I am in the midst of massive Effexor withdrawal. A little search online will show you that hundreds of people struggle with withdrawal symptoms after taking Effexor. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be a class action suit on this because these withdrawal symptoms are severe and rampant and, not all that shockingly, not diclosed by the pharmaceutical company. Even less surprising, here, the pharmaceutical company is the same that produced fen-phen. Some things never change.

Anyway, keeping that in mind, the most minor withdrawal symptom is EXTREME irritability. So it was with this in mind that I tried not to be too snappy today when I called the Divine's school and was met with the most inept system of communication since before Bell first spoke to Watson.

I've been trying to teach the Divine problem solving and natural consequences. So, this morning, as with the last few mornings since I implemented this system, the Divine has known what she is supposed to do and by when and when it is time to go, then it's time to go. If she doesn't have her socks/shoes on, oh well, etc. If she starts objecting to having her hair combed and fixed, then I just say okay and she goes to school with uncombed hair. She inevitably then starts throwing a fit about fixing it and I explain sympathetically that I would have preferred her hair fixed for school as well but now we don't have time. "Hopefully tomorrow, we can fix your hair before we leave." Not in a condescending way but in an empathetic manner. Anyway, that's an example, you get the idea.

This morning, due to her various delays, she was left with about five minutes in "Before-Care" to eat her breakfast that I pack for her before her class started. I explained to the Before=Care teacher, who is not her regular classroom teacher and therefore not familiar with the recent emphasis at both home and school on these issues, that sometimes the decisions and choices we make in the morning, lead to an abbreviated amount of time for breakfast. The Divine is sitting there so I want to try to get the message across to the teacher without having to spell it out in front of the Divine. Well, the teacher's big response is to say, TWICE, that she only has about five minutes to eat. Clueless.

So, I think, as I leave, that I'll just call her classroom teacher and let her know quickly that the divine had the opportunity to have breakfast but b/c of decisions/choices she made, she didn't have time. She'll know exactly what I'm talking about and know what to say if my manipulative little offspring begins to complain, etc. about being hungry ...

So, I ask if Mrs. A will be there today (she was out yesterday/sick child) and they tell me no and I ask to leave a voice mail for Miss K (teacher's assistant and also knows the context of the message). They transfer me to the voice mail, however, they have done so incorrectly, the robot voice tells me there is no mailbox with that number. So, I call back and explain what happened so they try again. I get Mrs. A's voice mail. I hang up and call back and ask:

"Does Mrs. K pick up Mrs. A's voice mail?"

"No. Is that what you got?"

"Yes."

"Well, why don't I just ring back there?" (Wow, there's a thought)

So classroom call:

The substitute teacher answers and I ask to speak with Mrs. K.

"I can take a message for her."

"Well, alright. You're not familiar with the context of the message but she'll understand it." And I explain in summary fashion the morning so she'll know if the divine complains or brings it up, she can reinforce the same perspective.

"Okay, wait, can you recap that?"

*Very big sigh on my part.* "Actually, maybe I should try to talk with her another time."

"But the Divine will be in class today?"

*What the hell?* "Um, yeah. She should be in your classroom right now." (B/c at this point, I can assure you the five minutes that the Divine had before class started had long since elapsed).

"Oh, yes, there she is."

*Filled with confidence in the institution that has my child for the day* "Okay, you know what? I'll just talk to Mrs. K some other time."

I was so incredibly irritated, I'm not entirely sure I didn't say, "Oh, just forget it" to her at some point. I am fairly impatient on my best days but having brain zaps, headaches, nausea, NO ENERGY, and severe irritability, I wanted so badly to slap everyone of those individuals located anywhere on that line of, what I will loosely call, communication.

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