Lesson 3: Describing a Person

Sleeping Baby

Caleb snoozes in a snug, woolly sleeping bag inside his cozy car seat. Closed, blue eyes point his long lashes down to chubby cheeks and a small nose. A silent mouth sometimes twitches in his deep sleep. Straight and soft, my little nephew’s red-brown hair reaches all the way down to his tiny ears. The 10-week-old infant wears a cream onesie covered in gold lions and chestnut dogs driving blue cars, but he does not notice this playful pattern in his slumber. A yellow ribbon connects a delightfully unneeded pacifier to a blue and white zebra clip on his shirt. Hopefully, the sleeping baby will continue napping so we may enjoy his adorable, quiet face.

Lesson 2: Describing a Pet

My Overgrown Puppy

My dog Jett is a huge, excitable lab mix. A wiry soot black coat curls along his neck and upper back, waving down his spine, wagging tail, and long legs. A strip of milky white fur starts at the top of my seven year old puppy’s belly and climbs up his chest; a smaller stripe rests under the pretty boy’s chin. He has an enormous rounded head, and a long snout with thorny jumbo teeth inside ready to rip up a fake duck or snack on a treat any time. The Mutt’s short floppy ears don’t mind the sound of his thunder-like bark or high pitched whines. “Puppy” eagerly jumps up on our family and guests, licks their faces, and flops on his back for a tummy rub. Undoubtedly, gigantic and playful Jett will always have a special place in my heart.

Lesson 1: Describing an Object

Captain ‘Guin

Captain ‘Guin is no ordinary clay penguin. Without feet, he sits still on my window sill most of the day. As I hold him in my hand, I feel the distinct difference between ‘Guin’s coarse charcoal-black body and his sleek lemony yellow chest. The old paint he wears is chipped all over his body, like little freckles. Two stubby wings lie flat on the Captain’s belly. A pointy, canary yellow beak pops out from his shiny blue-white face. Captain ‘Guin’s rugged eye patch covers the fact that he has no left eye, and shows that he will always be a pirate.