The Playwright

11:41 pm and everyone is asleep.
I much enjoyed my morning with my students at PS 6 in Manhattan, we're working on Romeo and Juliet and sometimes my day-job feels so fluffy-too easy. Like I won the lottery and got to do whatever I wanted. It helps that I have an amazing partner and we both enjoy "working" together.

So, I got home by 2 and I got to hang out with Cole, who's 3 but, has the vocabulary of a twelve year old, with a Brooklyn' accent! I walked in thinking I'm running late for our babysitter, but no one was home. I did my usual little whistle to see if they were hiding somewhere...but no one. A minute later the front door opens and there is Cole and Samantha, our babysitter and I run up to him to give him a big hug and he shuts me down. "Are you the first one here? Where's mommy? I want mommy here first, not you!" I look up at Samantha and she smiles. She says they had a great day and were just getting back from the library. I thank her and tell her we'll see her tomorrow. She says goodbye to Cole, but he's still standing at the door with a long face and not budging. I ask him to say goodbye to Sam, but he's frozen. Samantha sneaks out down the hall. When I close the door I explain to Cole that he was very rude to Samantha and that I'm upset with him. By now, he's unfreezing and taking me in. I ask him if he would like to say goodbye to Samantha and he says, "yes, but she left." We open the front door and hear Sam going down the stairs and he yells, "Thank you Samantha, I'll see you tomorrow!" She replies, with a giggle, "bye Cole."

The rest of the afternoon is all about tickling, laughing and napping. We then go upstairs to our neighbors right above us. We're so lucky that in our Co-op apartment building we have wonderful families and friends. Cole has a playdate with Sophie who is the same age. They have a wonderful time running. That's what they like to do-run. And Sophie's little sister Clementine follows. I hang out for a while, then come downstairs to check my phone. The rest of the afternoon is all about schedules. Jen doesn't get home till 8 or 9. and Suzi's watching Cole while I take Sebastian to see his friend's Caleb's playwriting premiere at 7.
Cole's excited to spend the afternoon with Emma again. They love each other so much and he needs sister time.

I pick up Sebastian from his violin lesson at 6:30 ready to get a quick bite, but he's not hungry. He's never hungry. We then run into Caleb and family in front of IS 51 and he goes in with them as I park. I find out from Stuart, Caleb's dad, that they got to see the new Spiderman show on Broadway last night. Since Stuart's a writer and reviewer I was interested to hear if it was as bad as everyone has said...it was, but entertaining. We then got to hear some great plays written by 7th graders. Sebastian was really excited to hear his friend's play especially since the boys have grown up together and now attend different middle schools. This was the school that I had wanted him to attend, but he decided on Brooklyn Prospect Charter School, which now seems like the right choice. But two years ago, I was so impressed by their theatre program that I tried to push Sebastian in that direction. But he stayed strong with his decision and his reasons for Brooklyn Prospect that I had to agree. And I'm glad I did.

On the way home I asked him what he thought of the plays (and maybe even secretly thinking to myself that he would say, "WOW! what a program, I wish I was in this school!"). He said he really enjoyed them a lot, especially Caleb's and that he was doing something similar in his ELA (English Language Arts) classes. I asked what that was. He said he had to write a scene for a story that they had just read in class and that he was just about done. So, with that in my head. I left it alone. We all have our journeys.