Our day together: Feb. 9, 2014

Finding rocks and gems in your science kit. Feb. 9, 2014.

I had another fun day with you, Kieran! We started the day with a breakfast of Belgian waffles and bacon, which you devoured. Then it was off to playing with a variety of toys we had in your room, including the castle set you got for Christmas, and the great Rock and Gem kit I'd gotten for you at Michaels last week.

After a spaghetti lunch, we went to Wal-Mart and got another Lego kit - this time of a semi-trailer than carried a Monster truck on it. You spent the whole afternoon putting it together - I was so impressed by your focus and dedication!

We did lots of other things to - play Star Trek with our phasers and tricorders; play chess, play with the new Play Doh set we picked up earlier at that day. Our weekend together ended all too soon!

Three years ago today at Vasquez Rocks

Hamming it up for the camera, Jan. 29, 2011.

Three years ago today, we hiked Vasquez Rocks, which you also referred to as "the Kirk Rocks"! Except this time instead of visiting "Star Trek" sites, we went searching for sites used during filming of the first season of "The Bionic Woman" (which you really enjoyed watching, by the way)!

We had just purchased "The Bionic Woman" on DVD, and while watching it, I noticed that the episode "Canyon of Death" (which takes place in the desert portion of the "Ventura Air Force Base"), took place at Vasquez Rocks. Since we'd hiked it several times before looking for"Star Trek" filming locations, I was fairly familiar with the county park and figured we'd have little trouble identifying where the scenes occurred.

By the way, you wore a Starfleet Academy cap for the hike!

I put together a photo gallery of our hike including photos from "The Bionic Woman" episode!

Our day together sledding and playing

Playing Beyblade

I had so much with you on Saturday, Kieran! Our few hours together went by so fast!

We started the day snow tubing on the bunny hill at Badlands Snow Park near Hudson, Wis. You might recall they had these all ropes you could use to ride up the hill. After that, we went inside the warming house and played foosball.

Then we went to Target and picked up some Beyblade materials and basketball cards. We disccovered during lunch at Culvers that the basketball cards cube we got was a rip-off, so we went back to pick up a big pack!

We spent the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa Bignell's and played games, went through our NBA cards and NFL stickers, enjoyed a Star Trek phaser adventure on a derelict alien ship, and opened up a pack of Star Wars action figures (the making of Darth Vader set).

I can;t wait to get back together with you!

Cool new Star Trek Hot Wheels cars!

Last night I found a new toy that I'm certain to buy for you in 2014: Star Trek Hot Wheels vehicles!

They're little trucks and cars that have one of the five major "Star Trek: The Original Series" characters on each vehicle: Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, and Sulu. Here's an article about the Hot Wheels cars.

You've always liked Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. I remember you picking one out each time we went shopping at Wal-Mart, Target or Albertson's supermarket when you were only two years old!

I don't quite know when the Star Trek Hot Wheels come out, but I'll be looking for them!

Your Balok and puppet Star Trek figures

Do you remember your Balok and puppet action figure set? It was a Star Trek collection of three action figures, which included Captain Kirk, Balok, and his menacing-looking puppet.

I had purchased the set back in 1998 when there were tons of Star Trek toys out. I always liked to collect those from The Origianl Series.

I never opened it and kept it packed in totes in our garage at the green house in Lancaster, Calif. After you discovered that I had action figures/toys in the totes, you eventually came across the set!

Though I planned to collect the action figures, so many of them were produced that most were worth less than I paid for them, so I figured why not open 'em and let you play with them? After all, it gave us an extra Captain Kirk (We also got one with the shuttlecraft!)!

Today has been a fun day in your life!

I don't think the ancient Egyptians wore
sunglasses, but you never know!

November 12 so far has been a very fun day in your short life, Kieran!

In 2009 - four years ago today - we went to Hollywood together! Specifically, we went to "Star Trek: The Exhibit," where you got to play on the set of the Enterprise-D bridge!

In 2011 - just three years ago today - we went to the Museum of Man in San Diego. The adventure included a ride on the trolley through  Balboa Park.

Click on the above links for photos of our adventure. You do need to be a member of Facebook to see them, though.

Remember scaling the Kirk Rocks?

Nov. 8, 2009

Four years ago today, we hiked Vasquez Rocks (which you affectionatley called "the Kirk Rocks"!).

We'd been there before a couple of times, but on this visit, you were very keen to hike all the way to the top of Gorn Rock on your own! With a little boost from me, you were able to scale each set of walls to the next level up.

Our trips to the Kirk Rocks usually began with a walk to the Friday's Child Rocks (Where scenes from the Star Trek episode "Friday's Child" was filmed) and then a hike up the Gorn Rock (Where Captian Kirk fought the Gorn in the Star Trek episode "Arena.").

Here's a bunch of pictures from our adventure!

