Family Roles During Holidays!

Does each person in your family have a specific unofficial role during holidays and other special occasions? Because in mine, we pretty much all have a role! πŸ˜…

I grew up always wanting to be a lot like my mom, so I’d be in the kitchen with her watching her cook every day. We’d bake different desserts together. She’d let me try my own thing sometimes, too. Inventar, as the Latin mommas say!

And if you didn’t catch on, my mom’s unofficial official role was head chef for all our special occasions. Why? It’s simple. She loves to cook. She cooks with lots of love and it’s obvious once you smell, see and taste her amazing dishes!

But while she cooks all the main dishes for all occasions, it’s up to me to select and create dessert! It’s not my only role, but it’s probably my favorite! πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ Let’s walk through the different things expected of each person in my immediate family during a holiday. Christmas, to be specific!

Gift Shopping

This one’s on everyone pretty much. But more often than not, everyone is asking me for help picking out gifts for everyone! I don’t mind, as I love the feeling of satisfaction when someone opens a gift I helped pick out and they actually love it! I think I’m pretty good at shopping! My dad somehow gets dragged to all the stores too, so I’d say main shoppers are my dad and I. Sorry Dad!

Food

My mom tends to go all out in the kitchen for holidays, but she doesn’t do it alone! My brother’s wife is also an amazing cook, and sometimes, I can barely tell the difference between her food and my mom’s! And that’s a big deal! My mom typically does the main dishes, while my sister-in-law does the sides. And as mentioned previously, I take care of dessert! My dad always sets the table though!

Entertainment

For just about any occasion, we can count on my brother to provide the music as well as what we watch on TV. Does he take suggestions though? 😬 If you’re nice?

Beverage

This one’s on my dad, brother and sister. And it’s usually a last minute trip to the liquor store! Haha But typically it’s my dad or sister pouring drinks, or just being the main ones drinking!

Gift Wrapping

Maybe it’s because of my attention to detail, but for some reason, everyone’s gifts end up in my closet for me to wrap up…I don’t mind though! The fun part is I end up not labeling any gifts in an obvious way, so only I know what’s what!

Playing with the Kids

Kids make holidays even more special, especially Christmas, where you get to see them smile when they open up their presents! But they also need entertainment! I’m really good at keeping them (my nephews and my son) occupied, but my sister and my sister-in-law are great as well!

Wrapping Up the Night

At the end of a great holiday, comes time to clean up and put things away. Everyone tries to pitch in, but inevitably my mom and sister-in-law take care of the kitchen disproportionately, while the rest of us take care of all the other things.

I sometimes wonder what kind of roles my son and my nephews will take on in our family, as they get older. πŸ€”

What about you? Do you have a certain role in your family, especially during the holidays? I’d love to know if your family is similar to mine or totally different! πŸ’—

Childhood Holiday Memories

Flashback to my childhood… my whole extended family gathered together on Christmas eve. Afro-Latino party music playing in the background. Sometimes merengue, sometimes salsa, sometimes bachata. Always the right mood.

Kids all running around, trying to not get in the adults’ way. Playing together. Joking together. Catching up in the way kids do.

Dinner served. Drinks served. Jokes laughed at. People dancing. People being outrageously loud.

Kids waiting anxiously until midnight, so we could start opening gifts. Quickly getting sleepy. Going home at 1 or 2 in the morning. The cold, winter chill in your face.

Quick change into warm PJs. Snuggle up in bed with a cozy comforter. Lights out and off to dream worlds.

Wake up early in the morning, open up any remaining gifts that were left at home. Mom fries empanadas. Hot chocolate to wash it down.

A relaxing day at home with mom and dad and siblings. No school. No work. Nothing important to do except to be in each other’s company.

These are the memories I have of Christmas, growing up in New York with all my family around. Things may not be exactly the same, but I’m fond of the memories and fond of newer memories and traditions. I hope my son can look back at his childhood in a similar way.

What are your holiday traditions? Will you pass them on to your children (if you have any or plan to have any)? What are your fondest memories of holidays growing up? I want to know! πŸ’—

Currently Free

Currently

Working on my throat chakra

Trying to express myself

Finding my voice

Surrounding myself with pure divine light

Elevating onto the clouds

Shifting my perspective and position

So that I can breathe

Flowing like a steady river

Free

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Tennessee River, 06/2017

Random Things That Make Me Happy

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In an effort to express more gratitude in my life.

  1. Spending time with my nephews. πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘¦β€πŸ‘¦Β β€οΈ
  2. When my nephews start acting up and I remember I don’t have kids and can just send them right back to their parents. πŸ˜…
  3. Sending my nephews right back to their parents. πŸ˜‚
  4. When I paint my own nails and they actually look decent. πŸ’…πŸΌ
  5. Baking from scratch. 🍰
  6. Arranging the food on my plate like a pro. 🍱
  7. When something I’ve designed and sewn actually fits properly. πŸ‘—
  8. Finding great deals while shopping on a budget. πŸ›
  9. When all the traffic lights are green the entire drive home. 🚦
  10. When my car is fresh and clean, inside and out. πŸš™
  11. Driving at sunset, windows down, chill music playing. πŸŒ…
  12. Finding all the right songs that express exactly how I feel about someone. πŸ’“
  13. Finding a new personal anthem. 🎢
  14. Working up a sweat during a workout. πŸ‹πŸ»β€β™€οΈ
  15. Feeling sore the next morning. πŸ’ͺ🏼
  16. When the Universe/God sends me the exact sign I asked for. 🌌
  17. Having an insightful conversation with a complete stranger. πŸ‘₯
  18. Drinking tea while doing absolutely nothing else. β˜•οΈ
  19. Great phone conversations longer than an hour. πŸ“ž
  20. Finishing a great book. πŸ“š
  21. Receiving a package much sooner than expected. πŸ“¦
  22. When I wake up with no hangover after a great night out. πŸ₯‚
  23. Traveling somewhere I’ve never been before. ✈️
  24. When my curls are poppin’ after a fresh haircut.Β πŸ’‡πŸ»
  25. Checking every item off a to-do list. πŸ“‹
  26. Learning something new about myself through astrology. ♍️
  27. When I actually get a vision during meditation. πŸ“Ώ
  28. Reading old journal entries and realizing how far I’ve come. πŸ“–

Quick trip to New Orleans

On April 14, 2017, I took a quick overnight trip to New Orleans with my mother! We both fell in love with the food, drinks, the architecture, the eccentricity of its tourists and inhabitants. And all that jazz!!!! I definitely need to go back with more time! At least I got to enjoy those Cafe Du Monde beignets–definitely worth a trip to NOLA just for the beignets. Haha! I’m just sorry I didn’t take enough pictures…

 

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