Riley and a Scientist

We had some friends over for New Years Eve. One was Mon, a foresnic scientist who works for the New Mexico Department of Justice. He got Riley to set up her microscope and show him her prepared slides. He was very impressed with her scientific interest and her quality microsope which she got from Granda Buzz for Christmas.

Riley's Giant Gummy Worm

We know Riley is smart, talented and mature for 11, so why was this 3 lb Gummy Bear on her Amazon Wish List? Because she can also have fun and there is a kid inside this kid. Uncle Roy and Aunt Kristy bought it for Riley for Christmas. It's 4000 calories of deliciousness, according to Riley.

Riley Makes Honor Roll. Holden Outstanding.

The trimester grades came in for Riley and Holden. Riley made the Honor Roll with Straight As! Holden got a record 4 out of 5 possible O's for Outstanding.

This translates into cash for each of them. $60 for Riley and $40 for Holden. I told them at the beginning of the year that I would pay $10 for As or Os each trimester.

I don't regret that deal one bit. Well worth it.

DJ has an even better deal because he's on the semester program. Details will follow when his semester grades come out.

DJ + Lexi

Here is DJ and his girlfriend Lexi today at Disneyland.

Thundercats Out of Playoffs

Riley played her final playoff game with the Brea Thundercats last weekend. After the game, the coach treated the team to dinner at his brother's restaurant and dessert at Yogurtland. The Thundercats didn't win a playoff game but you've never seen more enthusiastic girls.

Riley as Osiris

Today, Riley was playing Osiris in a Walk Through Ancient World for school. She was in a skit where she said, "There was a short period of monotheism."  I wasn't there but I am sure it was quite convincing.

Riley, soloist

There is normally nothing worse than an elementary school band concert. 150 kids with no real music ability and 500 parents sitting in the stands politely applauding after every 15 second piece. However tonight, Riley Borklund played Amazing Grace on the clarinet to a stunned crowd. I think she was the only soloist that hit every note and beat. Oh yeah, and she's my daughter. Way to go Riley!

 

 

Brea Tree Lighting Ceremony

I always dread going and then after, I am always glad we went. I am writing about the annual Brea Tree-lighting Ceremony. They took out the word Christmas a long time ago and use the word holiday whenever possible. The kids choir sang "We wish you a Merry holidays" and Santa showed up in the fire truck after the Mayor Protem took a fake phone call from him. All in all a very campy, cute Brea event and just what we expected. That's why we go every year.

Shooting in Arizona

DJ borrowed his Nana's Glock to get some shooting practice in. Arizona is nice because you can shoot nearly anywhere that is safe and away from structures. In California we would probably be arrested.

DJ and Holden Skateboard in Arizona

DJ teaches Holden to ride skateboards. DJ was first to get a Penny skateboard and Holden had to get a similar one. Now they are both pretty good, using it for primary transportation. This shot was during the recent trip to Arizona.

YFU Lunch in Little Saigon

Another volunteer and I took 3 students, Holden and Huong to Little Saigon. I set it up because one of the YFU students I met at the last student meeting was Vietnamese but had never been to Little Saigon. It would be like if someone sent me to a foreign country for 9 months and never took me to Little California where I could eat at In-N-Out and shop at Trader Joes.

Gift Lists

Aunt Kristy asked the kids to make wish lists which was a great idea. I had the kids go on Amazon and add things to their list. I am putting links on this blog so that anyone can see them. Unforunately, Riley's list cannot be made public and I don't know why so I made a PDF.

DJ Borklund's Wish List
Riley Borklund's Wish List
Holden Borklund's Wish List

DJ gets the birthday present he always wanted....from his sister

DJ had his 15th birthday a few days ago and was presented with this cane made from a bull's penis. DJ has been wanting this for a long time and Riley has been saving up for a long time to get it for him. DJ doesn't need a cane, but you know DJ really likes a good conversation piece.

Trip in Cherokee Six to Show Low AZ

Last weekend was Holden's weekend and I needed to see my Mom. She had just had a seizure and needed some family around.

I called my Flight Instructor and friend Robert to see if he and his girfriend Kristen would like to fly to Arizona. He said yes.

I called my Uncle Roy to see if he wanted to, too, and he did.

Robert arranged for a 1967 Cherokee 6 and picked up my uncle in Oxnard and then picked up Holden and me in Fullerton and we were off! The flight took four hours due to a headwind but I got to fly the plane the whole time. The Cherokee 6 is just like the plane I trained on, except more powerful.

We went up on Friday and came back on Sunday, stopping at Big Bear Airport to stretch our legs and use the restrooms.

Huntington Beach in the Navion

More than six months ago I reserved a campsite at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach, California just so we would have a weeekend like this. The campsites are close together, but for $68 per night you get beachfront property. You sit outside your RV and watch the runners and bicyclists go by or you step off your "property" and on to the sand to walk to the water. The boys were in the water for hours at a time. The lifeguard was there most of the time and when he wasn't, I took a chair down to the water to watch the boys. Riley didn't arrive until a day later and wasn't interested in swimming in the cold ocean. I did though. I spent about 20 minutes body surfing before I was pooped out. I need to be in better shape if I am going to Boogie Board all day like the kids.

Being on the West Coast, we got to watch the sun set each night over the water. Holden found a tree and each tree must be climbed when you are 8.

The boys were in the water a lot, but when they weren't they were playing in the sand.

Star Testing Reports

The STAR Testing Reports came in for DJ, Riley and Holden. Go ahead and click them.So far so good!

Illinois Trip 2012

 

We were lucky enough to meet my sister Karrie’s son, Dash, on our trip to Illinois this time. He is almost one year old, I think, and has a great personality. I held him a lot and he had no problem with that. I don’t remember him ever crying even in the middle of the night. Perfect baby.

