Although this year we celebrated Easter on March 31, last year (in 2012) we celebrated the holiday on April 8 (which is one year ago today!).
We were living in the condo in Palmdale, and we had spent all day Saturday together. When you woke up Sunday morning, I mentioned that the Easter Bunny had left something for you at the front door! The Easter basket was a good mix of toys, candies and clothes that Jane and me had picked up for you just the week before on our drive from Wisconsin to California.
After a little breakfast, we went to the Easter Egg hunt and festivities at City Park in Lancaster, Calif. Following the egg hunt, one child had very few Easter eggs in his basket and was afraid that he wouldn't receive a reward for turning in the eggs (All the children received some candy and a little toy for turning in the eggs), so all on your own you offered to share some of your eggs with him! Jane and I was so very proud of you for being so generous.
Here's a whole bunch of photos from Easter 2012!
I have created this site so that my son, Kieran Edward Bignell, will be able to easily find me, his father, Rob Bignell, and so that he will know that I love him, that I always have, and that I always will. Against our wishes, we have been torn from one another's lives and kept apart, separated by distance and time. But one day, Kieran will seek me. Kieran - I am here for you. Come to me.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
My email to you for April 6, 2013
Here is my email for
you, sent April 6, 2013, just in case you don’t receive it:
Dear Kieran,
How are you doing? I am doing fine, with the exception that
I miss you very much. I have great news, though: We get to see one another a
couple of times this month! We will be getting together the afternoons of April
12 and April 26. That’s next Friday (April 12) and then just two weeks after
that! I can’t wait to see you again!
The snow is beginning to melt and the weather to warm up, so
I think I am done snowshoeing for the year. But that means I’ll soon be able to
start hiking again! I always enjoyed the great hikes we took to the tops of
mountains, through desert canyons, and to cool places like Vasquez Rocks (You
always called them the “Kirk Rocks”!).
Speaking of the Kirk Rocks, did you know that there is a new
“Star Trek” movie coming out? It will be released in May, and you even can see
it in 3D at IMAX theaters. I can’t wait! In the meantime, I’ve been reading
lots of “Star Trek” books to satisfy my hunger for Captain Kirk’s adventures.
How are your reading classes going in school? You must have
gotten through most of the alphabet by now. Have you read any interesting
stories? I always liked reading to you when you were a preschooler. You’d curl
up on my lap in the comfy living room recliner, and I’d read to you a whole
bunch of books we got at the library and a few that we purchased at the book
store. Some books you liked so much that you wanted me to read them over and
over! You always enjoyed flap books, too.
Grandma and Grandpa Bignell say “Hi”, and so do Uncle Chris
and Aunt Susie. They all have some Easter gifts that I had planned to give you
March 29 when we were to last get together. But since the date for Easter changes
every year, what’s the difference if you get them on April 12 instead? J
They all are looking very forward to finally being able to meet you in person
and enjoy looking at old pictures I have of you.
On Easter, Grandma Bignell gave me a whole bunch of old
pictures she had of you when you stayed with them in 2008 and of when you were
a baby. I’d never seen most of the pictures before! I’ve scanned them all into
my computer and will have to show them to you sometime.
I recently read a very good book that had a lot of very
pretty pictures in it. It was called “Bear Wants More,” by Karma Wilson. One
day Bear wakes up and realizes that he slept all through winter and that it’s
now spring! And you know what a bear who has slept all winter is when he wakes
up? He’s HUNGRY! So all of the animals of the forest try to help Bear find
enough food to eat so he won’t be hungry anymore. Do you know how they do that?
You will have to read the book and find out! Maybe you can find the book at your
school library or at the city library when you mom takes you there.
That is all for now. I miss and love you very much and can’t
wait to see you next Friday!
Love,
Dad
Friday, April 5, 2013
A baby picture of you at 11 weeks
Here's a photo of you when you were about 10-12 weeks old. You are in a bouncy baby carrier that you absolutely loved to sit and sleep in. You especially loved the blue bunny rabbit hanging from the handle bar. In fact, I still have that blue bunny rabbit; I cut it off for you because you wanted to play with it when you'd outgrown the carrier!
The picture is taken at our house in Crescent City, Calif. You are on the bed in the master bedroom. To the left of the bed would have been your bassinet where you would sleep at night during the first few weeks of your life before you moved on to the nursery.
