Christmas/Birthday party

One of my sisters sons  has a birthday on the 24th, Christmas dinner and birthday dinner is combined, and I am invited to the party on the beach. I ask what time and am told to come whenever I want. I show up at 6, nothing happening, food is still being prepared, hair is being braided, 3 little girls need matching hair bows, big brother is sent to the store to get some, but one is the wrong color, a phone call is made and an auntie shows up with a bow. Tables are swept off and chairs are washed, a stereo arrives on a quad. My Tio is sent to get firewood, Tia arrives with a bag of beef, sister changes her dress twice.....there will be carne asada. Shrimp are being peeled by a pretty girl with the longest prettiest fingernail I ever did saw, how does she do that. I`m sent to the store to get a birthday gift wrapped, you don`t buy wrapping paper, tape and bows here, you go to a papeleria and spend 8-17 pesos to have it wrapped for you. I like this.

Sand is watered down to make a nice dance pad, and to keep the dust down. At 8pm the party officially begins, at 9 the birthday boy shows up. He says he's turning 22, sister says he is 24, grandma says he's 25, a phone calculator says he's 25.  Someone had videotaped Tio`s birthday party (remember the day I arrived) so we gather around a laptop and watch the video, everyone loves seeing themselves on the screen (me not so much). This is technology that has just arrived to the Island and is still very thrilling.

Then Tio and 3 little girls with bows in their hair start the dancing. We all clap and sing along encouraging whoever is on the dance pad as we eat ceviche, shrimp salad, carne asada, rice, beans and snack on pecans, cranberries and dates, I find out that I have never had fresh cranberries, I eat them like a kid that has just discovered candy. One of the little girls sits down to catch her breath and there is an uproar at the tables, she FARTED! ewww! Get away from the table she is told, she protests, but sits in a corner for a bit. (giggling) She returns,  but she still stinks, someone notices her boots, she has stepped in dog poop. All the kids shoes are inspected, her boots are washed and the party goes on again. No Christmas presents were exchanged and I like that.