Happy 2016! We rang in the New Year, little-kid-style–and it was a very stressful New Year’s. Mommy and Daddy were irritable and the little guys were hyper. Don’t let these pictures deceive you–we were moody Moodys, and it was all we could do to make it to 8:30pm!

The boys helped me filled yellow balloons with confetti, and I strung them up above the doorway. We popped one every 15 minutes until “the countdown.” Instead of a usual meal, we ate finger foods for supper. Our after-dinner entertainment was making our own butter. I had bought a carton of heavy whipping cream, and we took turns shaking it. Finally, we put the cream in the food processor and added some kosher salt for a tasty result.

Thanks to the Netflix countdown, we could celebrate 2016 a few hours early. Our three little party animals loved the noisemakers, but were so fascinated by the countdown that they didn’t quite understand they should make lots of noise once it ended. To celebrate 2016, we popped the remaining confetti balloons, (we’ll be finding confetti for weeks!) and then drank sparkling cider with Gummi Bears and Sour Patch Kids mixed in. We sang Auld Lang Syne and All Glory Be to Christ, which shares the same melody–a song perfectly fitting for the beginning of a new year.

On New Year’s Day we took the kids to Food Truck Friday at the Peoria Sports Complex where we enjoyed a progressive dinner, eating a little something from the various food trucks that caught our attention. And to top it all off, we ended our holiday at a Burger King to let the boys get out some wiggles in the play place.

Nothing says New Year’s-with-three-kids-in-tow like a Burger King play place.