this christmas

Friday, 6pm: left my Upper East Side apartment for home. (It was dark).

Saturday, 7pm: ate ceviche with chips as an appetizer at my aunt's house.

Saturday, 8:30pm: took a family portrait in front of my cousins' tree.

Saturday 9pm: shared a bowl of posole (pre-Columbian stew with hominy, pork, chili peppers, cabbage, and hot sauce) with my mom.

Saturday, 9:30pm: devoured one and a half tamales (masa, lard, and pork/cheese wrapped in corn husks) with plenty of salsa dulce (sweet salsa).

Saturday, 9:32pm: drank a sip of atole (a corn-based beverage of indigenous origin with cinnamon and vanilla) in between each tamale bite.

Saturday, 10:30pm: took a photo with my cousins and our grandparents who are visiting from Mexico.

Saturday, 10:45pm - Sunday, 1am: played taboo with my cousins, ate peanut m&m's for dessert, received my secret santa gift (yoga pants, tanks, and The New York Times 36 Hours book), and had a very good night's sleep.

Sunday, 9am: woke up to see that Santa had indeed visited our home.

Sunday, 9:20am: ate a foundation breakfast of oatmeal, peanut butter, and coffee.

Sunday, 9:30am: opened my first gift, the gorgeous Toy Watch I'd lusted over!

Sunday, 10am: helped my dogs, Sable (brown) and Colby (white) to their presents.

Sunday, 11:30am: reviewed my goodies from my Secret Santa, my parents, my brother and my sister... and decided I've been ridiculously good this year.

Sunday, 1pm: set up the appetizers after prepping the house for company.

Sunday, 1:30pm: greeted my grandparents, aunts, uncle, and 7 cousins.

Sunday, 3pm: entertained myself with nuts, held over hunger by eating them.

Sunday, 4pm: worked my way through the family members for that special one-on-one time I wait all year for, and the hilarious conversations that come with it.

Sunday, 5:30pm: navigated through the delicious buffet dinner my mom prepared.

Sunday, 5:34pm: enjoyed salad, escarole and beans, chicken scarpiello, roasted brussel sprouts, and bread, alongside a glass of wine.

Sunday, 6pm: decided I absolutely love spending time with my brother and sister (as usual).

Sunday, 6:30pm: exchanged gifts with my mom's family and was reminded, again, just how lucky I am to have such a generous family with great taste.

Sunday, 7pm: delighted in one three chocolate-covered  red velvet cake bites.

Sunday, 8:30pm: didn't return to the city. Instead, I helped clean up, put my lovely gifts away, and sat down to blog. And soon after publishing this, I will retire to the living room with peppermint tea, my mom, dad, brother, sister, Sable, and Colby.

Hope your holiday was just as merry and bright.