Moomy & Grandparents Day!

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,

Bright copper kettles with warm woolen mittens;

Brown paper packages tied up with strings,

These are a few of my favourite things!

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudles,

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings,

These are a few of my favorite things!”

Now if I could add on to the above (don’t you just love the songs from “The Sound of Music”?), I would say there’s nothing quite as wonderful as having grandparents to shower you with unconditional love.

Just a couple of posts ago, I had shared a recipe for a chiffon cake. That particular cake never fails to bring about sweet reminiscence of a much beloved grandmother.

Me & Nenek, on my 1st birthday :D

My grandfathers were equally memorable; Nenek (my paternal grandma) used to tell me stories of how, as a young toddler, I would urge Atok (my paternal grandpa) to take me on a ride aboard the double-decker bus. He would find us a seat on the top deck, only to discover that I had fallen asleep not long after! Poor Atok had to carry me off the bus and all the way home!

I was very thankful that my darling paternal grandparents

were there for me when I got married to my darling hubby. 

They loved my hubby too; Nenek was always cooking

all her best dishes in an effort to introduce him

to Malay cuisine. Atok was always conversing

with his new American grandson

in English and it was just hilarious to watch. 

Atok enjoyed pulling out his old picture albums

to share his memories with his grandsons.

During the long school break in June, my dear parents would drive to my mum’s village in Muar to visit her folks. I had always enjoyed visiting Tok Bak & Tok Chu.

Tok Bak was the quiet grandpa who enjoyed sitting in his outdoor recliner under the shade of their jambu air (water apple) tree. He would sit there for hours with a tweezer and pluck off grey stubbles growing on his chin.

My brother Hameem being held

by Tok Bak; circa 1980.

He was the type who did not say much, but whenever we visited, we always brought bags of canned fruits. Tok Bak usually had his own bag – he loved canned lychees and rambutans - and he hid his personal stash in his bedroom hehehe

Tok Chu was a fabulous cook too. My dear mum had told me her mother was a strict teacher in the kitchen; when the dishes she cooked were not to her parents’ liking, she would have to cook it over and over again until it was perfect.

Me hugging Tok Chu, on the morning

of Eid back in 2002, if I'm not wrong.
Tok Chu loved to put fragrant blossoms in
her bunned hair; I would always
get her fave cempaka putih (magnolia alba)
whenever she visited us in Singapore.

Her efforts certainly paid off because my mum’s a great cook! Now if I could cook half as good as my dear mum, or Tok Chu or Nenek or my darling MiL, I would be a Very Happy Bunny.

Tok Chu's fried chicken were awesome – her marinate was a mixture of lemongrass, turmeric, coriander seeds, cumin & fennel - and when fried, omy … it got us kids running to the kitchen begging for some!

She used to make steamed bread too, and this beautiful loaf was braided in 3 colors – red, yellow and green. The bread was perfect with kaya (coconut jam) and a cup of Kopi 434, the popular Muar brew!

And my darling hubby was equally blessed to have met and basked in the love of his grandparents & great-grandfather:

4 generations of the O'Bayley men:

Tom III, Tom Jr. holding onto the shoulders of Tom IV & Tom Sr.

Throwback to Graduation Day for my darling hubby,

seen here with beaming father and grandfather, Tom III & Tom Jr.

The O'Bayley men: IV, lil V & III

My darling hubby was holding up a snapshot

of him as a lil kid being held by Pop (TRO Sr.),

and surrounded by TRO Jr. & III.

Grandparents are amazing and I hope my lil boys appreciate all 4 of their grandparents the way I have loved and treasured mine. As Rudy Giuliani said, "What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies."

These are just a few of those precious moments of my lil boys with their grandparents:

 Grandparents O'Bayley with their grandsons on Thanksgiving 2012:

Grandma Carolyn, Noah Cornejo, Tommy V,

Grandpa Tom III holding lil Aidan Z and Ben Cornejo
Photo courtesy of Tracy O'Bayley-Cornejo of Shamrock Photography

This was Grandpa O'Bayley when he first met lil Aidan;

Aidan was 5 months old then.

Grandpa O'Bayley and the lil boys;

Labor Day weekend 2014.

Nothing like technology and iPads to bring

Grandma O'Bayley & grandson Tommy V together

O'Bayley III & O'Bayley V, walking hand-in-hand

Tok Wan (my darling dad!) & chubby lil Aidan

G-ma celebrated her birthday with lil Aidan & Tok Wan; July 2013!

My lil Tommy V led the way home
with his lil lantern for Tok Wan & Daddy

G-ma and lil Tommy V, at a wedding in Malaysia; December 2010

On that note: 

Happy Grandparents' Day to Grandma & Grandpa, Carolyn & Tom O'Bayley and Tok Wan & G-ma, Nina Rubiha & Ahmad Fu'ad Shukri. 

With hugs and love from Tommy V & Aidan Z xxx