visit from folks and the joys of Japlish

My folks visited last week on their way back from visiting the Tokyo Meri's, bearing gifts and tales of their two grandsons over there.

Mum & Dad spent 3 weeks looking after nephew #1 (3.5 y/o) while Brother, Sister-in-law and nephew #2 (8 weeks old and still in hospital but almost better) coped with new jobs and commute-to-hospital-to-breastfeed schedules. Brother's new job has much more family-friendly hours so yahoo for him! Mum apparently refined her Advanced Toddler Reasoning and Bribing skills (you know - "you can have another chip once you've had a mouthful of chicken and broccoli").

Gifts include little clips and gizmos for attaching things to prams, attaching hats and dummies to babies, small cases for storing rolled up damp flannels with a little cartoon character on the front called "Wanco". Bags with mutated South Park characters all over it, and words of wisdom such as "Happy Day We are good friends! A breath of fresh air! Love begets love Tast (sic) the goody Fresh and crispy Strawberry A sound mind in a sound lody (sic)" (all on one bag). And some pretty groovy t-shirts that miraculously fit me despite vastly different Japanese sizing system.