No Party Dress Required

No adventuring for us the past couple weeks- the only day we have had off together was Christmas Day, and we didn’t get out of our pajamas let alone leave the house. It was wonderful.
We’ve spent the last week watching Layla play with all her new toys- which were a HUGE success- Santa is now a very high rated word in her ever growing vocabulary.
And now it’s almost New Year’s- time to drink some bubbly and eat Horderves.
A decade ago New Year’s Eve was the ultimate night to go out for us- there was always a party, or maybe a Yonder Mountain String Band show in Denver, or hit a couple of our favorite bars with good friends- on one of those nights long ago we even got engaged.
I’d blame Layla, but the truth is we’ve had trouble ringing in the new year proper long before she was born. It seemed once we hit our mid to late 20’s crashing at a friend's house just wasn’t as appealing, but who wants to be on the road, let alone decide who won’t drink. Thus staying in became the new tradition.
 And then we started our little family, changing the New Year’s dynamic once again. I remember New Year’s Eve being a night my brother and I got to rent multiple videos from the video store (what’s that??), stay up late, drink too much soda and sparkling grape juice and maybe even break out the sparklers we saved from July 4th. A good time by any kid’s estimation, for sure.
I don’t think Layla is ready for sparkling grape juice, sparklers and an extended bedtime- she is a night owl as it is. I can’t even promise Court and I will be up at midnight. But before we give in and fall asleep prematurely, we’ll  eat well, enjoy libations procured from a local brewery while watching a favorite movie or two- cozy at home.
I love New Year’s Eve because get togethers, large or small, usually revolve around one my favorite things- appetizers.  And this year will be no different, I am making prosciutto wrapped roasted asparagus, sausage balls, avocado shrimp salad and New Years wouldn’t be New Years without chocolate covered strawberries. Entirely too much food for just us, but rules are rules and I say New Years Eve must have yummy finger food just as there should be turkey on Thanksgiving. (Although, foot-note, we did make ‘Thanksgiving Chimichangas’ this year,  a bad example but you get the point.)
Anyway, I hope your plans are filled with good food, drink and loved ones, whether out on the town or snuggled up on the couch. And don’t count us out forever, who knows, maybe one day we’ll get a sitter and celebrate the New Year out of the house, but for this year we will definitely be in.