Happy New Year - with the Haydster and Abbeylicious

I'm not a terribly impulsive person. Sure, I've walked out of the house with no intention of purchasing galoshes before my return and returned with galoshes nonetheless. But I let most decisions marinade a bit before I pull the trigger.

But compare me to my CPA (and all the wonderful, but typical personality and behaviors that implies...) sis and I seem like I belong at the end of the scale with our great aunt who got married in Reno after a few drinks and a heart-t0-heart about belief in a higher power. (For the record, I am not knocking this story. One of my all time faves. Wish I'd know this particular family member better, for sure.)

So now you get the picture - Ashley and Allison, not the most impulsive gals on the street. Which is why we both surprised ourselves when - faced with the unexpected flexibility of a few extra days off work - ideas were thrown out, plane tickets purchased and a half-baked plan, in which we wake up her babies at midnight to ring in the new decade in Times Square, was born.

Ashley and her sweet kiddos got into town Thursday evening and we partied (and when I say partied, I mean roasted red pepper and feta hummus and gummy bears kind of partied...) at our office in midtown for the evening. Our office is just a block off Times Square (albeit a quiet block off Times Square. They're not kidding when they shut that block down.), so it worked out well to be near the action without being in the lose-a-hand-or-nose-to-exposure and wear-a-diaper-'cause-y'ain't-leavin' action.

It was also nice to be a landing spot for these rockstars who did brave a few hours in the thick of the action. (But I feel, for their sakes, the need to disclose that they used the restroom before they left the office and didn't use it again until they returned.)
The girls were pleasantly wired from their first night in the big city, or perhaps because I can't say no to one particularly adorable towhead who politely signs for more gummy bears.

They were so much fun to be around and sleep didn't even seem like a consideration until they crashed promptly at 11:15pm. JUST enough time for us to wake them back up at 20 minutes 'til and run to 59th Street for the countdown. I know, I KNOW - Child Protective Services will read this and say I'm unfit to raise another human being. I say we're making memories.We met up with the crowd in Central Park and pressed on as far as we could - a distant view of Times Square down 7th, a giant countdown monitor so we'd know exactly when it was go-time and fireworks behind us in the park. That'll do. Not bad for fairly minimal effort.
I was tempted not to fix the red eye in these photos. It really added to Hayden's glossy stare.
If you think these photos are the best thing ever, you should see the video of Miss Abbey right at midnight. It is just classic enough it might inspire me to learn how to upload a video on this blog. In our defense (no really - you have one, Allison?), she growls because she hates fireworks, not because her crazy aunt woke her up at midnight to go stand in a crowd of one million people.