Halcyon

My mornings have developed a new pattern: Dishes and knitting.

Now, don't start. Trust me. I know. I was raised by a Polish mother who was deeply committed to the credo that "Dishes cannot be left overnight." After all, there might be a fire and then the firemen and the neighbors would all know. This is right up there with the "always wear nice underwear in case you're hit by a car" law.

But... School is starting. My older son is feeling anxious. He has Down Syndrome and, while he loves his high school, he has 15 years of early intervention/preschool/inclusive classroom/self-contained classroom experience and only 2 years here. An anxious Marco is a Marco who needs attention.

This is not acceptable to his younger brother, John. John finds an anxious Marco an annoying Marco. This leads to a cycle of tease, have an attack of conscience, get reassurance, be lovable and kind, repeat. Proof positive that there is no need to encourage competition among siblings. They'll find it just fine all on their own, thank you very much.

On the plus side, I get a lot of hugs. The downside is that it's hard to keep your stitch count straight when your arms are pinned to your sides at irregular intervals.

Anyway, my evenings are full of children these days. And it's not like the dishes won't wait.













So mornings and dishes have become the still point in my turning day. I bring a modicum of order to my favorite room, and I knit.