A Night at the Opera and then a Shot to the Heart
I sometimes feel like I am in some type of Telenovela. Like it's my big wedding day and then BOOM! dead ex fiance shows up and knocks over the wedding cake. There are good days and there are bad days and sometimes I wish I could just Joan Collins it and call it a night.
On Sunday we decided to take the Kid to the Museums Quartier. He was already a bit grumpy and we ignored it and that was our first mistake. He demanded that we bring his stroller (which is rare) and then we should have decided against our walk, which was our second mistake. There were red flags flying and we were like "Nope, can't see those." We let him sit in his stroller and made our way to the tram stop. He was a little kvetchy but we got on the tram (obviously we have death wish). I took him out of his stroller so he could sit on my lap and then he freaked. I quickly told the Husband to press the button and at the next stop we exited. We put him back in his stroller as he screamed bloody murder and quickly got off the tram. He wanted to walk so we let him and then he didn't want to take my hand and tried to break into some palace grounds we walked by. Kid, I get it, I try that too. It took us a while but we got him to the park and once at the playground, he was back to his cheerful self. At one point I did not lift with the knees and when I picked him up, I felt my back seize up. I pulled a muscle and told the Husband I had to go lie down. I minced back home and ended up spending a couple of hours on the sofa, feeling very sorry for myself. Of course, I had a drink date with a friend so I found the motivation to roll onto my stomach and hoist myself up and walk down the street.
I will try and do a recap in a few days but let me just say that this was one of the BEST performances I have seen at the Staatsoper. Netrebko is otherworldly. Not only is she gorgeous but her voice... my God her voice! I literally started crying the minute she started singing and did not stop until the end. She also has such physicality that you are transported into her world. I want to cry again. Not only was she amazing but David rocked it! I have seen him in Madame Butterfly (my favourite opera) and the Barber of Seville, but his performance last night blew my socks off. The guy is only 30 and is singing with Anna Netrebko and holding his own. I was blown away. Watch this space. And I am not saying this just because he is buddy... the audience called out "Bravo!" at the end and the Viennese know opera. Forty years from now, I will be in some fabulous retirement home, being fanned by cabana boys and I will tell my paid friends all about the time I knew David Pershall before he banned me from seeing his wife because I convinced her to buy several Chanel purses as an "investment". Heh.
So thank you K.P. for the ticket! And one day you will also sing at my third wedding to a French Count. Moving on...This morning we had a meeting with the kindergarten to discuss potty training. We are about to start potty training again (may God have mercy on our souls). We did this a couple of years ago and I almost doused the Kid in Holy Water to exorcise whatever demon possessed our child. Now he should be ready but I have fashioned a cross out of an old Malm bookcase from Ikea so we should be covered. Anyway, we showed up at 8, sat down in the impossibly small Oompa Loompa chairs that seem to only accommodate one butt cheek at a time, and our meeting started. Now, usually our meetings are KICK ASS! They rave about how much he has developed. We lie about what we feed him (mostly toast and cake) and by the end we all walk away feeling good. Well, this morning did not go as planned. We chatted briefly and then one of his providers asked us where we were on the school registration for next Fall. We mentioned that we had had a couple of meetings and then we would start looking at intergration schools. Without batting an eyelash, one provider said "Oh no, he will be attending a special needs school." to which I responded with "Um no. No he won't". And she said "He isn't cognitive enough for a normal school." and at that point I almost started crying. I stuttered "There is no way we are sending him to a special needs school!" and she said "Well, we are going to recommend to the school board he attends one." and at that point I almost stood up and stormed out. And then she added "As parents, you know that a special needs school would be best for him, right?" Ah! Parental guilt! Nice try lady. I'm Jewish. We have 5,000 years of practice doling this out. Pretty sure Moses' mom was all "You don't call, you don't write..."
I won't lie, I saw red. I was PISSED. And also unable to find the correct German term for "I will cut you." I took a deep breath and in my scary voice said "It is against the law to force parents to send their children to special needs school." (thank you for the information from last week's craptastic meeting) and she shrugged and said "True. But..." and I put my hand on the table and said "Right." and that discussion was over. I have never shown angry Tova at the kindergarten. It doesn't come out very often in normal life. In fact, even in the face of bad service I say "If it's not too much trouble..." and so on and so forth. But when it comes to my son. No, I've changed. And I am angry. The meeting didn't last much longer. They raved about how much he has developed and I wanted to scream "AND YET YOU DON'T THINK HE CAN ATTEND A NORMAL SCHOOL?!" Look, it kills me that I can't talk to my son about what he likes and how his day was. And it kills me that we can't do "normal" things. But I wouldn't trade him for the world. I also realize that he has special needs and needs additional support... but isolating him is not the solution. So now we have yet another battle on our hands. What frustrates me the most is that we still have 14 months until he starts school. He is 5. He is in a crazy developmental phase. Literally anything could happen in the next 14 months and to basically write him off... unacceptable.
And this is why I feel like my life is a little soap opery sometimes. Where's my damn martini and who's face can I throw it into? I want to thank EVERYBODY for the support. It takes a village to raise a Tova and for that, I am eternally grateful. Now if only Anna Netrebko would call me so we could be besties. Da?
