Recall your Imaginext boat toy?

Do you remember your cool Imaginext ocean boat toy? We had lots of fun playing with that when you were a preschooler.

We'd clear off the glass-topped coffee table in the living room and pretend it was the surface of the ocean. Then we set a jungle playset you had at one end and have our boat sail toward it. Sometimes we used the ocean animals that came with the boat (and that we'd aquired elsewhere) and have them attack the boat!

The boat came with a cool submersible that we could put the crew in. We'd also use a boat from a Peter Pan set of toys you had and have our crew row it to the island.

There also were addditional guys who went with the boat that we bought.

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

Playing on pirate ships at parks

Pirate ship at the Maritime Museum
in San Diego.

A few days ago I was in Cumberland, Wis., to give a book reading, and while driving past the park there, saw a cool looking pirate ship among the playground equipment. That immediately made me think of you!

Pirate ships often were a staple of our playgrounds. There was one at the City Park in Lancaster, Calif., though the one in Cumberland looked cooler as it looked more like an actual ship.

Often when we played on the regular playground equipment, we'd pretend it was a pirate ship. One memory that really comes to mind is us doing that at Cottonwood Creek Park in Encinitas.

And of course there was the pirate ship inside a sailing ship at the Maritime Museum in San Diego! That had a helm and a pulley to lift cargo on and off the ship.

Fourth of July visit to Moonlight Beach

Moonlight Beach, July 4, 2011

Two years today, we spent the morning of the Fourth of July at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, Calif. At the time, I only lived in San Diego about a half-mile from the beach.

I had to bring you back to your mother that afternoon, so I let you pick what we should do for our last few hours together. You said, "The beach!"

We made sand castles and of course went into the ocean for a bit! You had these cut sunglasses and blue swim clothes that you looked so handsome in - you wer turning all of the girls' heads!

Here's a bunch of pictures from our adventure!

Our first visit ever to the San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo playground

Two years ago today, I took you to the San Diego Zoo for the first time. It was a real workout for me - the trails through its lush displays and exhibits went up and down steep canyon sides, and I was pushing you in the stroller the whole way!

You loved the playground area and wanted to spend most of our time there! They had these fun nets to climb up and through, and I remember you losing your show a few times on them.

My camera also "broke" there - the battery lid wouldn't close properly, which meant there was no power to take pictures! While you played on the nets, I was able to bend the lid back in shape so that it worked. After that, though, I had tape my camera's battery compartment shut!

Here's a whole bunch of pictures from our adventure!

Recall your Imaginext space station?

Do you remember your cool Imaginext space station toy? It looked like a futuristic space base built into the side of a red rock formation on an alien planet.

The station had multiple rooms and platforms. One was a cool door that opened to the outside so the astronauts could leave the station. Another looked to be a sickbay-like area.

We had lots of accessories to go with the space station, like space buggies and alien monsters. Often we staged big battles between the alien monsters and the astronauts.

You had lots of different space toys, including rockets and space shuttles. But this one by far was your favorite!

Rcall your Imaginext dump truck?

Do you remember your Imaginext dump truck? I believe you got it for your first birthday and picked it out all on your own when at the Target store in Santa Clarita.

By pushing a button, the bed of the dump truck would rise. We'd put blocks in it and watch them fall out when your truck arrived at the pretend construction site.

The truck also came with a couple of construction worker guys. I think you actually like the guys better than the truck! They had shovels and other neat hand tools. We often used those guys with our firemen and space station soldiers when playing with our other Imaginext toys!