Happy New Year!

Yesterday we hosted a New Year's Eve party for little ones. We counted down to noon instead of midnight. This was really a last-minute idea, so I was very excited when every person we invited said "yes"! I guess lots of parents of young children want to celebrate, but like me, don't find it possible for various reasons to go out at night. It is also nice to be able to celebrate the occasion with your children which is hard to do at the typical evening parties. In sticking with our international theme lately, we decided to have a New Years party that celebrated traditions around the world. So, we had crafts, games, and food representing different cultural traditions.

The dining room craft table with Nigerian masks to ward off evil spirits in the new year and shakers (made from plastic Easter eggs and rice) representing the musical instruments made for Homowo celebrated by the Ga people of southern Ghana.

Party-goers crafting away

Nathan and Monica working diligently on their masks

The kitchen craft table with painted pasta and twine for making gold bracelets worn by people in Chile while celebrating Ano Nuevo.

Ali helps her daughters, Julia and Jenna, make bracelets.

Fuku Wari, a game played by children in Japan to celebrate Oshogatsu. It is very similar to "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" in which children are blindfolded and try to pin parts of the face onto a blank face. Thank you to Molly for putting together this game. This picture was taken after Lily pinned on all the parts while blindfolded. She really enjoyed it and didn't do a bad job either.

Molly's son, Jack, cooking up a storm for the guests

Among the menu items were apple slices dipped in honey in honor of Rosh Hashanah for a sweet upcoming year. Tori will be glad to know that we also included Greek fare, namely Vasilopita.

Mary's son, Patrick, making sweet music

Jenny and her son, Julien, with Joe, Michiyo and their son, Hiroki. I love how Julien and Hiroki seem engrossed in conversation in this picture. Too cute.

Women of the Word (high school friends). Ali, Jenny, me, Critter, Molly, and Bev (Missing from the picture: Mary, who had to leave early to get back home to her one-month-old, Luca.)

Joe, an entertainer by trade, was the hit of the party

Group shot: Ali with Julia and Jenna, Jenny (with Julien crawling away), Bev with Monica and Ethan, Nancy (with Margo not pictured), Mary with Patrick, Critter with Makayla (and Nathan not pictured), Joe and Michiyo with Hiro (Molly with Jack and me and Lily not pictured)

The countdown: