Mom - do you get lonely? and other Claire questions

I haven't posted for a long time.

But, writing short blurps on here seems like a great procrastinating activity for doing work on the dissertation. So, I think I'll start again.

Yesterday on the way to school, from way back in the van, Claire asked me,

"Mom, when you go away by yourself to write your book, do you get lonely?"

I told her that sometimes I did. That it's hard leaving the fun that they and dad often have when I leave. That sometimes I don't feel like I know what to write or that I just don't feel like writing. But, I also said that I need to do my work and I need to be alone so that I can do it and that I love what I'm learning about.

Her question fascinated me because I'm so curious how she (as my oldest) is making sense of this crazy year I'm having in trying to finish my dissertation. I've told her that I'm writing a book. "What page are you on now?" she'll often ask when I get ready to do my work. "Is the book about us?" she's asked.

I'm also thinking about how I'm sponsoring her concept of "writing" and how I can help my kids think differently about writing by sharing with them my process (i.e. that I don't start on page 1 but that I write lots of things and then after I write them down, I move them around and then figure out what my story is about).

Fun stuff.






Such interesting questions