Dating. Crushing.

Maitresse is dating.

So it came as no surprise when A slipped into my room late at night, and after a rather lengthy conversation about my dating life (totally controlled yet open, if that makes sense) he started to speak awkwardly in French.

In French.

"Why not speak to me in English?"

Yes, I was that tired.

Then it came. A has a crush. I have always approved of the fine young girls he crushes on, and this one was no exception. But that he told me in French, after first finding a common ground on which to speak about it, really touched me.

Really touched me.

He'll make a good lawyer one day.

Moving. Again.

Sarah at Poppins Classical, you and I must be made of the same fabric!

We are moving again, away from the spoiled environment of our suburbia, and back to the realness and coolness of the City. Initially, after taking my landlady to court to get out of my current lease, I thought we'd be moving to Miami for a bit. As luck would have it, an apartment in the City has opened up for us.

A is counting the number of times we have moved in New York. This will be our fourth move in three years. "It could be worse," I tell him. "We could be like your friend A., who moves to different countries each time!"

Will keep everyone posted, as usual.

ring, ring

Hi. This is Ms. (XXX) at XXX Middle School. We are responding to your message requesting your withdrawal of Alexander from our school.

Very long voicemail message, most of it garbled.

So, send us the letter as he has had a lot of absences so far.

As A would say...

"N.S."*

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Last night A and I stayed up until 3 a.m. talking about the philosophy of life. It was nice to get to know him this way, all adult-like and all...

*A uses the initials only.

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Friday Five: Share five facts about yourself that not everybody knows...(thanks, Donna)

- I was called beanstalk in grade school.
- I was voted most popular girl in fourth grade.
- My best friend in fourth grade, Mindy Kapinski, introduced me to bananas and hot dogs. Don't ask. [this is clearly for the adult/adult crowd, sorry]
- I counselled families of the Pan Am 103 disaster.
- I have a crush on someone and I am in denial about it.

Learning and the art of the deadline...

We suck at deadlines.

I suck at deadlines, still today. I will always ask for the additional 5 minutes to finish any given job. So, when A had issues at his middle school with assignments that were due on "xx date" I honestly empathized with his...um...challenges in turning in his work on time.

How do you treat deadlines that you impose on your kids/students? Motivate me.

Live for Today

(couldn't help it, but with all the punk/Stiv Bator talk...)

After much soul-searching, I thought about this entire past year. And I thought about a brunch that A and I had at Essex House this past Sunday.

"These people are cool," said A. "I know," I replied. "I did this for you. Very Bauhaus, isn't it?"

A informed me that he wanted black pants. That was hours before I took him to Trash & Vaudeville and Jimmy Webb outfitted my son with the same pants Joey Ramone picked up six months before his death. Two other friends of mine who shopped with me years ago at that store had also since died (Stiv Bator, who died of injuries after being struck by a car in Paris, and a friend of mine named Tammy, who died of cancer).

When we sat down for brunch at Essex House, I observed a very Harvard-looking fellow at the table next to us. He sported the Harvadania emblem on a cap he was wearing. He laughed hysterically. Constantly. He was flaming. At first, I was annoyed. Then I thought, "Why on earth am I annoyed?" He was being himself. The people in New York don't normally wear their emotions on their sleeve. And I miss that about Florida. The outgoing, tropical sunny demeanor that everyone seems to sport there. It is honest. Real. Authentic. Human.

Then I thought, wouldn't it be great if we could honor who we are, and how we are, naturally? Why put ourselves in a box in a daily basis, and profess that that be the norm?

We moved to a neighborhood that doesn't fit who we are.

A is in a school that doesn't honor who he is.

I worked at the BigLaw job this past year because of how "important" it was and how I thought it would help my self-image (it didn't).

I am reading Alfie Kohn's What Does It Mean To Be Well Educated? Interesting book. In it, it describes the problem in the United States' educational system. It claims that short-term thinking prompt tests to be given ad nauseum...at the cost of long-term educational goals. I thought about A's assignments at school. He has been given tests every single week. Five classes a week.

And so...yesterday morning, I woke up A. at 9:44 a.m. and got his breakfast ready.

We are homeschooling. I guess you could say, we Live for Today, but we Live for Tomorrow, too.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

A few days ago I talked to L. from MySchola. It was good to hear her voice for the first time ever.

I promised to call her back, and didn't, because I was a bit spazzy in So. Fla.

L., I will call you back!

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A. is currently wearing Joey Ramone pants that we bought from Trash and Vaudeville at St. Mark's Place. I have no idea what this means. Except that this is a 2nd generation activity. The last time I was at T&V, I walked in with Stiv Bator.

It is a (institutional) school day tomorrow. A. tells me he will be homeschooling, and not returning to class at the school in Westchester.

Stay tuned, folks.

ring, ring...

Hello?

Hi. This is A's school in NY. School re-started today and we'd like to know if this is an excused absence?

Um...yes? I excuse him. Yes.

And when will he be returning?

Um...may I get back to you on that?

(dum dum DUM...)