Devenish

'You must be very pleased with him.' This from the director of an integrated education programme from University of Toronto, whom we met the other day when she and her colleagues were in Kobe on a research visit at Shinwa Women's University. Ayumi takes Justin over to this DS group about once a month, one of the many regular visits his condition requires (or allows, depending on the particular appointment). With some experience of Down Syndrome children, she was impressed—as nearly everyone is—at how engaged and communicative Justin has become at 17 months. We are, of course, delighted too that he is doing so well, though we can claim no credit for this; nor blame, when things aren't always as they should be. Recently, one of our friends reported on FB that their son, born a month after Justin, had started to produce two-word utterances; meantime, Justin has multipurpose "ba" and we are still waiting for him to stand unsupported. A reminder, as if we needed...

Click to play I've been trying to make up for my neglect of family photography the past few weeks--parse that as you will--and it's produced some interesting contrasts, like these for example: Seán giving his first public 'cello performance on 16th June (Julian's birthday), and—one week later—in more casual attire; Julian looking around Toys'r'us for some more Lego to add to his stock of premium plastic nonsense. Radio broadcasts of the past few weeks, including the excellent discussion of Ulysses on Melvyn Bragg's In Our Time , have also left me wondering how Julian had got to be six years' old before I realized that his birthday is Bloomsday. Not much of an Irishman, am I, not to know this? (I should tell you something you don't know?!)

Not as puzzled as he looks... So, for some reason this evening, just as I was on the point of doing something else more useful, I heard the "scientist's So" on In our Time and was driven to near distraction, or at least to the point of sufficient curiosity to google: "Why do scientists start sentences with so ?" (Google reminds me constantly that I am not alone, either in powers of observation or ability to rant about things of little consequence.) So, it turns out that other people have noticed this insanely annoying habit of academics—especially those in the hard sciences and engineering—to begin their utterances with "so". It is, as one commentator puts it, more tic than conjunction, and is often self-aggrandizing (whether intentionally or otherwise is less clear).   http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9644000/9644002.stm http://www.celestialmonochord.org/2006/01/scientists_say_.html What is interesting about it, at least for ...

For weeks, I've vowed to get back to this, and till now I haven't found the time. Just one more paper to finish, just one free day without (thankfully minor) children's illnesses to contend with, just a little more discipline before bedtime, and I could have a half-decent post every week. Honestly, that's the goal... Meantime, here are some pictures that show (i) that we've moved quite successfully to our new home—we even have a wonderful name-plate; (ii) that we're all well and—in the children's case at least—growing in the right direction. More, insightful commentary will follow as and when...(also pictures of Ayumi, which are currently wanting):