Brookside Baby
Showing posts with label Booboo Babeth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Booboo Babeth. Show all posts
Saturday, September 17, 2022
Thursday, August 15, 2019
My Huckleberry friend
These are my Throwback Thursday thoughts and photos as I deal with another foggy and chilly day in my adopted city. Call this my intermission number while I take a break from line editing some manuscripts.
It's bonnet weather up here, but I've misplaced mine while Kai, now eight and in school (surprisingly, the school bus came by to pick her up and she was ready and warmly dressed as she boarded it), has outgrown hers. She now wears a hoodie.
Booboo Babeth and Kai wearing bonnets
Yesterday classes were suspended so she stayed by my side all day long while I faced the computer. She played with her dolls and stack-up toys. When she grew weary of them and while I was taking a siesta, I overheard her take over the YouTube shuffle list and listen to different versions of "Moon River," her current favorite. I let her be, secretly pleased was I that she liked the songs I liked.
After dinner, she brought out her blank notebook that she uses for her doodles.She asked me to dictate the lyrics of the theme song from Breakfast at Tiffany's while she carefully wrote them down on a page, mindful of her spelling and placement of apostrophes. Then she began to sing a capella. Over and over until I wanted to cry.
Here Cecile Licad skims over the poetry book of Marne Kilates while Booboo Babeth and her Kai look over her shoulder. Photo by Anna Leah Sarabia
Who would have thunk it--that the kid I used to carry in my arms to meet such personages like our goddess of music CL would fall for a Mancini ballad?
Kai, don't rush, don't age too fast. You'll have a long time being a grownup, but childhood is such a fleeting period.
It's bonnet weather up here, but I've misplaced mine while Kai, now eight and in school (surprisingly, the school bus came by to pick her up and she was ready and warmly dressed as she boarded it), has outgrown hers. She now wears a hoodie.
Yesterday classes were suspended so she stayed by my side all day long while I faced the computer. She played with her dolls and stack-up toys. When she grew weary of them and while I was taking a siesta, I overheard her take over the YouTube shuffle list and listen to different versions of "Moon River," her current favorite. I let her be, secretly pleased was I that she liked the songs I liked.
After dinner, she brought out her blank notebook that she uses for her doodles.She asked me to dictate the lyrics of the theme song from Breakfast at Tiffany's while she carefully wrote them down on a page, mindful of her spelling and placement of apostrophes. Then she began to sing a capella. Over and over until I wanted to cry.
Who would have thunk it--that the kid I used to carry in my arms to meet such personages like our goddess of music CL would fall for a Mancini ballad?
Kai, don't rush, don't age too fast. You'll have a long time being a grownup, but childhood is such a fleeting period.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Rain, food, books and work
Today's weather was not an improvement on yesterday's. We woke up to ceaseless wind, rain and fog. At least, I did wake up ahead of everyone else in our small household; Rolly, who is usually an early riser, got up reluctantly at 9:30 a.m.
Nobody was in the mood to cook although we were all famished and wished for hot soup, arroz caldo, fried rice and tuyo--you know, rainy weather fare. But who was gonna prepare them?
Not I, said this housewife who has never gotten the hang of running a house. I had too much writing and editing work, chief of which was a book manuscript, on my plate, and deadlines were a pitiless lot.
So I said, I'm treating everyone to lunch at HOY (short for House of Yolo Yogurt) on Marcos Highway, a few minutes drive away from our place. Rolly couldn't be parted from his bed and blanket so Kimi, Kai and I dressed warmly and each carried an umbrella to the car.
I told Kimi to drive carefully through the zero-visibility fog, fearing she might bump into a stray dog or a human. We reached HOY without incident. Hardly had we sat, then the place began to fill up despite it being way past the lunch hour. Then we realized today was a holiday--Eid Mubarak!
Hot choco for my grandchild Kai
Daing na bangus with red mountain rice and fried eggs
Booboo Babeth looking ghostly amid the thick fog. Photo by Kai
Kai back in the warmth of Rolly Fernandez's room/library. Photo by Babeth
I settled for my favorite daing na bangus with mountain rice and two well-done fried eggs. Kimi had the bulalo which was for sharing. Kai had a little of my viand and her mother's, paired with a cup of rice and another cup of hot choco.
While Kimi was driving home through the zigzag road, I told her to slow down because I had a very full tummy and didn't want to throw up.
We brought home takeaway food (sirloin tapa with rice and sunny side up eggs) for Rolly. In all, it was a blessed day, the weather notwithstanding.
Nobody was in the mood to cook although we were all famished and wished for hot soup, arroz caldo, fried rice and tuyo--you know, rainy weather fare. But who was gonna prepare them?
Not I, said this housewife who has never gotten the hang of running a house. I had too much writing and editing work, chief of which was a book manuscript, on my plate, and deadlines were a pitiless lot.
So I said, I'm treating everyone to lunch at HOY (short for House of Yolo Yogurt) on Marcos Highway, a few minutes drive away from our place. Rolly couldn't be parted from his bed and blanket so Kimi, Kai and I dressed warmly and each carried an umbrella to the car.
I told Kimi to drive carefully through the zero-visibility fog, fearing she might bump into a stray dog or a human. We reached HOY without incident. Hardly had we sat, then the place began to fill up despite it being way past the lunch hour. Then we realized today was a holiday--Eid Mubarak!
