Help!!!-Seeking Family Law Paralegal*

I am taking two classes this semester one of which is family law. My professor in her infinite wisdom decided that our first major assignment will be to interview a paralegal that works in a family law practice. Of course this is pretty much the only area of law my firm does not specialize in.

If there is anyone out there who works as a paralegal/legal assistant/legal secretary that specializes in family law or works for a family law attorney (or knows someone that fits that description)and does not mind being interviewed.

*catching breath, because I am typing and thinking really fast...lol*

Please, please e-mail me at tsiporah05@gmail.com. I am desperate!! If I don't get a response from blogland then I will have to start cold calling law firms and that is just not what I want to do.

Thanks you in advance for your help!!

Tsi.

*Update: Thanks to CreoleinDC and in turn Gladys. I think I might have found someone to interview...YAY!!! Many, many thanks for your help you guys!!!

I am so exhausted these last few days I have been ripping and running trying to get my life organized before the school year started. Well let's see what has been going in my little world...

I did all of E's school shopping and was able to get most of the school supplies on the list. Even though I was late getting started on shopping I still came out on top with some great deals. I walked out of Tar.get spending less than $20...I would have gone to W.al-mart, but...uh... that place is what I imagine hell to be like.

Saturday, in preparation for E's homecoming I went grocery shopping, put gas in my car and got an oil change.

Sunday, I had a long drive to New Jersey to get my boy from our pre-arranged meeting spot that is about halfway between our two states. I left my house at 7am and even made a couple of stops along the way and manage to get there by 10:30 am. Of course E's dad and step-mom were late getting there like always. I don't know why in the world I thought it would be any different that day…sigh. Since our meeting spot is located at a mall I took advantage of the time and got a much needed manicure.

Once they arrived we talked for a little while and put all of E's bags in my car and then his dad bought him a couple of books that he wanted. Then about 1pm and a quick stop for gas (BTW, can I tell you how much I love the policy in NJ about not being able to pump your own gas. We so need that here especially in the winter time.) we were on our way home. We stopped about an hour into the trip, so that E could have lunch, so that took up a half an hour. Then we hit a few rough patches, so the ride home was about an hour longer then the ride up...BOOO!!!

Once home I hit the ground running unloading the car and unpacking his bags. I put dinner in the oven (I at least had the foresight to prep my meals for the week on Saturday, so all I have to do is pop it in the oven or microwave them…Go me!!!) and get our clothes ironed, lunches made and book bag packed, because the following day was the first day of school!!

Monday, well what can I say we got through it....LOL. Actually E had a very good day and loves his brand new school. This school is the best elementary school I have ever seen it has state of the art everything. I feel so bad for the kids in D.C. who barely have air-conditioning and no school books that is a travesty!!

E’s teacher seems really great as well hopefully we’ll have a great working relationship this year.

Anywhoo...did I mention how tired I am, so I think I am going to cut this post short and get my azz in the bed.

Hello Out There....

I know you come by and read and leave, but at least you can do is say "Hi" every once in awhile. I will be the first to admit that I am not much of a commenter, but I try to make a guest appearance once in awhile when I have the time. So people who love to come here and look please say something especially when I ask a question. OK? Alright? Cause the more feedback I get the more I will blog I promise.

Thanks,
Tsi.

I Admit It...I Miss my Boy!!!

As you may or may not remember me telling you all that my son E was spending this summer in New England with his father. This would be his second summer trip away from me and believe me when I say that I really needed the break this year. At first I was feeling like a woman who had a 60lb weight lifted from her and I made all kinds of plans(in my head) of the things I wanted to do. Mostly consisting of organizing my apartment and catching a few movies. I know boring huh...but hell I am a single mother who works full-time and I'm a part time student that is about as exciting as I get nowadays...LOL!!

The fact that I am...shall I say...ummm...boring never really bothers me because I am always so busy running E around in between studying, planning and cooking meals, cleaning, blogging etc. etc. Doing all of that makes time just go at warp speed and before I know it months have passed no harm no foul.

However, this summer I realized that it was the first time I have ever been completely on my own. I mean yes...I have been alone before but it was always in very short spurts a weekend here or there. This was the first time that I was alone completely with no one responsible for me or no responsibilty for anyone other than myself. I had no real outside distractions in the form of a boyfriend, family, exploring a new environment or excessive partying. Nothing. All I had was me and work and of course a couple of college classes. There was only me, myself and I to worry about and you know what? I hated it.

Don't get me wrong at first it was great!! I mean I could come straight home from work and not have to worry about picking up anyone. I could eat what I wanted and when I wanted and not have to worry about being on a hungry kid's schedule. Laundry was a definite breeze with only my clothes to do. I could go for a nice long run whenever I felt the need and not have to worry about scheduling it in. If I wanted quiet I got quiet and if I wanted noise I could just flip on the radio or the T.V. I could come and go as I pleased and not have to wait for a little person to get ready or make sure he was ready to go. I didn't have to go behind anyone to make sure all of the lights were turned out and the best thing of all. When I straightend up my living room it stayed neat for longer than 5 minutes....YAY!!!

Now that I said all of that I am trying to figure out why I hated living alone...LOL.

