msbelle, I don't remember -- do you belong to a parents-of-internationally-adopted-kids support group? (I know, like you have the free time!)

My boss adopted her 2 daughters from Guatemala, and she belonged to a group like that and found it HUGELY helpful with issues like this, especially because she's a single mom.

Like I said, I know your free time is limited, but maybe something like that would help -- and surely if Cincinnati has a group like that, NYC must have one (or more).

Unrelatedly, who the hell sings that awful poker face song? It was on the radio on my way in to work, and I can't get it out of my head, despite its massive horribleness.

Lady Gaga.

Who I thought was a really bad drag queen for the longest time.

Lady Gaga.

That's...an interesting name.

Who I thought was a really bad drag queen for the longest time.

Actually, the first time I heard it was at a drag show, with a big ol' queen performing to it. But apparently I managed to forget it until this morning, and now it won't get out of my head.

((msbelle)) That sounds so hard-- please know you can continue to share here.

no-cancer-ma to Burrell.

I also thought Lady Gaga was a drag queen for quite awhile.

That's...an interesting name.

We discussed that point a few days ago. "Hi, I'm nuts! Or I'm SO.SO.FAB! that you'll go GaGa over me!"

Or, like me, you see it in print and go "Gag? She named herself Gag?"

I'm pretty sure I read she describes herself as a performance artist, so there's that -- I imagine she wouldn't mind people thinking she's a drag queen, since that's basically what she's "doing." She seemed like a nice girl on Ellen the other day.

I'm glad you have the therapist to give you advice, even when it's hard and expensive.

Yes, this. I feel like my brother and sister-in-law had similar issues with my niece, who has Asperger's, when she was having a really hard time in school but came across as basically fine or "normal" with family or small non-school groups. People wanted her to be okay so they minimized/dismissed the issues her parents said she was having. She's been working with a therapist now for a while and has had good support in school and, as far as I know is doing much better now.

Anyway, love to you and Mac and I'm glad you are at least able to vent here.

Steph - I do, but mostly it is online. There is a Eth adopt group in NYC, mac hates going to the get-togethers and they are really get-togethers, not support meetings. The other thing is that most of the single parent adopt thingies and the international adopt thingies that I have found thus far are dominated by people who adopt babies. There is another single mom who adopted a school age boy from Eth, but she is not that active with the groups and she is also at least a hour commute away. Then there is the scheduling issue and what to do with mac if I do find a meeting.

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