parties

Categories Family & Friends

Snapshot: Tie-Dye Party

1 Comment by

I can officially check one more item off my list.

I’ve thrown a tie-dye party.

Girls at Tie-Dye Party

It was just four of us–Esie, Krystal, myself, and Taylor (left to right in the photo above)–but we had a blast!

We made ourselves custom smocks out of trash bags, we folded and drew on and dyed our shirts (and my pants and skirt), we laughed over the unfortunate placement of a certain bit of yellow dye and the new-tire smell of the black vat of dye.

And we drank tie-dyed Koolaid.

Tie-dyed Koolaid

Here’s to accomplishing goals–and to getting to know some great girls!

Categories Flashback Friday

Flashback: New Year’s Eve Yawn

6 Comments by

I’m late to participate in Linda’s Flashback because this week she’s asking us about New Year’s Eve–which isn’t exactly laden with memories for me. But I suppose I’ll give it a go anyway.

Flashback Friday buttonToday Linda asks… How did your family celebrate New Year’s when you were growing up? Was staying up on New Year’s Eve a big deal? Was it a date night for your parents or was it a family occasion? Did your family have any particular traditions for New Year’s? Were resolutions emphasized? Did you do fireworks? Watch parades or bowl games? Were there church activities you attended? Did Christmas activities extend into the new year? Was the Epiphany a focus?

In answer to all of the above: No, we didn’t do any of those things.

Dad was and is very uncomfortable with the often-slick roads and often-drunk drivers of New Year’s Eve, so we generally stayed in on New Year’s Eve. Mom and Dad generally put the kids to bed by nine as usual and went to bed themselves by ten or eleven.

So I never even noticed New Years during my elementary years–and I spent the New Years of my teen years reading old journals and writing out reflections on the previous year and goals for the upcoming year.

Which wasn’t really that bad, actually.

Nevertheless, I react to my austere New Year’s Eve memories by throwing parties on New Year’s Eve now.

The weather is still unpredictable (we got 3 or so inches of snow this morning here). And drunk driving is still a problem (especially in the rural Nebraska in which I now live).

I say, never mind all that. Stay the night if you’re worried, but come party with us for now.

This year, we’re hoping people will brave the snow and cold to pack the House of Dreams this evening. I’m spending the day cooking and baking; we’ve got the air mattresses out and ready to go for overnight guests; games are waiting to be played.

My parents have RSVP’d–and they haven’t called to cancel yet. So I’m still holding out hope that the spell will be broken and my family will become New Year’s Eve Party Animals yet! :-)

Hear other people’s New Year’s Memories with Mocha with Linda’s Flashback Friday Meme