Two weeks without a post... obviously, things have been busy here, in spite of it still being summer. I just finished the #7 Harry Potter book -- and what a whopper of a book! It was excellent!! I got it in the mail around 2pm, but managed not to open it until 6:30pm, which I thought was very controlled of me. Really what it came down to was that we had church at 4:30pm, and I didn't want to have to put the book down to go to church. So, I started it at 6:30 and finished it at 1:20am -- straight through -- the guys didn't even come into my room! A great read, all around.

The guys start school in 3 weeks. James starts school in 4 weeks. We bought new shoes this week and I think I got off lightly. I only spent $140 for four pairs of sneakers. I still have to get all the school supplies, and clothes, and all the other stuff that you have to come up with at the beginning of the year, but the shoes were worrying me -- most people pay $50 or over for a pair of sneakers. Not me! I don't think I could do it.

I have decided to keep the guys going to swimming lessons with Coach Geoff. Because of emerging competitive impulses, Coach Geoff and I decided that we would do a private lesson each week for one guy, and then the other guys would be given a workout so that they could practice and still maintain any skills they have managed to develop so far. The first one was on Friday. Elias went first and his lesson went beautifully. Andy and Benjamin had their workout and it didn't go quite so well. Benjamin hadn't put on sunscreen and so I insisted that he wear his rashguard while in the pool (that is what it is for, after all), but he hates wearing it so he was a pill for most of the practice time. Next week, I hope he puts on the sunscreen, just so I don't have to hear about how much he HATES wearing the rashguard.

This week several of us got colds. Andy was first, then Ron, then me. Andy and I have pretty much recovered, but Ron is still feeling kind of crappy. On Wednesday, I actually came home from spin class and crashed on the couch for two hours. I was so out of it, that I didn't hear the neighbor kid come to visit at all -- I just woke up and he was here. Then, I took another two hour nap in the afternoon, and skipped my swim practice that evening. That seemed to do it-- I was all better. There is nothing like a couple of naps to put everything right!

I have been following the Tour de France carefully this year. Last year I watched it off and on, and cheered for my man Floyd, but this year, I am watching every Stage, usually twice. I am fascinated with the whole thing, and I have reserved a book about the Tour at the library to learn about the strategy of the teams and how the race really works. It is just amazing to see these guys riding anywhere from 50 to 110 miles a day, in bad weather, up and down mountains, and sprinting through time trials and they all just keep on pedaling.

James had a brief fling with potty training -- he went for two whole days with no accidents and no bed wetting. I was so thrilled that we made a special trip to Target to get celebratory underwear that had sharks on them (James picked them out himself). Then he decided that he was done with that. He will not poop in the toilet. I am trying not to strangle him. He is back in diapers. I keep telling him that he won't be able to go to school if he won't wear underwear, but he seems unimpressed. I, however, am totally annoyed by this whole thing. You would think I would be able to let it go after the first three disastrous experiences with potty-training.... but no, here I am lighting my hair on fire about it again.