The end of a visit: on my own again

(Be sure to scroll to the end of this post for a little visit with Jonah, if you're interested in meeting the little fellow.)

Today, my mom and Rachel finally had to go back home. Our month long visit was a lovely one. Not only is my mom an incredible cook, but she also continually encourages me and inspires me to success as a mother to my own children, and in the gentle art of making a home; cheering me on as I made time in my day to put laundry away, cleaning a bathroom while I uncluttered my house, giving the children the extra hugs and cuddles they've been needing since Jonah arrived, and taking turns rocking and burping Jonah (who is just now coming out of a fair amount of colic), any many more things too innumerable to mention. To say that she's helped me this past month is an understatement. At the end of every visit that I have with my mom (when I go back to NY for a visit or she comes here), she helps me come up with a game plan to have successful days with my children. Equipped thusly, I feel that I can take on anything.

Jonathan joined us this past weekend, and very helpfully agreed to drive them to the airport this morning, saving my children and I from having to make the trip ourselves.

Here are some pictures from the past week:



After reading Alicia's post here, I remembered that I had some leftover pita bread that I'd made for one of our last meals with Greg. The children call it "Daddy" bread, because I told them once that he really likes my pita.



Anyway, they had a fun time decorating pizzas themselves, and they all had much more enthusiastic attitude about eating dinner because they'd made it themselves. (Hooray!!)




I ordered some things from a British import shop that I've been wanting to try for a while, and it came in time to enjoy for the last week of our visit:



Many scones (from A. Susie's mix!) were enjoyed slathered with the clotted cream, and we found any opportunity to drown things in Golden Syrup (grits laced with sharp cheddar, and a pool of this in the middle. Oh so good.)

I save stale bits of bread from the ends of loaves, etc., and so we took our little cache over to the stream to feed the poor cold ducks (they don't migrate from here because it isn't usually cold enough to warrant it. I think they're regretting their choice this year!)












The walk put Jonah to sleep immediately. (Feather in my hair courtesy of Andrew "You're Yankee Doodle now!")



He's been a rather fussy guy in his short life, suffering from a bit of colic. He sleeps well at night, but it has seemed that he's spent more time crying than anything else. Last week for the first time we started to really see his personality; he seems to be growing out of his digestional troubles, and has actually begun to smile and coo at us. It's priceless.

(This video was taken this morning just after my mom left)