Party Time with the Grandchildren

It's New Years Day...2013.  Every year I celebrate New Years Eve with my grandchildren.  First it was the three oldest, then last year the second to youngest joined the party.  We eat junk food and drink sparkling grape juice and cider.  We watch the Dick Clark countdown in New York.  When they were younger and as soon as the ball dropped,  I could say "Happy New Year, now we can go to bed".  Not anymore.  They are old enough and smart enough to know that we have to wait another hour before it's midnight in Wisconsin.  With my dad (the kid's great grandpa) living in our house, we moved the celebration to Sarah's (oldest daughter) home.  I went there and my husband stayed home with dad.  Sarah and her husband went to a party and I was babysitter as well as party coordinator.  I was supposed to stay overnight and had planned to do so.  When they got home about 1:30am, I wasn't very tired so I drove home.  I got home a little after 2:00am.  I quietly opened the door and dad said "I'm so glad your home".  I guess he couldn't sleep and was waiting up for me.  At the same time my husband greets me.  Neither could sleep.  I told them I might come home and so they couldn't sleep just in case.  It's nice to be missed.  I thought I would get a better night sleep in my own bed.  Oh was I wrong.  We have two pellet stoves.  One is perfect and wonderful.  They other is a little temperamental.  I could hear it screeching when I walked in the door.  All night I heard it.  Forty seconds of screeching and twenty seconds of quiet.  It was worse than Chinese torture.  I closed the bedroom door, but it got so cold.  The temperatures got to below zero last night.  Finally I got up and stayed up.  I made coffee but I'm still feeling like I was drinking and partying all night, which I was but not the same as in my youth.  I was partying with youth, age 12 and under.  I will try to nap today.  Wisconsin Badgers play in the Rose Bowl today, so that should be fun to watch.  Wishing everyone a wonderful start to a new year.

P.S.  Update on the pellet stove.  Mike discovered a couple of pellets impeding the auger.  He dislodged them and now it is back to normal.  Hopefully that is the end of that issue.