In actuality... #1 needs new pants & shoes, and all three kids have asked to go to the local book store to spend the gift cards they got for Christmas. Hubby and I have wanted to see the new Star Trek movie, and I don't want to cook tonight. New Years Eve for families tend to be somewhat mundane unless they either:
a. trust their children to stay home alone.
b. have a really good babysitter who does not mind babysitting instead of making out with her boyfriend.
c. have friends who have children who are friends with your kids, but the parents also are members of a band and/or own a local bar and always have a bitching New Years Eve Party with a live band, a few kegs and hundreds of people of all ages (this was the case for us the last few years).
It will actually be nice to spend a nice quiet evening with the family. While I enjoyed the wild parties when I was younger, they are just too much now that I have a family. This also works well for Hubby, who is not much for social gatherings. He tends to be more of an introvert, not comfortable in large social gatherings. I keep telling him that is due to him not drinking enough. He is unconvinced.