DJ is looking more like a man every day. You don’t notice how much DJ has changed until you see the reaction of relatives. Here he is shooting at the local range. He even has the shooter’s grimace down pat.

Holden got in on the shooting action. This was his first time at a range. DJ guided him well.

More pictures and a video montage to come…

Camping Update

We are camping on the King River in the Navion. More pictures and videos to come later. This is Riley grabbing the one Pepsi each kid is allowed each weekend day.

Mom's Visit

Mom came down from Arizona for a short visit. We were able to get our requisite Chinese foot massage and trip to the casino. She was able to do some shopping, visit her other grandkids, get her nails done, lunch with the girls, get an MRI, and spend lots of time with my kids. On one night, her friend Cindy, Mom and I polished off a magnum of red wine while going through pictures from the seventies and eighties. Then we went to dinner and more wine. Aided by the wine, we laughed a lot and had a great time overall.

Intermission at La Cage Aux Folles

Holden got to see his first musical tonight at the Pantages. No, not Annie, Peter Pan or Mary Poppins. La Cage aux Folles starring George Hamilton. He was obviously the youngest one there.

San Simeon Part 2

At the San Simeon campground, Riley and Holden made friends with some kids next to us. Ben and Christen sound like they are from Down Under but they claim to be from Thousand Oaks.

Dustin Borklund

New Family Member Ava

We have a new family member as of yesterday. Ava is an Anatolian Shephard we adopted from that breed's rescue society. She is a bit thin now but has been eating like crazy. She gets along with Gunther just fine but she is a bit of an escape artist. We have to be careful not to leave the doors open. Since she is Anatolian like Gunther, she doesn't fetch or chew but she does guard well and has a great personality.

Dustin Borklund

San Simeon State Park

We just got back from an RV trip to San Simeon State Park with our friends, the Pauwels. Riley and all three Pauwels took a Hearst Castle tour while the boys and I watched a movie nearby.
We bought wood and borrowed this wheelbarrow to deliver it. That's Marikje Pauwels in the background.

Holden's Baseball is Over

The coach of Holden's baseball team, the Angels, had some good things to say about Holden's improvement as a player.

Best Fathers Day Ever

I had a great Father's Day. Luckily, the day fell on my weekend with the kids.

The kids participated in the set up the day before without me knowing. Then on Sunday, Riley set her alarm for 5 a.m. and went downstairs to get everything ready. She put colored balloons everywhere and the white balloons on the table had pictures and writing on them. I attached a few of the photos. The walls had signs on them too. See the video above and the pictures below. And to top it off, Riley made this book for me. And DJ got me this cool emergency lighter for my key chain. I have the best kids....

This is Spongebob (DJ)

This is a drawing of me (Holden)

This is Riley's self-portrait.

This is me with a big smile. (Holden)

"We love you, DAD!" - DJ, Riley and Holden

"My dad is the best one anyone could have! He is also the best chef!" - Riley

"I love you more than DJ and Riley" - Holden

Jenny's for Biscuits and Gravy, of course.

A picture Maria Leylund took for me and the kids:

I need to book a trip to Sweden.

Green Valley Lake

The highlight of our trip to Green Valley Lake was a geocaching adventure behind the dam. We looked for a long time before we gave up. Holden and DJ went back to camp on bikes once we gave up but Riley and I walked and we were treated to a Bald Eagle having dinner over the lake. I took a video but you can't see it well so I'm not going to post it.

If you visit Green Valley Lake, a lake and city equidistant between Big Bear Lake and Arrowhead Lake, say hello to Michael Sullens, the owner of the General Store. His parents live across the street in Brea and we have known each other for many years.

Dustin Borklund

Memorial Day

For Memorial Day, we went to the flag ceremony at Memorial Gardens where my grandparents are buried as well as our old friend Neta Rich. We walked around looking at gravestones then to the masaleum to hear various speakers, including Congressman Ed Royce, talk about the value of veterans and freedom. Over 1200 flags were on display and they added 17 more representing the veterans who have died since the last Memorial Day. It was actually a nice way to celebrate Memorial Day.

The Cinnamon Challenge

Watch Holden take the Cinnamon Challenge!

Bowling

The lighting and focus of this picture is obviously off but it's still a good picture of Holden's natural smile. If he was to pose, it wouldn't look real and this one is not posed.

We went bowling yesterday. Why? Good question. We went bowling yesterday because the night before we saw The Big Lebowski again. It the story of The Dude and how he gets involved in a kidnapping scheme. You need to see it if you haven't. You might want to watch it twice.

The boys bowled one game while I drank a White Russian (you know why if you've seen the movie) and we called each other The Dude a lot. Good times.

Molca Salsa and Starbucks

On a typical weekend morning, whatever kids are with me get up a little early and go to this particular Starbucks on Harbor and Imperial Highway. We do this because it is nearby Molca Salsa, a Mexican drive through restaurant that just happens to have the best machaca burrito around. We haven't weighed it, but it comes in around a pound. It's only $3.50 including tax. The kids order their other breakfast burritos. They are so big that Riley and Holden split one. DJ gets his own. Riley and Holden would always fight over bacon vs. sausage, but DJ had a great solution that results in DJ eating half a sausage burrito and half a bacon burrito with Riley and Holden getting what they want. This is a great way to start the day since we won't be hungry again for at least six hours.

This is DJ at the Starbucks by Molca Salsa. I like how this picture came out. See his hat? He had it made for himself. That's his logo at the top. Logo is not the right word, maybe "brand". It's his screenname on the Steam network, if that means anything to you. He is wearing a jacket that seems to go with his "brand". I brought the jacket back from Ireland and he wears it a lot. Hey, that shirt was once mine too! DJ is getting so big that he can wear most of my stuff! Wow....