Happy New Year, Happy New Decade

Hi, how were your holidays?  Mine were great, thanks.  I took a holiday break from the internet.  I hardly checked blogs or facebook or twitter or email.  It was nice to disconnect.

The kids go back to school tomorrow, and we had a great break.  Anna had another wonderful performance at her annual Christmas ballet.  I worked a half-day on Christmas Eve, then my work gave me the best Christmas present ever - we actually closed on Dec. 26 (I had been scheduled to work).  Working the day before and after Christmas is not unreasonable, I guess, for someone in health care, but I got a little holiday thrill every time I thought about NOT going to work after all on Boxing Day (not an actual US holiday, sadly).  Therefore, I serendipitously only worked two full days and two half days during the school break.  SWEET!

My sister Emily joined us on Dec. 23. My parents came for Christmas dinner.  They love a big English feast with roast leg of lamb (me, too).  Anthony, sadly, is not a lamb-o-phile, and loves beef tenderloin.  There must have been a Christmas angel on my shoulder, because I was able to cook the lamb in the high temp oven and the beef in the low temp oven, let them rest while I made Nigella's perfect roast potatoes, and magically they were all ready at the same time and perfectly done.  My mom helped me make an amazing sauce/gravy from the drippings of both meats, steam the asparagus, and set the table.  My dad carved the lamb for me, and Anthony and Emily get an A+ for washing up! It was especially nice how it all turned out since I burned my hand at Christmas breakfast and the hollandaise curdled, twice.

It was a Star Wars Christmas at our house.  Both kids seemed pleased with their loot, although both are skeptical about Santa.  Anna said, "It was the best Christmas ever!  They get better each year!"  So sweet and sincere.

When all my family left on Dec. 26, I felt like a little kid all disappointed that Christmas was over, except instead of being sad that all the presents were all opened, I was sad they were all leaving and there were no more celebrations to look forward to.  However, we did have a great post-holiday dinner with former nanny Jessica (now in law school in Chicago), and visits with Anthony's parents, niece, and nephew.  We had a New Years' Party with lots of finger food, sparkling apple juice for the kids, and prosecco/cava/champagne for the adults.  There were also impromtu get togethers with other family friends and cookie making.  I'm still a little bummed that it is all over.

And remember Y2K?  Can you believe that was 10 years ago?  Back then I had no kids, no experience in dentistry, and so few of the friends I see regularly now.  My thirties were amazing.  Here's to the next decade!