Am meeting with the publisher this week to discuss the details of my book proposal. I said I will send them a couple of draft pieces before the meeting so they have some idea what Iｈａｖｅ　ｉｎ　ｍｉｎｄ．　Ｐｉｅｃｅｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｙｅｔ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｗｒｉｔｔｅｎ，　ｙｏｕ　ｓｅｅ．　So, over the weekend I've been half-heartedly writing it, half-hearted because the pinyin really gets in the way and ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｆｒｕｓｔｒａｔｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｆｉｎｄ　myself　ｓｐｅｎｄｉｎｇ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｔｉｍｅ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｕｐ　ａ　ｄｉｃｔｉｏｎａｒｙ　ｔｈａｎ　ｄｏｉｎｇ　ａｎｙ　ａｃｔｕａｌ　ｔｙｐｉｎｇ．

Ｎｅｖｅｒｔｈｅｌｅｓｓ，　ｂｅｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ ｏｐｔｉｍｉｓｔｃ　ｔｈａｔ　I am, and despite having only written 1,000 words in 48 hours, I believe my pinyin typing is coming along slowly but surely. For most commonly used characters, I do a pretty good job of remembering and guessing what their pinyin is.

On an unrelated note, son number 2, age 6 and a half, has been sick and was off school for a whole week, during which time he seemed to have matured a great deal. Could it be that being in school actually impedes his development?

During the past week:

1. He picked up Clive King' Stig of the Dump, read half of it in ｔｗｏ　hours, and said he likeｓ　ｉｔ!

2. He poignantly proclaimed that Sunday School is "for babies", because "they only do colouring and sticking pictures on a worksheet and singing stupid songs but don't talk about God or Jesus"!

3. He can spell "inter-dimensionality" !

4. He declared that computer games are addictive and therefore ｓｈｏｕｌｄ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｂｅ　playｅｄ only in moderation!

5. He acknowledges me as the most wonderful mother in the whole universe !

Ｓｏｎ　ｎｕｍｂｅｒ　ｏｎｅ，ｏｕｒ　ｃｏｎｔｒｏｌ　ｇｒｏｕｐ，　ｈａｓ　ｎｏｔ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｃｈａｎｇｅｄ　ｍｕｃｈ　ａｔ　ａｌｌ．　　Ｓｔｉｌｌ　ｍｅｓｓｙ，　ｓｔｉｌｌ　ｗｈｏｏｓｈｉｎｇ，　ｓｔｉｌｌ　ｃｒａｚｙ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　Ｒａｍｏｎｅｓ．　　Still after my leather jacket!