Billytea - all the it's nothing ~ma in the world. Everything will be ok. . Love to you all.

That's very kind of you. Though I feel obliged to point out that it was Typo Boy doing the ma-seeking. (I wouldn't want him to go ma-less on my account.)

I am in fact having a great time here. Wallybee's parents have been staying with us for the past fortnight. It's been good having them around, Wallybee's been so happy seeing them again. I think they're pretty impressed with my Chinese, and with my beef-roasting skills, which I broke out today. (Along with a Yorkshire pudding, because after all, roast beef.)

Yesterday we all went to the zoo. I'm very sure they're impressed with just how many animal names I know in Chinese. It was a fantastic day too. The weather was perfect, the echidnas were active, the golden pheasant displayed to us (I've never seen one displating before), the Lady Amherst's pheasant came out to give us a clear view (those two are my favourite pheasants; or at least they were, the tragopan's courtship ritual is providing stiff competition). Wallybee especially liked the orangutans (they have a new enclosure, with a puzzle-maze the orangs can push peanuts around to get hold of them). Her parents were particularly impressed with the aviary, and with my reaction on seeing the echidnas were active.

This is the best weekend I've had in some time, it's been really quite relaxing. (Can I add, what a difference it makes getting on with one's in-laws.) Oh, you'd think having them around would help my Chinese; but when they're together they all speak Shanghainese.

WANT Need.

doh!

How on earth did I do that?

Tommyrot - all the it's nothing~ma. And a lot of good wishes for more awesome days to the teabees just cause.

My daughter wants to know when it will be her birthday again. Pls send moar coffee.

[link] Little House in the Suburbs - a DIY/crafty/homemade stuff kinda site with highly amusing and useful directions. If you don't mind dealing with the occasional cutesy abreviation, such as referring to the microwave as the micky.

My daughter wants to know when it will be her birthday again. Pls send moar coffee.

What did she get? How do you top a Hello Kitty toaster? (was it a toaster?)

After I finish my coffee I must grade papers. They've been here a week, but because these are from my Poland students and they're no longer able to confront me in person, I haven't finished them. Bad teacher. Of course, it took almost 3 weeks for them to get the papers to me, so I'm still in the, "it's more the department's fault," frame of mind.

Nothing~ma to you, TB.

doh!

How on earth did I do that?

Tommyrot - all the it's nothing~ma. And a lot of good wishes for more awesome days to the teabees just cause.

(It's Typo Boy.)

~Mo, Typo. From me, to you.

It's-nothing~ma in abundance to you, Typo.

And a lot of good wishes for more awesome days to the teabees just cause.

More good zoo days and loving in-laws and Fun With New Languages is always good. Plus, IME, good wishes directed at a couple that includes one pregnant person never go amiss. Growing a whole other human is hard, even when it's easy, and ~ma is always good.

That is indeed the very one I linked to.

Clearly I'm a skipper and a skimmer.