I have to hurry up and post, because next week I will be cut off from everything and everyone

I am, of course, referring to the fact that the last Harry Potter book comes out in a week. I already have plans to attend a midnight launch party, even though my parents foolishly decided to come visit that weekend. They've already been informed that I won't speak to them until I'm done reading, but who am I kidding? They're not even here to see me.

I have a lot of theories about the end of the series, but mostly I'm very concerned about Harry's fate. I really don't think Rowling would kill him- it would be too traumatic for her younger readers. And by that I mean me.

Although this entire post could be my feelings about the last installment of Harry Potter, that's probably not why you're here... I've been having a great summer so far. The first week I spent in Charleston helping Matt and Emilie with their new arrivals. All I can say is, I am not nearly organized enough and I love my sleep entirely too much to ever have TWO AT ONCE. I don't know how Emilie does it, but as she keeps reminding people, she doesn't know anything else, so to her this is normal. The babies are very sweet and Cameron reminds me so much of Ryan when he was a newborn. They really have a lot of the same gestures and expressions, and so much personality, even at only 5 weeks old. Maybe it's a Thomson boy thing?

I have been having a blast just spending the days with Ryan. This really is the best age. Also the most mischevious, but at least it forces us to keep the house relatively clean! He's talking a lot now, and almost every day says something new. Yesterday I asked him if he wanted to go to the playground and he ran to the back door and said "OPEN DOOR!!" Before that it was "PUT ME DOWN!" and "GIMME!" It probably doesn't help that we laugh and clap when he says things like that- maybe we should be teaching "please" and "thank you."

I still have a lot to look forward to this summer. I'm teaching a 3-day AP Readiness class in two weeks, we're spending a week in North Carolina in August, and I'm helping to prepare the Freshman Academy in the week before classes start. Eric and I are considering an overnight trip to Block Island somewhere in there.

Psst... one last thought... I am officially 8 pounds below pre-pregnancy weight. I hope you never have to lose baby weight. IT SUCKS.

P.S. Re: the last post: No, my school year did not really end on May 7. I started a blog entry on May 7, forgot about it, and didn't finish it until June. That is how much I suck: it took me a month, and then I was too stupid to figure out how to change the date.