As far as baby books go, I suggest board books as they are sturdier, as well as one of those books that are made for not-yet-readers with lots of sensory elements. They are usually made of cloth and plastic and are built to endure fingers and gumming. Something like this. I never would have thought of it myself before I had kids, but each kid had their own special book. It gets pretty chewed, I wouldn't buy a used one.

Long day. About to go collapse for the night.

I kinda kicked the boys to the curb today. Well, gave them the keys to my car and sent them and the dog away to NY. For a bunch of reasons I am not quite ready to go, but I needed them all out of my hair so I could get my list done. They will, in theory, clean a couple years of dust and grit off the surfaces and launder all the linens, and generally prep the place for me before I get there. We'll see how that works out.

They stopped tonight in GA at my niece's place. Good to see the cousins getting together. I told them to take their time and relax and enjoy themselves.

Wait a moment. I just sent my 19 and 22 year old boys 1600 miles in my car. With my dog. Huh.

eta: and only the 19 yo can drive because the other one has a suspended license

Best of luck, Laura. Enjoy the quiet while it lasts.

My first wild and crazy plan is doing my morning swimming laps in the pool nekkid! The second wild and crazy plan is totally not going around picking up dirty dishes and socks from random places. Woot!

Huh. I was floating in the (public) pool this afternoon, just thinking about how very, very long it's been since I've swam naked, and how much I enjoy it.

It is a much more pleasant experience. I still do it from time to time because the boys aren't awake at the hour that I am and they would just shake their heads and divert their eyes anyway. But it seems more polite to just reserve my free swimming for when they are not around.

We're hitting the river fr my birthday; it's Kid Weekend (wherein we take the kids and distract them with each other as we drink moderately, as opposed to non-Kid River Weekend, where we drink immoderately and pay attention only t each other when we do stupid shit) and I'm thinking I can persuade my granola host for a small night excursion to the river for naked moonlight swimming.

Excellent plan!

Total parenting win.

#1 son really really really did not want to go to Otter Lake, since to him this is a fate worse than death. I had given him a deadline. Told him he had to have a job and a place to live here, or he had to go to Otter Lake because he had to be out of the house.

The boys left yesterday about 1:30 pm. This morning at 9 am he texts me that he has a job and a place to live and can he get a bus ride back. So he is getting a bus in Florence SC and heading back.

I should have sent him to the mountains a month, or six, ago.

Hysterical.