying home even if you weren't sick, would be a great way to celebrate the love of family. Make a romantic evening with your husband and love him dealy.
Good luck.
Hope you feel better really quick.
D.

My husband is working so its just my son and I. Last year my friend hosted and it was just awful. It was ok until they brought in the karoke machine and my friends turned obnoxious. My son didn't have any fun. You could get take out from a nicer restaurant other than fast food and rent a movie and snuggle on the couch under a warm blanket. Maybe get some yummy snacks.

I heard that Kiwi helps a cold get over faster because its chocked full of vitamins. It could be over in 2-3 days instead of a week.

I always find NYE overrated and whenever I do anything to celebrate I tend to come home disappointed. This year I'm snuggling under the covers with my husband and getting a comfy night's sleep, thinking of the millions out there trying to hail a cab to get home.