Sunday, December 31- New Year’s Eve!
I think I last posted on NYE in the afternoon.
Picking up there, we had a nice, pretty low key Mexican New Year’s Eve. I do not think we experienced Ivan’s childhood New Year’s Eve of “yesteryear”, when his whole family would get together and there would be a huge party.
We mostly just got together with his sister’s family of 4 (soon to be 5- she is at the hospital in labor as I type this today on January 3). However, his aunt and several cousins + families stopped by for a couple hours to visit too. They sort of had their own plans going – I think in part because there were a LOT of them at this other house- so they didn’t all stay until midnight.
We had more ponche (hot cinnamon fruit cider).
We tried HARD to get the Packers game on the big TV but we couldn’t, unfortunately. Finally Ivan was able to stream it on his phone (after paying like $5.99 for NBC’s Peacock…). I really wanted to watch this game though and it was a big win over the Vikings!
Dinner wasn’t served until 10 pm. Apparently this has been bumped earlier from the past when traditionally they would always eat at midnight!
Our family New Year’s Eve pic:
The boys played some video games with the cousin’s boys who were over for a while:
His sister also brought a nice big piñata which they strung up in the garage area. My 10 year old niece was very excited about this and she insisted we all take turns whacking it with a stick. 🙂
Here’s our group shot.. not shown the other approximately 15 people who stopped by earlier in the evening!
We sat at the table until after 1 am. At midnight we toasted and did the grapes tradition (again) and everyone hugs each person and says happy new year.
It was a nice celebration!
Monday, January 1- New Year’s Day!
On New Years Day we didn’t do too much in the morning besides sleep in and heat up some leftovers for lunch.
I think I sat out on the roof again for a while! The days have been beautiful and sunny and warm. It’s just the nights that are freezing! The sun has felt wonderful during the day.
By afternoon we all walked the few blocks to his cousin’s house where all those other relatives were staying.
It’s a little confusing, but they don’t live in Toluca full time. They have a house here, but work in Mexico City currently so I guess they stay somewhere in el Distrito Federal most of the time. But when they have vacation or breaks, they come out to this Toluca house. Anyway, there were a bunch of people in including Ivan’s aunt and a couple cousins who I know well.
They had music and a grill going with carne asada and some fab guacamole and a million other foods. I wasn’t even that hungry but somehow ate like two carne asada tacos, caldo de pollo (chicken soup), some homemade mole and I don’t even know what else. Ooof! My stomach cannot handle all the food!
Oh, and here is a nice example of how people here love the Virgin of Guadalupe. His cousin had this little display with a lit candle just casually hanging out in the middle of the kitchen. Pretty typical!
We stayed there until dusk and then walked home. I was tired from the late evening and I think his parents turned in early to watch TV.
Ivan, Asher and I ended up putting on the Adam Sandler movie “You are SO not invited to my bat mitzvah” on Netflix in our room while Ethan was connected online with his friends.
It was pretty cute! A coming of age type movie about a 13 year old Jewish girl who attends Hebrew School that also showcased some of the problems with technology and “mean girl/middle school” behavior…. Made me glad I don’t have girls. Hahahaha. But it was entertaining and could probably provide some good talking points on how not to behave and how not to treat your friends and what not to look for in a “middle school crush”.
It did come full circle and had a happy ending with all the right lessons learned, friendships resolved, etc. 🙂
Yesterday (January 2nd) was an awesome day- we hiked the volcano! But I’ll save that for tomorrow’s posts as I, of course, took a lot of pictures. 😆😆
Hope your new year is off to a great start! We have two more day here before we fly home Friday afternoon. I’m not looking forward to going back to work Monday at all, but I MISS CHARLIE SO MUCH!!!!! 😭😭😭😭
GRATEFUL KAE 
Sounds like you guys had a really great NYE! That is a lot of different kinds of foods! Mole! Lasagna! Mashed Potatoes! There is something for everyone!
We had a pretty lame NYE but it is not a holiday we love in our house. I watched the first half of the Packers/Vikings game and then went to bed to read. Phil finished the game and came up to bed afterwards. My best NYEs were when I was a kid. We’d often go to a hotel with a bunch of other families so we could run around from room to room and swim in the hotel, etc. Oddly one of my best NYE was the year my grandfather died – it sounds odd to say but he lived until he was 86 and has a horrible stroke probably 5-10 years prior and his quality of life wasn’t great at the end so his passing was kind of a blessing? There was a massive blizzard, though, so everyone got hotel rooms and we had a big room reserved for all of the family to hang out. My mom is 1 of 8 so there were tons of people and it was more of an Irish funeral type of celebration.
It’s nice that you fly back on Friday so you have the weekend to get back on track and prepare for the return to work/school!!
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A big family gathering at a hotel DOES sound soooo fun, especially as a young child! I used to think hotels with nice indoor pool areas were the BEST when I was little!!
And yes, I actually am super glad we get back Friday. The kids are too! We are known for sometimes trying to squeeze more vacation into our days off, but in this case the flight was better on Friday AND I am glad we’ll all have some time to recuperate and reorganize before back to school and work. I think the boys are about ready now, anyway. They have had a good time but it’s been a more “family” oriented trip than a typical vacation… I think they are excited to get home to Charlie and some time to just chill at home. Teenagers, you know 😉
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if I had been there I would have eaten everything in sight. I know what you mean when you said the picture looks gross BUT somehow I can taste it and I know that it’s yummy.
The reunion with Charlie is going to be incredible. No one is happy to see you like a dog is happy to see you.
Congrats to your SIL and the new baby!
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I can’t wait to see Charlie!! I keep worrying that maybe he somehow like won’t remember me. It feels like this has been a long time away from him! Maybe he will think we were just his temporary owners and now he is in his new home. 😭
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So much good food! I’m envious. Happy New Year!
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Yes, so much yumminess!! Happy new year to you, too!
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I don’t think I can live in latin America anymore given the late meal time! hahaha…. food looks very comforting and homey. enjoy the rest of your visit there! back home will be fun especially reuniting with Charlie. I have a book recommendation for you. Happier hours! As I read it, I thought about you. check it out. 🙂
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Haha well I don’t think they normally eat at midnight- just a New Year’s Eve thing apparently!! But they do have the custom of having their “cena” quite late/before bed.
And thanks for the book rec! Checking it out now… always makes me happy when someone thinks of me! 🙂
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Yes, I was thinking about Charlie while I was reading this, and how much you must be missing him!!! Oh and I watched that Packers game and thought of you.
Ahem. Be VERY happy you don’t have girls! It’s a grueling journey. I can’t even imagine having more than one- whenever I meet someone who has two (or THREE, EEEK!) daughters, I feel so sorry for them… ha ha.
Anyway, your New Year’s celebration sounds really fun. And how exciting that you’re there to welcome a new niece to the family!
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Yummy!! All that food looks delicious! I really love pierna! I also like conchita pibil; did you guys have any of that!? Actually all pork is good, and your carnitas tacos look great too… I am now hungry! I hope that your journey back is good and that you get some rest and snuggles with Charlie before you have to go back to work!
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What a great, busy time with ALL THE FOOD. Sometimes food doesn’t look the most appetizing on a plate, but I am sure it was all absolutely delicious. Happy New Year!
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It sounds like a most relaxing holiday and you got to hold a new baby
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