The white and brown cat sleeping on the bed was named Merlin. He was a little skittish but always liked being around he. Should you start crying, he'd get very agitated and coming looking for me to help you! That's one loyal cat!
The picture is taken at our house in Crescent City, Calif. You are on the bed in the master bedroom. To the left of the bed would have been your bassinet where you would sleep at night during the first few weeks of your life before you moved on to the nursery.
The white and brown cat sleeping on the bed was named Merlin. He was a little skittish but always liked being around he. Should you start crying, he'd get very agitated and coming looking for me to help you! That's one loyal cat!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Playing airplane at the park
Do you remember playing "airplane" at the park in Lancaster, Calif.? At the park off of Avenue K, we'd sometimes pretend to be airplanes, holding our arms out at our sides like wings and trying to remain balanced as we walked the curb around the wood chip pit surrounding the climbing rocks.
It was a great exercise for your young body because you learned how to keep your balance.
To make it even more fun, we had to avoid "crashing" into each other! But you didn't want to blink or you might "fall off" the curb into the wood pit!
Of course, sometimes you liked to crash into me just for fun!
It was a great exercise for your young body because you learned how to keep your balance.
To make it even more fun, we had to avoid "crashing" into each other! But you didn't want to blink or you might "fall off" the curb into the wood pit!
Of course, sometimes you liked to crash into me just for fun!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Photos of you when you were a year old
Over Easter, Grandma Bignell shared with me all kinds of pictures she had of when you were about 10-17 months old! You lived with Grandma and Grandpa Bignell from December 2007 to September 2008 on their farm outside of Knapp, Wis. In September 2008, you came back to California to live with me in Santa Clarita.
At above right is a picture of you with Grandpa Bignell and your cousing Rebekah. She is six months older than you and in kindergarten, too! The picture was taken at Grandma and Grandpa Bignell's house.
I am so glad to have all of these pictures of you. While I had a few, I now have tons of them!
Grandma Bignell also shared with me old family pictures of her grandparents and other ancestors. I have a website listing your family tree, but it's only of your grandpa's side of the family - researching that has been so time-consuming that I haven't had time to post your grandma's side!
At above right is a picture of you with Grandpa Bignell and your cousing Rebekah. She is six months older than you and in kindergarten, too! The picture was taken at Grandma and Grandpa Bignell's house.
I am so glad to have all of these pictures of you. While I had a few, I now have tons of them!
Grandma Bignell also shared with me old family pictures of her grandparents and other ancestors. I have a website listing your family tree, but it's only of your grandpa's side of the family - researching that has been so time-consuming that I haven't had time to post your grandma's side!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Memories of our Easter 2013 together
A short entry today, but one I want to share with you - photos of our Easter 2013 together. The basket included: a stuffie bunny rabbit with a soccer ball that you named "Ken"; a bag of Army soldiers; a Jake and the Neverland Pirates book; a Batman puzzle; Cars bubble solution and wands; and several pieces of candy, including Peeps and Cadbury carmel eggs and Tic-Tacs!
Monday, April 1, 2013
'Crazy books' you've loved through the years
One of your favorite kinds of books to read when a preschooler were those that turned the story on its head - that is, ones in which the books were sort of like an inside joke. In honor of April Fool's Day, today I'm listing some of those "crazy books" you loved so much.
"There's a Monster at the End of this Book" certainly was one of them. In this Seasme Street book, Grover tries to keep you from reaching the book's end because the title says there's a monster there. Except the monster is Grover!
Another one was "The Book That Ate People." It was about a book - the one that you were holding in your hands - that eats any person it comes into contact with!
A third one was "Do Not Open This Book!" Readers weren't supposed to open the book because it wasn't finished being written - but by reading it, you help the author finish writing the book!
What fun books are you reading now?
"There's a Monster at the End of this Book" certainly was one of them. In this Seasme Street book, Grover tries to keep you from reaching the book's end because the title says there's a monster there. Except the monster is Grover!
Another one was "The Book That Ate People." It was about a book - the one that you were holding in your hands - that eats any person it comes into contact with!
A third one was "Do Not Open This Book!" Readers weren't supposed to open the book because it wasn't finished being written - but by reading it, you help the author finish writing the book!
What fun books are you reading now?
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