We may not see our boy for a long time.

He started reading The Lord of the Rings last night.

He'd been avoiding the trilogy for a while. Whenever he was in need of reading material, I'd suggest it.  But he thought he wasn't ready.  That's because three years ago, when he was 10, we started listening to the audio while moving across country.  He loved it... for a while.  But then we got home and Dad started reading it aloud, at bedtime. And then we got into the mines of Moriah.  And met the Balrog.  And that was that.

But last week we watched the movies, finally. And he is hooked.

I warned him against starting at bedtime.  I told him he wouldn't want to stop.  He assured me he could.  "Mom, I can stop anytime."  OK, that's not the exact quote.

So I have this feeling that schooltime is not going to go particularly well today.  He won't fight or complain. But he won't really be here. He'll be in Middle-Earth