Anyway the biggest reason why I hated being alone was that I missed my baby boy. Although according to him he is no longer a baby and I hate to admit that he isn't. This year he will be starting the 4th grade and I just can't believe how time has passed. Gee...I still remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. He is so much more than my little boy though...he is also my road dawg to the 10th power!!! We have the best conversations and play games and do all sorts of fun things together even though he be trying to cheat...Humph!!!

I miss him even more now that he is not back home this week like I had originally planned. You see last Tuesday evening my little boy broke his arm and I was simply beside myself worrying all that night until I knew for sure he was OK. I mean I know kids get broken bones all the time and it's really no big deal. But dammit!! it was a big deal to me...hell. My baby was hurting and I was not there to comfort him!! I know he will be fine and his dad was there to take care of everything. Unfortunately, he had to stay another week because the doctor wanted to see him again before he left...sigh. There was a bit of a complication and some talk of the possibility of surgery but hopefully he wont need it.

I can't wait to see him this weekend and give him the biggest hug in the world. I miss my boy sooooo very much and since the time that he is young is so short I don't want to miss anymore of it then I have to.

I can't wait to hear about how his day at school went, or help him with his homework and read to him again.

I never thought I could ever love someone so much...

Daddy's Little Girl...

A couple of weekends ago I had the honor of witnessing my little sister L get married. It was a such a lovely ceremony and I have never seen her look so happy. I am just so proud of her I could burst. Her husband T is really one of the good guys and I wish all the happiness in the world for them and their children. I would post pictures, but I am still learning the ins and outs of my camera.

Seeing her walk down the aisle I suddenly became overwrought with emotion...kinda bittersweet... you know. Nothing out of the ordinary happened our father walked L down the aisle which is really no big deal. Most brides walk down the aisle on the arms of their fathers it's a common tradition...well at least in this part of the world.

All of a sudden I started to feel warm and then hot tears started to trickle down my face one by one. The big smile I had frozen on my face began to fade and suddenly I felt like the room was slowly closing in around me. Could it be...no it really couldn't be...but yes... dare I say it. I was sad and angry because the man walking my beautiful little sister down the aisle smiling with pride was the same man that abandoned me before I was born. This man was never there for me like he was for her and yes... I was jealous.

It's funny, but until very recently I never really thought about how not having my father in my life has affected me. Not only did it shape my childhood but it really warped my sense about relationships in a major way. It was just so normal... not having a father...hell I didn't even meet him until I was 8. My mom remarried when I was 5 and my step-father became "daddy" for awhile. That is until he started getting high and drunk and beating my mother and I, but I digress. I think it was at that point that I just hardened my heart and when I finally did meet my father I had no use for him in my life.

At that time he had a whole new family and I would watch him play with my sister and brother and be so very loving towards them. They of course would laugh and be just as loving back they had this whole family dynamic that I just did not get. I do have to give the guy some credit he did try to be just as loving and playful towards me. He even told me how much he loved me and how sorry he was for leaving me and that when he left he was sick...and he was young and didn’t know what he was doing. I guess at the time I was just too young to understand how sorry he truly was. Then just as quickly as he came back into my life he vanished ... again. Years later it was revealed that his second disappearance had more to do with my mother then him...sigh. I didn't see my father again for another 8 years.

When I did see him again he was divorced from L's mom and trying to recover from his latest habit of choice...needless to say I didn't stick around. I just lived my life the best that I could never thinking that a little girl really does need her father's love and that feeling of security that comes with it.

I grew up not realizing that what I was searching for...was my father's love and the feeling of being safe...the love of my daddy...

I am almost 30 years old and it has taken me this long to realize what I have been missing all of these years. My father is a lot better now and wants a real relationship with me. My heart is so closed off that I am not sure if I can let him into my life...He has held out the olive branch for years now and I just keep avoiding it. Why??? I don't know... Maybe I am afraid to grab on to it because I think he will leave again or maybe it's because he is not the man that I wished he could be or maybe it is just too late...

As I was seeing my father walk my little sister down the aisle and the hot tears began to trickle down my face one by one...and the big frozen smile that I had on my face began to fade... and the feeling that the room was starting to slowly close up around me...

Made me think. Made me wish. Made me want... even if it was just for a second...

To be daddy's little girl...



* I started writing this post the day after my sister's wedding(8/5/07, but was unable to complete it until now. Since then I have contemplated letting my guard down and inviting this man...my father into my life. I have a chance that many people don't have to establish a relationship and I should take the bull by the horns and just do it...right? I guess that is what I am gonna try and do and I will keep you all updated if your interested. *

Technical Difficulties...

For some reason my internet service at home is not working, but I hope to rectify that very soon.

Tsi.

The Power of Advertising

I am not going to lie every once in awhile I will kill for a McDonald's french fry...sigh. Man, they are just little pieces of fried potato heaven to me...yummy!!

I just found this article really interesting and wondered if just putting the food in a McDonald's wrapper really made most kids think it taste better. If this is true then why doesn't Mickey D's try and profit from this and actually have even more healthier choices available. Especially in the Happy Meals they advertise for kids considering the juvenile obesity rate. I know they do offer some healthier alternatives now, but they could do better in my opinion.

What do y'all think? Or am I just delirious from lack of sleep?