Discovering some true glories of nature

Drove through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado today, Kieran. We went through them together twice, in September 2008 and then a few weeks later in October, when you were just a toddler. I remember the first time you saw the mountains - we had just driven off the horrendously flat Great Plains and you were amazed at how the rocks and hills shot straight up, seemingly forever, into the sky. I sat next to you in the back seat (you were in your car seat), and you kept looking wide-eyed at me and pointing to the vertical rock faces then would crane your head to try to see their tops. It was a joyous moment for me, to share your awe with you and to watch you discover one of the true glories of nature. That day I, too, seeing you, got to watch one of the true glories of nature as well.

Our Sunday breakfasts at Denny's

Ate breakfast at Denny's in Cedar City, Utah, Friday morning and had our favorite - the country fried steak and eggs. Remember when we used to eat Sunday breakfast at Denny's in Encinitas? We'd often split the country fried steak and eggs. You so loved the gravy! No matter how much I gave you, you always wanted more, too!

While waiting for the meal to come, we'd play together with some toys, usually something we'd purchased the day before at wherever we went (often it was Disneyland) or something we'd dug out one of the many totes of your toys I had in the storage shed. We usually had a waiter who also was a father of young kids, and even if we weren't at his table, he'd stop by to see where we'd been the day before and were going that day. You'd usually show him your new toys.

The last time we went there was in December 2011, just before I moved back to Palmdale/Lancaster. I remember you asking me, "Is that the last time we'll ever eat there, Dad?" and when I said "Probably it will be," you were so sad.

Well, I was sad that you weren't with me at breakfast today. One day, though, we'll be together again, and I've got a plate of country steak and eggs at Denny's with our name on it!

Wishing you could join me for this hike

Traveled through Valley of Fire State Park today in Nevada, and sure wish you would have been with me. You would have loved it - there were cool red rocks to clamber over (see picture at right), a petrified tree, and a great visitor center with live snakes, lizards and tarantulas (all safely kept behind glass) that you so much liked to see when we stopped at park visitor centers on our hikes. The Valley of Fire also is where they filmed the famous scene from "Star Trek VII" in which Captain Kirk dies. It would have been hot - it was 106 degrees - but with the air conditioned car, I think you'd have been okay.

You actually have been to Valley of Fire State Park before - It was in September 2008 when you weren't quite 1-1/2 years old, so I don't imagine that you remember it. The day was unbearably hot, and the wind kept sweeping sand into our eyes, so you didn't much like it. I carried you that day outside the vehicle to see some formation.

When we're together again, I will add the Valley of Fire to the list of places we must visit together. Perhaps it can be tour of "Places We've Been Together Out West" that lasts a couple of weeks. I'm sure we'll have lots to catch up on!

The Six Millions Dollar Boys

Remember watching DVDs of old "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Bionic Woman" episodes with me? You particularly liked "The Bionic Woman," especially one in which Jamie Summers went on this dune buggy race across the desert. You'd take three little Matchbox cars and reimagine the race, pretending one car was driven by Steve Austin, another by Jamie Summers, and a third by Oscar Goldman. I'd then introduce a fourth car driven by some baddie that was trying to stop Steve, Jamie and Oscar from winning the race. I can't wait for us to be together again so I can show you that episode; I have all of "The Six Million Dollar Man" and the first season of "The Bionic Woman" on DVD.

Sometimes I'd print out coloring book pages I'd found online, and we'd color the sheets while watching the episodes! I've included here my favorite coloring page, of Steve and Jamie running together.

'Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)'

Today a song for you, Kieran, that I heard on an old cassette tape of mine. It instantly reminded me of you...of us. I wish you were here so I could sing them to you tonight, just as I sang so many other songs to you each  night that you went to sleep:

Disneyland, April 2012

Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die
That's how you and I will be

- Billy Joel

Your photo is online again, Kieran!

A picture of you appeared online today, Kieran - a pic of you on the cover of my first book "Hikes with Tykes: A Practical Guide to Day Hiking with Kids" in an article about that book for a Canadian magazine. The book cover photo is of you all ready to go on a hike at the head of the Manzanita Trail high in the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest. The trail starts at the location of an old fault line that's no longer active. On one side of the fault line is red, sedimentary soil (like what you're standing on), and on the other side is white granitic rock that is tens of millions of year old. It made for a great pic, especially with your terrific smile!

All of the anecdotes in the interview are about you. I'm specifically describing a hike you and I took through the redwoods in northern California (the diaper stuff) and one we took alongside Lake Piru (the bug crossing the road stuff). Photo albums of both hikes on on my Facebook page.

I remember well the telephone interview for this article. Jane and I had just spent the day before in Anaheim and were heading to Palmdale on the Pearblossom Highway. We were to pick you up that night for the weekend, and she was so excited to meet you for the first time! The sun shined brilliantly in the blue sky with the San Gabriels to our left ... the very same mountain range where this picture of you had been taken. The future held so much promise. It is a day I never will forget.

Your first words

I recall you being only five months old, and I'd carry you through our house in Crescent City, Calif., singing songs as puttering about. You'd listen so intently and try to mimic what I was doing, moving your mouth about, so confused at why words weren't coming out! I was so incredibly proud of you for trying so hard and so incredibly flattered that you wanted to do just what I was doing!

Your first three words were "baba," "dada" and "mama." Not too surprising given those were the three most important things to you! After that, you'd say other words, but never seemed to use them again or remember them. 

By about October 2008, your ability to speak really started to take off. Each month you mastered more and more words. I kept track of them, but within a matter of a few months, you were learning and using several words a day, and I couldn't keep up anymore!

But here's a list of words you were able to correctly say and indicate in some way that you knew what they meant:
g Oct. 2008 – moon
g Nov. 2008 – bye, bird, pickup (as in truck), truck, plane, playing, pink

g Dec. 2008 – okay, all right, why, hi, blue

I wonder what new words you're now using...