I hope you all had a really lovely evening and are feeling suitably clear headed and visionary about what you want for yourselves and the world in the coming year/decade. Bearing in mind that I’d tidied the house and put all our shoes away, I came downstairs this morning and my 9 year old said “OMG look how many shoes there are here! This many extra people appear to be staying in my house:-
I don’t feel too bad this morning. Only a low grade hangover and it is a really beautiful, bright blue sky sunny day and I had a MUCH better evening than I did last year where at this point I was crying because my children had been so awful at the party and my son had pierced my daughter’s ear and my life was a confused mess. So what’s changed? My life is still a confused mess. But my children didn’t mutilate each other so that was a bonus.
Having watched Avatar (which I thought was brilliant) for the entire afternoon yesterday with my youngest son, I had to go into my most favourite mode of action – panic stations to get everything done. I hadn’t brought any food or sorted my house in any way and I had 12 people coming for dinner. It all worked really well though. In panic station mode I can actually get my children to “help” me. “Help” meaning that with increased shouting we all sort of go into panic shouty mode at the same time after lots of “OMG do you realise everybody will be here in 10 minutes AND look at the state of my house” and the kids say “why do I have to do it”? and “I can’t do it because I’ve got to go and get ready/have a shower/my leg hurts/I’ve got a sore throat/bla bla stuff” which results in them chucking everything they can find in random places that I will never locate again and I then have to re-lay the table and have had to wash everything up again, but still. I delegated out the food and I made two huge lasagnes and my two friends brought puddings and salad and all the other stuff. After a lovely jolly supper my teenage son and four of his friends went off to a party down the road.
Pity the poor parents who will be returning back at some point soon from their holiday – snippets of conversation picked up last night and this morning (still got 5 teenage boys lounging around my house like sloths) included:-
“Can you believe her parents have left her at home for New Year AND her birthday – it’s no wonder she’s not feeling bad about having a house party”
“The house is going to get trashed, it’s the only party our age group know about”
“Her lesbian sister is going to be there to help out”
“I’m not sure the mess was that bad, but she let people smoke in the house and now all my stuff stinks and I’ve got a few burns from standing next to people smoking.”
The rest of us, children included wandered across the road at 10.30ish, drinks in hand and bottles under arm to another friend’s party which was great. We all sang “Auld lang syne” with linked arms at midnight and yet again I made my annual note to self to learn the bloody words by next year. I talked to lots of people – my friend’s father mostly and had a lovely calm, self-contained time. Lets hope that is a good omen for my new year.
My friend’s father advised me that I needed more “exposure” if I wanted to meet a man. It’s a strange word “exposure” isn’t it? Must be a nightmare when you’re learning the language – I can think of about 10 different meanings. I hope he didn’t mean that I should take all my clothes off and expose myself and/or die of exposure – I suppose I could post a photograph naked of myself on my blog and see what happens but that would be a major PR disaster so instead, I’m going to learn some new things and get out more.
Does anybody know a good wine tasting course?
Shit. Forgot I was meant to have given up wine for this month. Never mind. This is different. This is for educational purposes, so doesn’t count. I need to start the course tomorrow if possible. Can’t wait.
Dumdad
January 1, 2010Bonne Année!
But only after your blog once again admonished me thus:
“Your comment was a bit too short. Please go back and try again.”
Crikey, the machines are taking over!
Family Affairs
January 1, 2010good grief, I haven’t come across that before – how rude!! Happy New Year to you too DD and all your lovely family Lxx
frankofile
January 1, 2010Great photo!
Yes, I was trying for the telling – off message, and I got it. Great, now it’s not just my adult kids who tell me off. Anyway, the photo really is inspired. I just love your blog and I’m even beginning to believe it’s true… (it’s the rainbow elephants that convinced me).
Vegemitevix
January 1, 2010Good grief! Exposure! Whatever did your good father mean? I still haven’t picked up any good (female) friends here in Blighty, maybe I need exposure too? And I’m awfully good at drinking wine.
saz aka FFF
January 1, 2010well here we are at the close of day one twenty-ten…hey ho…l’m always complaining as everyone leaves their shoes at the front door…’cept me…lol
Dulwich Divorcee
January 2, 2010Happy New Year! I’m amazed all those shoes were neatly arranged in pairs – at my house they would be scattered all around the ground floor and one would be mysteriously missing ….Axx
Vegemitevix
January 2, 2010But thing I can’t get my head around is that it looks no different to my hall on an average day, and there’s only five of us in the house!
Family Affairs
January 3, 2010Yes but as I said, our shoes weren’t there because we’d TIDIED them away for NY – first and only time in the year that it happens so all those were extra – that’s why I didn’t notice them at first Lx
Vegemitevix
January 2, 2010Hey funny thing I just figured out our kids are very similar ages – I have son – 15 1/5 daughter almost 14 and youngest daughter 10 in Feb! 😉 And shiver me timbers (as my Dad used to say!) I’m 42 in April, soooo close we could be twins! ;-p
Family Affairs
January 3, 2010Well, we are now officially twins and don’t tell anyone that you’re two years younger than me!! That’s weird then – same age/same sex (that’s our children not you and me) Lx
Business Market
July 12, 2010Wonderful journey and experience.