2005-08-22 - 11:32 a.m.

I've been playing phone tag the past few days with the kids in Buffalo.

I am looking forward to talking with them to hear about their trip this past week to PHILADELPHIA and NYC.

Their DAD called me to tell me when they were en route and staying overnight in CORNING, NY last week. He was calling from work so apparently he didn't go on this trip with them. His mom broke her leg after a fall, and is in a short term care facitily for initial healing for the next few weeks. So I imagine the kids Grandparents from Philly came to NY to get them. I imagine they visited the Corning GLASS MUSEUM there. I imagine their DAD in enjoying a much needed break himself!

Then Soren called and left a message that they had a great trip to Philadelphia and NYC. I hadn't know until yesterday's message that they were heading to NY.

I am guessing they visited their AUNT there. (Their AUNT is their DAD's HALF SISTER from their Grandfather's second marriage after he divorced their Grandmother) I HOPE they got to see her theater work and I can only guess it would be so inspirational for them.
If they don't see her work I imagine they will at least visit with her. I always liked her and enjoyed when we visited her as a student at HARVARD years ago.

Stangely I actually saw some of her post graduate theater work YEARS AGO and hadn't even realized it! I went to the FOLGER with friends and Westely and saw an incredible production of ROMEO AND JULIET

Here's the director's web site. http://www.joecalarco.net/productions-R&J.htm

KAterina and Soren's Aunt brought the show to London. She has been living in London but I am guessing is now back in NY as she works with Joe Calarco.

The odd thing about that preformance is that the Director is this young guy Joe CALARCO who has THE SAME NAME as Westley's UNCLE who is ALSO A SHAKESPHERE guru and director WITH THE SAME NAME! When we saw the show we thought it was in fact possible it was his uncle's work (As at that point we hadn't been in touch with him !) We contacted him to discover it was indeed not him. Apparently thought the two JOE CALARCO'S HAVE INDEED MET EACH OTHER- HOW COULD THEY NOT WITH THE UNCANNY SAME NAME AND SAME PROFESSION? Since then we have seen his Westley's Uncle a few times and connected via phone and e-mail. He is a DRAMA PROF out WEST and in fact won an award last year for HIS RENDITION of a Shakesphere Play!

Here's the link to the amazing production that it is so bizarre that Soren and Katerina's AUNT has been involved with! I don't get to see much theater but always intended on taking the kids to NY to catch one of their aunt's shows. (THe last one I found involved a bit of avante guarde Shakesperian nudity which they weren't old enough for yet!) I can't WAIT TO hear about their trip and I HOPE they got to see some of her work!

http://www.joecalarco.net/productions-R&J.htm

The kids ARE NOW off traveling yet again today to visit my family in FL.

I wasn't able to arrange to go this time! The flights available were all leaving too early when WESTLEY couldn't get back from work in time to watch all the little ones for me to get away. WHAT WAS AWESOME was that my oldest BRO offered to buy me a ticket and DELTA had GREAT FARES from SYRACUSE! $188 round trip! I WAS SO EXCITED, but the logistics didn't work! (Besides- I did borrow $1500 from him for legal fees so he is already on my creditor list! )

Instead I started my new job AT TARGET last week which I am pleased to have. There are a lot of nice folks working there. Many are MOMS who do this a few nights a week. It makes me feel fortunate when I hear them talk and realize their pay goes to NECESSITITES. It makes me feel fortunate to know I am not working to put food on the table or pay for housing and heat, but to pay my legal debt and for other DISCRETIONARY spending. I also feel lucky as I have my education and options, and many of the other people there talk of how they hope to be able to get back to school. Its challenging for them. I feel grateful to have that accomplished.

I am still nursing ALEXY who is showing decreased interest in some ways. I figure I will nurse her until she naturally weans and FINALLY be comfortable addressing my ADHA with medication. I a confident that could have a HUGE impact on my ability to sit through AWAKE and maybe then even PASS a BAR EXAM. I have gotton closer, but at this point after three failed attempts its time to try something different! I vowed I wouldn't seek a formal identification or accomodation UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. I think if my mental clarity truly could be helped by ADHD medication and if all they say is true about its helpfulness that it might make that needed difference for me. So at this point I think a diagnosis and medication would be wise!

I figure I stopped nursing the other little ones at one year so ALEXY will be fine if I do the same. MY hesitation though is because in all the reading of ADHD there is actually some evidence to suggest that KIDS WHO ARE HELD MORE AS INFANTS have LESS INCIDENCE of attention issues! So that is the CATCH 22 for me. PERHAPS it would be better to keep nursing as it FORCES me to sit with ALEXY and give her that quiet calm time with me? MAybe it Doesn't make a difference? BUt if it does, well being patient regarding my personal goal just a little more would be wise!

Which is why at this point I am going to try the tactic of LETTING ALEXY indicate when she doesn't wish to nurse. Maybe she never WILL want to stop... but maybe she will, so I am trying to be patient with this a little longer while at the same time I feel ready to adress my own needs!

I work tonight so today am taking it easy folding laundry.

I'll put all the kids down for a nap and try to get a nap this afternoon as well.

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