_I don't know how many times I spent New Year's Eve with my Mom staying up waiting on the ball to drop.

We would sit on the couch, occasionally getting up to pop a popper or refill our glass of child wine (sparkling cider). She spent so much time trying to make sure that the experience was amazing. She never wanted me to be bored with life. We'd watch old time movies or how New Year's was celebrated around the world.

One year, she filled our hallway with balloons full of paper punch outs- you know from when you are making a 3-hole punch. I held my nephew in my arms, he must have been 4 or 5 at the time and he tightly clutched a sewing needle between his little kid fingers. The balloons dangled from the ceiling, awaiting their moment of ultimate destruction. I walked him around the tightly enclosed space. POP! POP! POP! The balloons exploded in a musical rain of paper and balloon parts. The downstairs neighbor came up and pounded on the door with his meaty fist.  Apparently we had woken him up. But it didn't matter, no, we were busy enjoying the passing of the old into the new.

Especially as we watched the clock tick closer to midnight.

So many memories of years drifting into the history of my life, but none of them would be what they were if it wasn't for my mom and her always trying to make the moment memorable. I can only hope to be as cool a mom as she was to my kids...

Maybe this year we'll create our own holiday to honor the silly antics of our parents as we were growing up!

Now for the interesting part...

You've read my memory or at least skimmed it...I want you to leave a comment with the best silly antic your parent/spouse/sibling/friend ever did that when you look back, it makes you smile. At the end of the day I will giveaway  3 digital copies of Bella Notte (or you could opt for a digital of Brody and the Skypirates, but it's best shown in color) and ONE special person will get their name featured as a character (not necessarily a large role) in my third book in the Bella Series, Bella Tristezza! Have your namesake immortalized!

Follow the blog to remember to find out if you're one of the winners!

Please take a moment to 'like' me on facebook

_Everyone that makes a comment on ANY blog also gets entered into the grand prize drawing which is for the 1st prize of a Kindle Fire and 2nd prize of an $80 gift card for Amazon! Get commenting!

Make sure to check out the main hop page to see all of the prizes and contests going on! You'll want to enter for the GRAND PRIZE too it's AWESOME!

Do you smell chestnuts roasting on an open fire? Is Jack Frost nipping at your nose?

Well, then you should probably move closer to that fire, but not too close since it's open!

From December 15th to the 25th, come and check out some good reads and fab prizes. Click the image or click here to take you to the main page. An awesome prize will be given away from the main site from all the winners from the separate blogs, so make sure you enter my contest!

In the true spirit of Christmas, here's what you need to do to enter my contest. Read "A Bella Notte Christmas Story" (it's only like 2270 words or something) and then contact me via the contact form under "Forum & Such". All you need to do is answer this question correctly and you'll be entered into the contest.

"What does Dominic get Emma for Christmas?"

The winner's name will be featured in the third installment of the Bella series, and they will be entered into the grand prize drawing for the entire blog hop, which is... *DRUM ROLL PLEASE*..... A KINDLE FIRE!

Come on, you know you want it... so get cracking! Enter my contest! :0) Be immortalized in a story and get a chance to win this awesome little device!

Happy Holidays, Everyone!




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