Your fave Star Trek character: Chekov

When you were a preschooler, your favorite "Star Trek" character was Ensign Chekov. You often asked to watch "Chekov episodes" on our "Star Trek" DVDs, and liked to play with that action figure - or when we didn't have that action figure, you'd just pretend another one was Chekov!

Did you know that Chekov wasn't in the first season of "Star Trek"? His character joined the crew in the second season, and he's not in every episode of the second and third seasons. He's not in any of the cartoons but is in all of the movies.

I'm not sure why you liked Chekov so much. I suspect it's because he was the youngest of the Enterprise crew and a bit boyish compared to the rest, so you probably related most to him.

Here's a website page about Chekov!

Your first 'Star Wars' action figure!

Do you remember what your first "Star Wars" action figure was? It was Grand Moff Tarkin, the evil general who ran the Death Star in "Star Wars IV: A New Hope."

We never purchased Grand Moff Tarkin. Instead, we found him the flower bed at the green house in Lancaster. I washed him up, and viola! we had a new action figure.

At the time, you were more into the "Star Trek" action figures I had squirreled away in the garage. Once we started watching "The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars" rerun marathons, though, you got quite interested in "Star Wars" action figures, and our collection took off!

You really liked to collect clone troopers - but I'll save that for another entry!

Recall your Star Trek Pez dispensers?

Do you remember your Star Trek Pez dispensers? They were a set of eight dispensers of the major characters from "Star Trek: The Original Series": Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov with the USS Enterprise.

I bought them at World Mart in Santa Clarita, I believe. They came with Pez candy, which after you ate up I didn't replace so as not to spoil your dinner! You didn't seem to mind, though - you were more than happy to play with the dispensers as if they were action figures.

Later, I got actual action figures of all the ST:TOS characters for you at Christmas 2011. Unfortunately, I don't have all of the dispensers or action figures any more, but I'm certain one day when you're older you'l be able topurchase them as a collector, should you wish.

I found 'Star Trek:TAS' comic books!

I'm so very excited, Kieran - I found some neat "Star Trek" comic books that are written just for boys your age. They are based on the "Star Trek" characters as shown in the "Star Trek" cartoons (also known as "Star Trek: The Animated Series")!

One of them is a version of "Yesteryear," the spiode in which Mr. Spock is shown as a little boy who's 7 years old! That was probably your favorite "Star Trek" cartoon episode when you were a preschooler.

I shall read through the other comic books - which are all posted online - to see which ones you might like best. Then I will have to print them out and bind somehow into a folder for you!

My email to you for week of July 6-13

Here is my email to you for the week of July 6-13, 2013, in case you do not receive it:

Hi Kieran,

How are you today? Hope you are doing well. I had so much fun with you yesterday! I’ve also attached the photos of our time together as I promised.

I am so glad you liked the “Star Trek” guys and the Enterprise. Having them take the pod to an alien planet and explore it, just like we used to play, was a good time. There are other “Star Trek” pod characters we can get, so I will look for them in stores and bring some along the next time we get together.

Putting together and playing with the Lone Ranger Legos was fun, too. There are a whole bunch of Lone Ranger Lego sets, so I will look for them as well. We have to find one with Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s faithful companion. I sure hope you get to see the movie soon.

You have really gotten fast – Catching you was really difficult when we played football! I am so proud of you that you working on your baseball and soccer skills and getting better at them. When you were younger, we had a T-ball set, and you were very good at hitting the ball. You had very strong arms and could hit the ball a long ways! You also could throw a great spiral with the football. Always focus on and master the fundamentals, and you’ll do really well playing any game.

You’ve also are really learning the states! I was amazed at how many of them you remembered when we put together the puzzle. Would you also like to learn where the countries of the world are, since you asked about Greece? I shall have to find a world map puzzle for us.

The air rockets that you shot off at school sound like a great class project. How high did your air rocket go? I once had a model rocket that looked like the Enterprise from “Star Trek.” It went about 40 feet in the air. When you are older, we will have to shoot off some model rockets at Grandpa and Grandma Bignell’s farm.

The “Snackin’ Safari” game with the elephant springs sure was neat, wasn’t it? Getting the food cards to stick to the suction cup is difficult to do, isn’t it? I think the game might better if the elephant trunk and the cars had magnets on them instead, don’t you?

Have you tried on the new shirt yet? It’s pretty cool how it says “California Lifeguards Association” on it! Since the Long Beach T-shirt I got you was a little big, this time I got you one that was a size smaller – I hope it fits!

Hopefully the Pokémon cards also will help your set that you have. I’m afraid I don’t much about Pokémon – maybe you can explain more about it to me next time!

Well, that is all for now. We next get together on Friday, July 26, and I can’t wait to see you! I love you and miss you very much; I think about you every day!

Love,

Dad

We now get to visit every other week!

