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Sam's Story: Week 117 April 24, 2006
So, anyway ...have I mentioned that we're moving? Leaving sunny Southern California? Trekking over halfway across the country to take a great new job, be closer to family, and stay one step ahead of all the stalkers* out there on the Internet? No? Well, I've been meaning to mention it but just haven't had time with all the commotion. It'd be kind of hard, however, to talk about Week #117 without letting that cat out of the bag.
We spent the whole week, in fact, house hunting in our soon-to-be-new home town. We decided to make things endlessly easier on ourselves by stopping off en route to our new destination and dropping Sam off with Ger's parents, who were more than happy to keep her safe. Furthermore, Sam remained there when her parental units made the jaunt back to San Diego to oversee the packers and movers, then stuff our their remaining possessions into a 2005 Honda Odyssee minivan that they will drive across many hundreds of miles. At some point we're going to have to stop by and pick up Sam, but it won't be until near the end of the trip. I love my little girl dearly, but strapping her into a car seat for the better part of four days is the kind of exercise in masochism that I think everyone would just as soon avoid.
So we're going to miss Southern California. In many ways I associate this place with Samantha. It's where she was conceived, where she was born, and where she has lived her whole life. So many of my thoughts and memories about Ger's pregnancy, Sam's birth, and Sam's first 2+ years are inexorably tied to memories of palm trees, beaches, beautiful weather, cheap avocados (three for a dollar!), and everything else that California is. It's hard to think of one without thinking of the other. She's my California girl.
As a concrete example of what I'm talking about, I got up this morning and went into Sam's nursery to begin the systematic obliteration of every trace of her from the room. All the pictures and the wooden cutouts of her initials came off the walls. I pulled down her yellow and pink curtains. I disassembled her mobile and folded up her quilt. Later, when the movers arrived, all her stuffed animals, clothes, books, and toys went into ugly little cardboard boxes. Then, as a final act of nullification, I laid down a tarp and painted over the lavender and yellow walls with a pure, neutral white.
This made me kind of sad. That's the only room I've ever known Sam to have. With it gone --and with her gone at the moment-- it's kind of like she's without a home, without an anchor, without a familiar place where she can feel safe and absolutely sure of herself. And worse yet' I'm the one who has taken it away from her. It's not just me, is it? Isn't that a little sad?
Still, we'll make new memories. Ones just as good. And we'll have a new home ...one with a 52-inch high definition TV. And maybe guard towers with rocket launchers and a big button on the top that when you press it it says "COBRA is attacking the base! Battle stations! BRRRAAAA-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!"
Cool.
Oh, before I forget, here's a few pictures. Not many given the circumstances, and I'm not sure how many I'll be able to snap for next week's update, but we'll see.
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*If you are an Internet stalker and want to get our new home address and a schedule of our comings and goings, just, uh, e-mail me with your name, phone number, address, and the name of your parole officer. I'll get in touch.
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Parenting ,
Samantha
Tags: Sam's Story, Samantha, San Diego
Comments
Posted by David Morris on April 25, 2006 10:14 PM:
I wish you, Geralyn, and Sam the best of luck. I am happy for you, but sad at the same time. I don't make friends very easily and it is rare that I get the opportunity to know a truly original person. Fortunately, through technology and the unbelievably small world of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, I will still be able to keep in touch. --David
Posted by Jamie on April 30, 2006 8:49 PM:
Thanks, David. We'll miss you guys, too, but at least I'll see you at SIOP each year, right?