As usual, Ben and I found our way to Baler for the holidays. We left Manila later than expected. My plan was to go home on the 21st, but we had problems getting someone to drive us so we had to wait until the 23rd. As with our trip back from Baler last November, we suffered another flat tire going home. Ben enjoyed the stop of course. He was running around while Andy, the driver, changed tires. As always, it was almost nonstop talkathon for Ben throughout the whole trip.
For Christmas Eve noche buena, it was just Papa, Ben, Albie, and me. Kaka was there but he decided to sleep in. We just had some pasta (stroganoff from a recipe I found online...not too good) and salad. Then it was off to bed. Christmas morning Ben and I attended mass and then we basically stayed at home, except for a visit to Auntie Anay and Auntie Iring and some picture taking with them and their friends.
While it was a relatively quiet Christmas for us, I still had a lot of fun, especially when Ben got his gift from Santa. He asked for a hammer, which he got with some more toy tools.
Things got more upbeat though when everyone else arrived for the New Year. Ben was much happier with his playmates around. As in the past couple of years, New Year's Eve we spent at Kuya Boy's house by the beach and there were fireworks and sparklers. At first Ben didn't want to hold the sparklers (I bought some big ones for him), but later on, he finally did on his own. The best was when the 16-hole fireworks were lit (there were two of them), and you'll find the video clip of one of them below. That's Ben you hear screaming loudly in the background.
New Year's Day we had merienda at Bay's Inn. But the rain came down and Ben didn't like that at all, so he was telling everyone that we had to go home. He even wanted his Kuya Miguel (who is a slow eater) to hurry up so we could leave.
The following day, it was travel back to Manila. We would've made good time, but we had to take a side trip to Bongabon to help out a friend of Kuya Boy. We ended up staying there for about 3 hours so that set us back. We didn't get to Manila until about 1 am.
Oh well, here are some of the pics. More can be seen at Christmas06/New Year07 in Baler.
For Christmas Eve noche buena, it was just Papa, Ben, Albie, and me. Kaka was there but he decided to sleep in. We just had some pasta (stroganoff from a recipe I found online...not too good) and salad. Then it was off to bed. Christmas morning Ben and I attended mass and then we basically stayed at home, except for a visit to Auntie Anay and Auntie Iring and some picture taking with them and their friends.
While it was a relatively quiet Christmas for us, I still had a lot of fun, especially when Ben got his gift from Santa. He asked for a hammer, which he got with some more toy tools.
Things got more upbeat though when everyone else arrived for the New Year. Ben was much happier with his playmates around. As in the past couple of years, New Year's Eve we spent at Kuya Boy's house by the beach and there were fireworks and sparklers. At first Ben didn't want to hold the sparklers (I bought some big ones for him), but later on, he finally did on his own. The best was when the 16-hole fireworks were lit (there were two of them), and you'll find the video clip of one of them below. That's Ben you hear screaming loudly in the background.
New Year's Day we had merienda at Bay's Inn. But the rain came down and Ben didn't like that at all, so he was telling everyone that we had to go home. He even wanted his Kuya Miguel (who is a slow eater) to hurry up so we could leave.
The following day, it was travel back to Manila. We would've made good time, but we had to take a side trip to Bongabon to help out a friend of Kuya Boy. We ended up staying there for about 3 hours so that set us back. We didn't get to Manila until about 1 am.
Oh well, here are some of the pics. More can be seen at Christmas06/New Year07 in Baler.
Ben by the Christmas tree
Ben and chubby me
With his gift from Santa
With Lola Iring and Lola Anay and their friends, Lola Ben, Lola Banang and Lola Estela
Feeding his favorite fish, tilapia
With a new friend, Yvonne
Dancing with Yvonne
That's me, Fr Nilvon, Lola Iring, Yvonne, Ben, Lola Ben, Lola Banang, and Lola Anay
Taking a ride in Lolo Kaka's steamroller with Kuya Jovin, Kuya Daniel and Kuya Miguel
Me and Ben in the backyard of Kuya Boy's beach house
Ben and Ate Syobe (they share birthdays)
Kuya Miguel, Kuya Daniel, Ate Syobe, Kuya Jovin, and Ben
My budding Batista
The kids in the loft of the beach house
The kids on the concrete deck in the beach house's back yard
Ben and Kuya Miguel in a loving pose
Holding the flares
That's us after New Year struck
The boys by the beach
Merienda at Bay's Inn before the rain came
Uh...
Just outside the town hall of Bongabon
And here's a couple of video clips. First one is of Ben wrestling his Kuya Miguel and the other one is of the fireworks.
2 comments:
is your kuya boy, 'boy querijero'?
Nope, that's Boy Tan. I do know Kuya Boy Querijero though.
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