I’ve been waking early for months now. And by early, I mean this morning I got up at 4:30. I try to stay in bed until 5:00, but sometimes I just can’t manage it. I don’t want to wake this early. I’d much rather sleep until 6:00 or so, but my body has other ideas. This morning I padded around the kitchen and brewed the morning coffee, all before 5:00 a.m. After drinking a cup and reading the internet, I settled back in with my stitching.
I’m making good progress. I’d say I’m about halfway done with it, and this is the morning of my third day with the project. My husband still hasn’t mentioned it, despite my working on it with him mere feet away. At this point, I’m not sure if he just isn’t paying attention, if he’s messing with me, or if he’s politely not mentioning it because he knows it is meant as a gift for him. Me, I’m used to idly chatting about my stitching with him from time to time as I work and it feels really weird not doing so. I sort of wish he’d comment on it so that my circle of silence could be lifted.
But it remains good, working on the project. I’m still meditating on my late mother-in-law, and yesterday I made good headway into an audiobook too. She was a big fan of audiobooks, so that seems fitting for the project as well. I think she would have liked this one. It’s The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie, and I chose it for obvious reasons.
I’m looking forward to a quiet weekend of working on the piece, and also sheparding my 5th grader through a 5-paragraph research essay he has due on Monday morning. He’s already put together his outline for it, and I think won’t need help besides my company in the room while he works. He does prefer to have company while he does homework, even as he doesn’t want that company giving too much advice or otherwise interfering.
I taught high school for two years, and then undergrad 101 and 102 writing courses for around six years, so I’ve got Opinions about essay writing and the teaching of. I’ve been proud of myself for how I’ve been helping my 5th grader as he starts writing 5 paragraph essays. I’m not trying to impart all my wisdom on him, but rather have been sticking to gently guiding him through the process of making outlines, and also on paying attention to his teacher’s rubric (which is basically a list of all the things she wants to see in the essay). I figure if he has those two skills, he’ll be in good shape for much of the school writing assignments he encounters.
It is now 8:30 and I’ve been up for four hours now. Everyone else is up now too. Time to get dressed, feed the cats, and then get back to my stitching.
