SD, Days 5&6: The Beginning of Many

July 3-4, 2008

I’m so impressed with how well the kids are bonding! Here they are pretending to watch TV as they watched the clothes tumble dry. “I’m watching the jeans channel!” said Jodie. “I’m watching the cartoon channel!” said Nathan, as he watched Scooby-Doo and Dexter beach towels tumble along with our bath towels.

My new fiancé and I did a little smoochin’ while the kids were occupied. But not for long! John turned around and exclaimed, “I’m watching the LOVE channel!”


John and Nathan played a card game or two over Grandma’s coffee table, while we packed up John and Jodie’s remaining clothes and toys and things. They posed for a pic around a statue of a mother bear and her cubs at Veijas Outlet Center, and again for another shot near the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego.

Yes, they are bonding quite well. I’m so glad; one never knows what is going to happen when families blend. Will the kids get along? Will they accept their new stepmom or stepdad? And especially in John and Jodie’s case, how will they adapt to all the changes going on in their lives? What will it be like for them, starting new lives in Oklahoma after spending their young lives in southern California? Being so far away from the family they know? Going to a new school and making new friends? Dealing with the loss of their mother on top of it all?

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Today was our last full day here. Joe has tried to show me as much of the city as possible, but there is just so much to see and do! He took us by the Naval Base. We drove across the Coronado Bridge.

We took the trolley downtown. We walked by Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

We saw the “Walking Figures,” a sculpture by Magdalena Abakanowicz.

“18 headless cast iron figures stride toward a place unseen, each with one foot forward. The headless figures derive from the social turmoil Abakanowicz has experienced, and it represents the nature of human beings as they travel in groups. The 18 figures were individually cast in Poland, with unique markings that ensure no two figures are alike.” http://www.portofsandiego.org/

Then it was back on the trolley to Seaport Village, to see the fireworks. Splashes of color lit the sky as I reflected on the week's adventures.

I have a feeling these are just the beginning of MANY adventures to come. For years I've wondered what was my purpose in life. What is my value? What is my worth? What am I here for? And now I know. The twists and turns and ups and downs my life has taken, have all trained me for this new task in life, the new adventure of raising a blended family.