I am very excited about visiting with you today, Kieran! Beginning today, we get to see one another every other Friday!

I will bring some more "Star Trek" characters as you asked for last time, as well as some of our older toys and games and books that we have. And of course I'll bring some surprises, too!

Grandma Bignell also plans to bake some stuff for you, too, though I'm not certain what she has planned.

I also will be sure to ask you what you interested in to help guide my future purchases for us when we get together in a couple of weeks.

My letter to you for June 30-July 5, 2013

Here is my letter from July 6, 2013, just in case you do not receive it.

Hi Kieran,

How are you doing? I’m doing fine, though I miss you like crazy! I hope you’re having a good summer. It’s almost half over with – can you believe that?

Is summer school fun? When you last wrote, you mentioned you were learning about the presidents. Which president do you think is the best? One of my favorite presidents is Abraham Lincoln. He led the country during a war. But he is more famous for being honest. He always kept his word and promises. For example, one day he was running his store when he realized that he’d not given a customer all of her change, so he ran outside and gave it to her as she was walking away down the street. He could have kept the money, and the customer probably never would have known. But, as you know from school, one always should be honest. Do you know which bill Abraham Lincoln’s face is on?

How is your bicycle riding coming along? I bet you can ride it really well! Do you get to ride you bicycle in the park? I have a bicycle joke for you:

A man was standing on the street when a bicyclist collided with him, knocking him down.

“Boy, you’re really lucky,” the bicyclist said to the man.

“That really hurt!” said the man. “What do you mean I was lucky?”

“I usually drive a bus,” the bicyclist said.

Did you get to see the fireworks on the Fourth of July? I am going to see the fireworks tonight (Saturday) in Hudson. It is Booster Days here, and there is a big festival. The fireworks are held over Lake St. Croix. I wish you could be with me for the festival and fireworks.

Have you seen any movies this summer? I’ve been to “Star Trek” and “Man of Steel” (the Superman movie). I remember when you were three years old, and I told you the tale of how Superman came to Earth and grew up to become a superhero. When I finished, you said, “Wow – that’s a pretty good story!” I also want to see “The Lone Ranger” movie. What movies would you like to see?

I am still trying to work it out so we can see each other every other week. This could begin as soon as Friday (July 12) if other people involved in this decision agree to it. I am looking forward to being able to see you more often.

Well, that is all for now. I miss and love you very much. Hopefully, I will see you on Friday!

Best,

Daddy

Remember your transporter playset?

A couple of entries ago, I wrote about the neat "Star Trek" bridge playset you once had. I'm following up today with the transporter playset that accompanied it!

While the transporter playset had fewer pieces, it was a little cooler as it had a chamber in which you could place one of the action figures. By pressing a button atop the chamber, it made a shimmering sound and lit up blue. The action figure in the chamber then "disappeared" from sight.

We'd set up the transporter so it was at the back of the bridge playset. Then members of the crew could quickly leave the bridge and beam down to the planet!

The transporter play set came with a Captian Kirk action figure, so we actually had two of them! Sometimes we'd pretend one was the evil Captain Kirk from the alternative universe. Othertimes he was just an extra crewman.

Remember your Star Trek bridge play set?

The new "Star Trek" toys that you like so much during our last couple of visits reminded me of the great "Star Trek" play sets you had when the last movie came out a couple of years ago. One of them was the bridge set that your action figures could play on.

The base of the play set was a plastic sheet that was the bridge's floor showingwhere all of the pieces went. It came with a large viewing screen and the captain's chair with helm station.

The other bridge stations came with the action figures that we bought. Of course, we had all of the action figures!

We often put the transporter station (That'll be another entry!) and bridge play sets together so that we could have been big adventure.

Remember Jack Sparrow and pirates?

On Friday when looking at Toys R Us for some more "Star Trek" characters, I came across some of the old Disney "Pirates of the Caribbean" action figures, and they brought back a flood of memories!

You really like Jack Sparrow and had him and a few other of the Pirates action figures. You also had a super big pirate boat for the action figures that we got one night at Disneyland.

When we were at the Disneyland Pieces of Eight pirate store in New Orleans square, we'd sometimes get the swords and other pirate gear and pretend to be dueling pirates. I'd say "Tell me where the treasure is, Jack Sparrow, or I'll run ye through!"

And when in San Diego, we'd sometimes go to the maritime museum where they had old sailing vessels that you could tour. You called the museum "the pirate ships" (though submarines were there, too)!

I also had a big picture book that I kept in the car about pirates that you'd look at when we made those long journeys between San Diego and Palmdale.

My letter to you for June 22, 2013

Here is my email/letter from June 21, 2013, in case you do not receive it.

Hi Kieran,

How are you this morning? I am fine, though I miss you more than anything! I had a lot of fun with you Friday afternoon and can’t wait to get back together again!

