Like most California parents of small children, we cheat on New Year’s Eve: We pretend New York’s Times Square Ball Drop is for us!!

So, at 8:55, we gather the children to watch Anderson Cooper or Ryan Seacrest or the guy from NBC that no one can remember his name…

And we count down the 10-9-8…. Badda-Bing: Happy New Year!! Kisses!!

By 9:15, the kids are in bed. Mommy and Daddy have already fired up the hot tub, put the twinkle lights on, set a blaze in the fire pit, and uncorked a bottle of wine.

And the best thing is: We do it again in three hours. (Read into that what you will.)

Happy New Year, indeed.