Up to the Big Leagues

Over the last several years, our two oldest kids would stay up with us on New Year's Eve. We'd watch movies and eat snacks.

Neither of the teenagers were home this year though. The 16-year-old had a thing with her friends, and our 13-year-old was away on a trip visiting his grandfather in PEI.

So, it was time to move some players up from the minors.

Our eight-year-olds.

We let them stay up until midnight. We made home-made pizza. We watched the first "Lord of the Rings" movie. They drank Sprite.

They were in *heaven*.

When midnight hit, our neighbours were setting off fireworks in their backyard and they got to watch those out the window. They got to call their grandparents in Cape Breton and yell, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!"

My little girl was doing an impromptu step dance to the music on the tv. My little boy was so excited he was practically humming like a hummingbird.

All my wife and I could do was just shake our heads and smile.

I had originally figured that this would be a pretty low-key New Year's Eve. I must say, though, that it perks up substantially when you add a couple of little firecrackers.