NYE family traditions?

[MommyofAmaya]

We haven't really established any NYE family traditions and don't have anything special planned this evening. What are your family's plans?

[SnuggleBuggles]

Real simple. Since ds1 was 5yo, he has been allowed to stay up till midnight with us. We hang out at home, watch movies, snack and play games. Ds2 goes to bed at normal times. I don't know if we'll let him know next year that staying up is a possibility. ;)

[Raidra]

We order a ton of Chinese food every year (we've been doing this since I was a kid, I think it's a 'thing' in Massachusetts). Usually we put the kids to bed at a mostly-normal time and then we watch a movie or two, or play board games. Sometimes we have strawberry daiquiris. We don't always stay up 'til midnight.. if we do, we go to bed right after. This year, we're doing the Chinese food as usual, putting the kids to bed, and then my parents will listen for them while we go out to a special NYE thing at a restaurant.

[anonomom]

NYE is usually a family night for us. We make appetizers for dinner, drink champagne and enjoy each others' company. So far, we've put the kids to bed on time, but maybe they can stay up later this year.

[karstmama]

it's my bf's birthday, and we're usually in florida diving. we went to mexico in nov this year, though, so we're home.

on nyd we're going diving in the quarry near raleigh, then coming home to eat collards & black eye peas for money & luck!

[ohiomom1121]

We get the kids noisemakers, hats, punch balloons and sparkling grape juice. We get the real stuff of course. :D The kids love it and look forward to it every year. So far we haven't let them stay up til midnight (although they say they have tried!).

[giavila]

It's my Dh's birthday so we get together with close friends and family for a dinner party and cocktails. We play games, let the kids stay up as long as they want and usually have a big sleepover. Last year we hosted and this year my BIL and wife are hosting.

[SnuggleBuggles]

It's my Dh's birthday so we get together with close friends and family for a dinner party and cocktails. We play games, let the kids stay up as long as they want and usually have a big sleepover. Last year we hosted and this year my BIL and wife are hosting.

That sounds like so much fun!! That's what I grew up doing. In our 20s, we did that too. Sadly, we haven't made that happen since we had kids except for one year.

[vludmilla]

The last couple of years I've made Brandy Alexanders for DH and I... they might be an "old" drink but they are so good (whiskey, creme de caco and vanilla ice cream). So that might be become an adult tradition. I'd like to create more of a tradition for DD so I might use some of the ideas mentioned upthread.

[WitMom]

We do an appetizer/fondue dinner with just our immediate family. Then we have a board game bonanza and family slumber party around the Christmas tree. So far, we haven't let the girls stay up super late, but we do stretch bedtime by an extra hour or so.

[liz]

Every year we get a big take-out dinner, usually Chinese or Indian food. NYE for us means a relaxing family time together, which includes games, movies or just hanging out and talking together.

[Cam&Clay]

We usually eat dinner out early as a family. After DS2 goes to bed, we watch movies or play cards with DS1. We usually have fondue and champagne at midnight (cider for DS1).

Since DH isn't with us this year, I took the boys out to dinner earlier tonight. After DS2 goes to bed, DS1 and I have big exciting plans...finish season 2 of Modern Family on DVD and have cheese fondue with wine/sparkling cider.

I'm a little down because I can't kiss DH at midnight. Sniff sniff...

[oneplustwo]

DH and I got in the habit of having a simple indoor picnic at home on NYE long ago. Roasted garlic, fresh baguette, cheeses, olives, pate and other stuff, with either champagne or just red wine. Now we do it with the kids ~ big picnic spread on the floor while watching a movie. Sparkling apple cider for the kids. We rarely stay up till midnight, although DD really wants to tonight. I think she's pretty pooped from a couple recent sleepovers this week though, so I think bedtime is around the corner. We just finished watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ I'm catching up on the computer while the kids get ready for bed. The kids might sleep together in the big tent Santa brought for Christmas, down in the living room. That would be pretty fun for them for NYE!

[lmintzer]

2 words: Chocolate Fondue!! 3 years running, now. Yum, yum! We either have at home with just us or share with friends. Tonight, we took our pot and all necessities to a friend's house.

[lalasmama]

:bag

Nothing here. DD starts breaking down by 7:30ish, so I've never been daring enough to attempt to let her stay up to midnight. I feel like I should let her stay up for a ball drop (like the NY one; we're on the west coast), but we don't have a way to do it--no east-coast cable station or such. So, she's heading to bed in an hour... and I'll sit here lamenting about how rude it is to get AF on NYE... not that I had plans anyway, but that's not the point!

[ChefGirl]

Usually a family nite. DH and I went to a bowl game this morning. We got BBQ to go on the way home and ate with the kids and my folks. We then played games and now watching a movie. We told the kids they can stay up till midnite, hoping on tv balloon drop is on EST so they will go to bed at 11!

[rlu]

Around DS's bedtime we go outside and bang lids, DH plays his trumpet, we hoot and holler and then go back in and put DS to bed. When he was younger we did this around 7 then 8, and this year we did that at 9pm. Pre-kid our neighbors did that with their kids and we would join them with the dogs.

[MommyofAmaya]

We ended making root beer floats and watching a "countdown" show..... America's cutest animals. Although that was fun, I'm thinking that next year we might start a spending the night at a hotel tradition, since the fireworks and gunshots (in a 1920s neighborhood) worried me enough that I slept with DC.

[KpbS]

We do fondue also! Last night we had shrimp (take out from Bonefish Grill), bread, and salads with chocolate fondue and pineapple, strawberries, and marshmallows. The kids went to bed early but I like to serve them an appetizer type meal with lots of finger foods.

[mommylamb]

We get together with the same friends every year and alternate houses. the other families are people I met in moms group when I was on maternity leave with DS, so they all have kids his age, who DS has known all his life. We usually make it a late night for the kids, but we're home before midnight.

[ChristinaLucia]

We used to do fondue pre-kids. Now everyone picks a country, we put them in a hat and then pick one. We have a traditional meal from the country, play music from the country, etc. Kids LOVE it!!