On Sunday we decided to take the Kid to the Museums Quartier. He was already a bit grumpy and we ignored it and that was our first mistake. He demanded that we bring his stroller (which is rare) and then we should have decided against our walk, which was our second mistake. There were red flags flying and we were like "Nope, can't see those." We let him sit in his stroller and made our way to the tram stop. He was a little kvetchy but we got on the tram (obviously we have death wish). I took him out of his stroller so he could sit on my lap and then he freaked. I quickly told the Husband to press the button and at the next stop we exited. We put him back in his stroller as he screamed bloody murder and quickly got off the tram. He wanted to walk so we let him and then he didn't want to take my hand and tried to break into some palace grounds we walked by. Kid, I get it, I try that too. It took us a while but we got him to the park and once at the playground, he was back to his cheerful self. At one point I did not lift with the knees and when I picked him up, I felt my back seize up. I pulled a muscle and told the Husband I had to go lie down. I minced back home and ended up spending a couple of hours on the sofa, feeling very sorry for myself. Of course, I had a drink date with a friend so I found the motivation to roll onto my stomach and hoist myself up and walk down the street.
Standing and sitting and lying down were not the issue, but moving to those various positions was incredibly painful. At night, I popped some codeine and put on a heat pack. Monday morning I was still in pain but by the afternoon, the pain had gotten a little better. I made my way to work and by 4:30, I was ready to call it a day because I had plans. Big, huge plans! My friend K.P. had invited me as her date to opening night at the Staatsoper of Manon Lescaut. Her husband, David Pershall had a starring role alongside Anna Netrebko. She did not have to ask me twice! And how was the show? UNBELIEVABLE! I love Puccini anyway but seeing it performed by Netrebko, mind blown. And seeing a friend perform in it? MIND BLOWN!
I will try and do a recap in a few days but let me just say that this was one of the BEST performances I have seen at the Staatsoper. Netrebko is otherworldly. Not only is she gorgeous but her voice... my God her voice! I literally started crying the minute she started singing and did not stop until the end. She also has such physicality that you are transported into her world. I want to cry again. Not only was she amazing but David rocked it! I have seen him in Madame Butterfly (my favourite opera) and the Barber of Seville, but his performance last night blew my socks off. The guy is only 30 and is singing with Anna Netrebko and holding his own. I was blown away. Watch this space. And I am not saying this just because he is buddy... the audience called out "Bravo!" at the end and the Viennese know opera. Forty years from now, I will be in some fabulous retirement home, being fanned by cabana boys and I will tell my paid friends all about the time I knew David Pershall before he banned me from seeing his wife because I convinced her to buy several Chanel purses as an "investment". Heh.
So thank you K.P. for the ticket! And one day you will also sing at my third wedding to a French Count. Moving on...This morning we had a meeting with the kindergarten to discuss potty training. We are about to start potty training again (may God have mercy on our souls). We did this a couple of years ago and I almost doused the Kid in Holy Water to exorcise whatever demon possessed our child. Now he should be ready but I have fashioned a cross out of an old Malm bookcase from Ikea so we should be covered. Anyway, we showed up at 8, sat down in the impossibly small Oompa Loompa chairs that seem to only accommodate one butt cheek at a time, and our meeting started. Now, usually our meetings are KICK ASS! They rave about how much he has developed. We lie about what we feed him (mostly toast and cake) and by the end we all walk away feeling good. Well, this morning did not go as planned. We chatted briefly and then one of his providers asked us where we were on the school registration for next Fall. We mentioned that we had had a couple of meetings and then we would start looking at intergration schools. Without batting an eyelash, one provider said "Oh no, he will be attending a special needs school." to which I responded with "Um no. No he won't". And she said "He isn't cognitive enough for a normal school." and at that point I almost started crying. I stuttered "There is no way we are sending him to a special needs school!" and she said "Well, we are going to recommend to the school board he attends one." and at that point I almost stood up and stormed out. And then she added "As parents, you know that a special needs school would be best for him, right?" Ah! Parental guilt! Nice try lady. I'm Jewish. We have 5,000 years of practice doling this out. Pretty sure Moses' mom was all "You don't call, you don't write..."
I won't lie, I saw red. I was PISSED. And also unable to find the correct German term for "I will cut you." I took a deep breath and in my scary voice said "It is against the law to force parents to send their children to special needs school." (thank you for the information from last week's craptastic meeting) and she shrugged and said "True. But..." and I put my hand on the table and said "Right." and that discussion was over. I have never shown angry Tova at the kindergarten. It doesn't come out very often in normal life. In fact, even in the face of bad service I say "If it's not too much trouble..." and so on and so forth. But when it comes to my son. No, I've changed. And I am angry. The meeting didn't last much longer. They raved about how much he has developed and I wanted to scream "AND YET YOU DON'T THINK HE CAN ATTEND A NORMAL SCHOOL?!" Look, it kills me that I can't talk to my son about what he likes and how his day was. And it kills me that we can't do "normal" things. But I wouldn't trade him for the world. I also realize that he has special needs and needs additional support... but isolating him is not the solution. So now we have yet another battle on our hands. What frustrates me the most is that we still have 14 months until he starts school. He is 5. He is in a crazy developmental phase. Literally anything could happen in the next 14 months and to basically write him off... unacceptable.
And this is why I feel like my life is a little soap opery sometimes. Where's my damn martini and who's face can I throw it into? I want to thank EVERYBODY for the support. It takes a village to raise a Tova and for that, I am eternally grateful. Now if only Anna Netrebko would call me so we could be besties. Da?
I love your writing! You're hysterical and hag in there the school system in Austria is horrible. My son has gone to 5 schooks in 8 years!!!!!
ReplyDelete