I settled for my favorite daing na bangus with mountain rice and two well-done fried eggs. Kimi had the bulalo which was for sharing. Kai had a little of my viand and her mother's, paired with a cup of rice and another cup of hot choco.
While Kimi was driving home through the zigzag road, I told her to slow down because I had a very full tummy and didn't want to throw up.
We brought home takeaway food (sirloin tapa with rice and sunny side up eggs) for Rolly. In all, it was a blessed day, the weather notwithstanding.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Guess who's always in the moment?
The ailing teacher Thich Nhat Hanh (get well soon, please) wrote once, "Life can only be found in the present moment."
This morning my youngest sibling felt unwell. It turned out that her BP was at an all-time high of 170/100. I couldn't resist having my own blood pressure monitored since the automatic reader was out already. Mine read 130/80. Pang-dalaga! Throughout all this, curious curly-haired Kai observed with eyes growing wider.
To make her not worry while we fussed over our signs of mortality, sis and I alternated in asking her, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Booboo: "Do you wanna be a doctor?"
Kai: "No."
Mamita Gigi: "A nurse?"
Kai: "No."
Booboo: "A teacher like Granny Su?"
Kai: "No."
Mamita Gigi: "But you have to be doing something when you're grown up."
Booboo: "How about street sweeper? You go places."
Kai: "No."
Finally, Mamita Gigi and I said, almost as one, "So what do you wanna be?"
Kai: "A person!"
Booboo: "What are you gonna do as a person?"
Kai: "I'll play with blocks."
She smiled at us and walked away.
Mamita and Booboo looked at each other wordlessly. But our look must have read, "She got us there. And once again she's right."
Selfie shoe-fie by Kai Fernandez
This morning my youngest sibling felt unwell. It turned out that her BP was at an all-time high of 170/100. I couldn't resist having my own blood pressure monitored since the automatic reader was out already. Mine read 130/80. Pang-dalaga! Throughout all this, curious curly-haired Kai observed with eyes growing wider.
To make her not worry while we fussed over our signs of mortality, sis and I alternated in asking her, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Booboo: "Do you wanna be a doctor?"
Kai: "No."
Mamita Gigi: "A nurse?"
Kai: "No."
Booboo: "A teacher like Granny Su?"
Kai: "No."
Mamita Gigi: "But you have to be doing something when you're grown up."
Booboo: "How about street sweeper? You go places."
Kai: "No."
Finally, Mamita Gigi and I said, almost as one, "So what do you wanna be?"
Kai: "A person!"
Booboo: "What are you gonna do as a person?"
Kai: "I'll play with blocks."
She smiled at us and walked away.
Mamita and Booboo looked at each other wordlessly. But our look must have read, "She got us there. And once again she's right."
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Becoming an ancestor, finally
My title "Becoming an Ancestor" was cribbed from an essay of another grandma, the wise crone Mariel Francisco.
If what I read yesterday is true, today is Grandparent's Day. What would I be without a Lola Purang like mine who taught thrift in the basic necessities and generosity of spirit at the same time? Or my children and their cousins without a Lola Mommy whose culinary expertise has made her morcon and kare-kare legendary among clan members? Or Kai, formerly Butones, without grandparents like her Tats and Booboo whose partnership endures against the odds and whose love for books and shelves of these she will certainly inherit?
So to all the old and foolish beings who become young in the company of their grandchildren, cheers and more years of joy to all of us!
If what I read yesterday is true, today is Grandparent's Day. What would I be without a Lola Purang like mine who taught thrift in the basic necessities and generosity of spirit at the same time? Or my children and their cousins without a Lola Mommy whose culinary expertise has made her morcon and kare-kare legendary among clan members? Or Kai, formerly Butones, without grandparents like her Tats and Booboo whose partnership endures against the odds and whose love for books and shelves of these she will certainly inherit?
So to all the old and foolish beings who become young in the company of their grandchildren, cheers and more years of joy to all of us!
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| My ancestors, starting with Lola Purang (seated far right) with Auntie Pacing, Cousins Rose, Sonny (on Lolo Laki's lap) and Toots Romero. Standing are: Ramon Romero, Dad (Enrique Lolarga Jr.), Auntie Fe, Uncle Esting and Uncle Celso. |
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| Carlo Trinidad protectively holds Kimi Fernandez's hand as their Lola Mommy waves at her unheeding grandkids. Taken in Baguio at Lola Purang's retirement home in the 1980s |
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| Kimi, Kai and the Boo |
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| Grumpa Tats, who just turned 63, shares his birthday cake with Kai doing her trademark duck face. |
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Someone's turn to miss his princess, Butones
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| Tatay/Grumpa Rolly's thought bubble: "Until Kai returns to Baguio, I'll continue to drink my Lights nightly. No ifs and buts." |
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| Kai/Butones and her thought bubble: "Every time I look up, I think of my mountains. But please, Grumpa Tats, I wanna enjoy the city lights, the Christmas light shows. I wanna be spoiled by my other grandparents and my Papay. And I wanna wear summery outfits like this one which I can't up there. I'll join you soon. Don't get lonesome. I'll let you ride on my stuffed horsey and play with Barney in the nursery so you won't miss me too much." |
Huge acrylic on wood painting behind Rolly by Booboo Babeth
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