The trick that was New Year's Eve

This story is late but it has to be said because otherwise I will forget it and I will be sad.  Rewind to New Year's Eve eve.  Rob and I are talking about plans for the weekend and how we want to go sledding and how we need to get up early on New Year's Day to get to the mountain in time and how we really should get the kids back to a normal sleeping schedule before they go back to school so they aren't exhausted and out of whack the first week back to school.  And then we start to laugh about how last year, Will was the only one that STAYED up until midnight and then he woke Rob up and they went outside to look at fireworks and then he went to bed and woke up the next morning at 11AM.  And while that is cute, there was no way we'd make it up to the mountain to sled if people were sleeping in until 11AM.  So, we devised a little plan.  I actually think it is our best plan to date.  It went like this.  One New Year's Eve day before the kids woke up, we set the clocks AHEAD 3 hours..to East Coast time.  You know, the time when all of the major news stations actually say that it's midnight.  Then the kids get up at what is really 9AM and Will looks at the clock and goes 'WOAH! WOAH! WOAH Mom!  I slept in SO late!'

 that's Will saying 'WOAH!'

and I chuckle and say yes you did Will!  And Addi thinks it's all funny because she thinks everything is funny.

 that's Addi thinking everything is funny.

And then, that same day, we go swimming and we get out of the pool and back into the car and Will is all like 'WOAH!  Time is FLYING today!' and Rob and I grin at each other and say 'Yes it is Will!'.  See..there was going to be no staying up until midnight for reals in our house and so we tricked everyone.  I thought our plan was foiled when Will noticed that it was staying lighter longer, but a quick excuse about the clouds and and clear sky changed his mind right away.  And when we ate dinner at 8pm, he laughed because he was actually supposed to be headed to bed.  HA!  And when we headed down the street to our friends house (we called first and made sure that they set all clocks ahead too so that NO ONE would know the better) Will laughed because we were sneaking around SO late at night.  And when we ate pizza and played games until 11:58pm, the kids thought they were so cool because there they went again, staying up until midnight.  And when the ball dropped for reals in Time Square I thanked Dick Clark for playing along on not mentioning anything about the West Coast.  And we yelled and screamed and kissed and yelled some more and said 'Happy New Year' and then thank goodness, a few other houses were conning their kids too and let off fire works and then, at 12:15, we walked back home and rushed to bed.  An no one knew the wiser.  And sometimes, when I think about it, I feel bad about the little trick.  And then I remember that I was asleep at 12:15 for reals, and it was so nice to know that everyone else was too.  And the next morning, we were up bright and early ready to hit the mountain and it was fun.  And really, our little secret, was for the best...for all of us.