It was great fun looking at the human body book just like we used to do when we’d stop at bookstores. You were very good at finding the little skulls. The human brain certainly was interesting, especially how it is made up of little cells that send electrical signals to one another that allows us to do all that we do. It’s amazing how it can do that, isn’t it?

I’m so glad you liked the “Star Trek” guys I picked up. I shall get some more of them for you. I think they are called “Star Trek Pods” and the set includes the starship Enterprise and other toys. I also will put together the Lego shuttlecraft for you – it has a chair in it that all of your Lego characters can sit in!

You are really starting to learn your states as well – I was impressed with how many of them you knew on the world map puzzle! I’ve attached to this email a couple of photos of when we hiked into the volcano (and here’s a link to all of the photos from our adventure; mom will have to sign in to her Facebook account for you to see them). The volcano was called the Amboy Crater, and it was off of the old Route 66! The first picture shows the volcano in the distance, and the second photo shows you inside it.

Boy, have you gotten really fast! It was difficult to keep up with you when we were playing football (I guess that’s why you won both games!). I’m so happy that you remember how to catch the ball by using both hands and pulling it in to your chest. Sorry we couldn’t do the tackle drills like you wanted, but wrestling isn’t allowed at the center. Do you have any football jerseys? I bet by now you’ve outgrown your Philip Rivers San Diego Chargers jersey.

The Dr. Seuss card game is just as challenging as trying to catch you in football, I think. I will have to practice my skipping!

Have you set up your Hot Wheels car ramp yet at your house? And if you did, is car. No. 2 still going the farthest? I think it’s funny how the numbered cars that didn’t come with the ramp all went farther than the purple car that did come with it!

And how does your stuffie penguin like his new home? What other interesting things does he say?

Well, that is all for now. I am looking forward to seeing you again in just a few weeks. We soon will be able to start seeing one another every other week rather once every four weeks, and I am very excited about that. I’ve attached some pictures of our time together on Friday as well. Be a good boy, and I will see you soon!

Love,

Dad

 

June 21, 2013

June 21, 2013, in Long Beach shirt

March 26, 2009, Amboy Crater (Volcano)

March 26, 2009, in the center of
Amboy Crater (Volcano)

Seeing you later today!

I am very excited to be able to see you again later today, Kieran! We will be together from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m.

I will bring some of the Star Trek Legos characters, and I also have some "Star Trek" spaceship models for us to put together. There are a few other surprises as well in the tote, as well as some old favorites!

I'm not sure which treat Grandma is mixing up in the kitchen for you. But I'm certain she'll have something yummy.

I'll see you later today!

My email to you from June 15, 2013

Here is my letter to you from June 15, 2013, in case you do not receive it.

Hi Kieran,

How are you today? I am doing fine, though I miss you very much! It was so nice to receive your email on Monday and catch up on what you were doing.

I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying summer school. Does it go through August? Do you get some time off from school to enjoy summer vacation? Which of your friends are going to summer school with you?

I bet seeing the dinosaurs was a lot of fun! The science museum in St. Paul has a good collection of them. Which dinosaur was your favorite? My favorite dinosaur is the Troodon. It walked on two legs like a bird and had the biggest brain of all of the dinosaurs – and that still was only as large as a chicken’s brain! Some scientists think the Troodon may have had feathers.

The Twins game sounds fun as well! What team did they play? Who won (Hopefully yours!)? My two favorite baseball teams are not doing very well this season – the Dodgers are in last place and the Brewers are in fourth place! Maybe they’ll get things turned around, but usually by the end of June if a team isn’t in second or first place, the odds are against them going to the playoffs. Hopefully next year they’ll do better!

 

I’m so proud that you’ve learned to ride a bicycle! What color is your bike? When I was a little boy, we used to put playing cards in the spokes of our bicycle wheel so that when we cruised down the street it made this neat thwap, thwap, thwap! sound. Maybe you could send a picture of you on your bike.

I bet you had lots of fun at the farm. Did you get to feed any animals? Where was the farm at? Grandma and Grandpa Bignell no longer have animals on their farm, but when they did, there were cows, pigs and chickens. And of course, they had dogs and lots and lots of cats.

Tomorrow is a big day – it’s Father’s Day! This year to celebrate Father’s Day, I am reading essays at a book store in Stillwater about fatherhood and what a great son you are! What will you be doing for Father’s Day this year? Friday (yesterday) also was a holiday – Flag Day, in which we honor an important symbol of our country and all that it stands for. Did you notice a lot of American flags out yesterday? Traditionally people hang flags from their house on Flag Day. Did you hang one from your house?

Next Friday is the first day of summer – and also the 21^st when we get to see one another again! That’s just six days away! I can’t wait to see you then!

Be good in summer school, and I’ll see you on Friday! I definitely will brings the “Star Trek” stuff! I miss and love you very much!

Love,

Dad