New Years Day - What did you do?

[kkgirl]

Just wondered what everyone was doing today.
We decided to go out, not entirely sensible as most places were shut!!!
We went to the City Museum who have an Egyptian Section (eldest ds has been doing this at school). Stayed there about 1 1/2, kids have v. short attention spans. Then we drove to a Motorway Service Station to look at the Bristol Channel, quite difficult as it was chucking it down with rain, so we settled for a Happy Meal each at Burger King even though I was starting a diet today, and then we drove home.
Madness I know but the kids cannot bear being cooped up indoors all the time

We sat at home like zombies having had 2 very late nights (2am, 3:30am) in a row.

Tried to go to a park but it was raining way too hard!

I haven't left the house today. Got up about 11, spent day slouched on settee watching Monsters Inc video, then ET on telly then Kramer v Kramer - bliss!

Slept in, went to a lunch buffet and then came home to mumsnet and watch a movie. Boring, boring.

We took the boys to the Imperial War Museum as we were keen to have a family day out dh hadn't been there for about 30 years! We had a great time there and as it had temporarily stopped raining when we came out, we decided to walk to the Embankment, where we managed to persuade dh, who doesn't like heights, that he would really enjoy a trip on the London Eye. We didn't have to queue long for tickets and were able to board straightaway just as it was beginning to get dark. I've only ever been on it in daylight before and I have to say the views of London at night were spectacular and a very memorable way to spend New Year's Day. Fortunately dh enjoyed it too. It was obvious that the tourists sharing our "pod" were really impressed and I felt very proud to be living near such a beautiful capital city.

Listened to dh moan that he had a hangover (as if it were somehow my fault) and looked after all his children as he couldn't manage to get off the couch. And compared notes with my friend whose dp got drunk with my dh and was doing his complaining on their couch as if it were her fault. They used to be Moron1 and Moron2, but we have renamed them Moaner1 and Moaner2.

Ds is away so I woke up at 11am, had a long bath, finished a novel, came on mumsnet, then went downstairs to watch a whole season of Sex and the City dvds in our temporary cinema in the basement. Came back upstairs at 9pm and ate pizza and drank Chianti and watched more S&TC on Channel 4 until now. Fab. And I didn't drink much last night either so no hangover! Diet starts soon ish.

Was up at 05:30 to be in work from 7am to7pm.

Same as I did Xmas day and Boxing day.

Not the best of Xmases all round.

I'm dead on my feet from working so much and looking after DD that all I want to do is sleep.

How do you ladies do it?

"How do you ladies do it?" Hmmmm, through necessity I guess!

Take NY morning for example. DH and I both went to bed at the same time (3:30am) having had a late one the night before too (2:30am). Dh had a sneaky nap NYEve afternoon. 8am on NY day, DS2 wakes up shouting/crying (we were all sleeping in one room at a friends house). No reaction from DH at all so I had to get up and take both DS2 and the now awake DS1 downstairs where, surprise surprise, there are 3 other mothers with their awake offspring. DH eventually surfaced 1.5 hours later claiming he "simply couldn't get up" when DS2 was crying.

Now, I was equally unable to get up when DS2 was crying but since DH wasn't going to do it I had to and then had to get through another day having had less than 5 hours sleep.

It's kind of different to "work" because you simply can't drift through a day looking after children - not til they're older or when they're smaller and sleepier! I remember from "work" being able to stare blankly at a PC screen and drift the day away without being noticed. I realise this doesn't apply to all forms of work . Not paying attention to your children could turn into a life or death situation so you are forced to remain alert. Once Dh gets back home, the necessity to remain awake wears off and I can feel myself drifting!!

Now, what are my children up to whilst I'm staring blankly at this PC screen...

Was woken up about 8am by ds1, (ds2 still asleep in his clothes having managed to last until 2am!!!), dh comatose - now there's a surprise! Got breakfast for ds1, and their great-grandmother, had a shower, (dh has now been to the loo, and retired back to bed!) friends arrive to help clear up debris of NYE party, collect friend to get her car - dh now semi-permanently surfaced - friends leave. Cook lunch (late one!) for family and parents - collapse on sofa for a while and then do the bedtime thing!! Dh has now spent most of day on computer, and decides to hog TV whilst doiong his ironing - retire to bed knackered and fall asleep reading the same 2 pages I've been reading for about a week - that's what it feels like!

Am desperate to get the kids out - but it's chucking it down and howling a gale - plus dh has gone back to work and left me with gorgeously sweet, but very frail great-grandmother who insists on doing more than she can, and am terrified she will attempt the stairs and fall if we all go out and leave her alone. She lives in a care home normally and has spent 2 weeks with us.

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I decided not to spend the day eating/drinking myself into oblivion and took both dds to the cinema. Frankly, I was amazed that anything was open as normally in Scotland everything shuts on New Years Day! Saw Sweet Home Alabama which was pretty mediocre but still better than staying at home. By the way, has anyone made any New Years resolutions? Mine's to try and do something different every week, even if it's just eat a 'new' food or walk home instead of getting the bus (What a sad life I lead!!)

We went to a party at a friends at 4.30pm for red wine and curry, loads of kids and ds having a fab time - definitely recommend a get together to beat the hangover blues!