We're back!

We arrived home late last night, tired but happy. The kids had a good time hauling water, grinding corn, and pretending to sail the Susan Constant, though their chore-averse attitude at home appears to have remained intact.

I had a nice time visiting with my sister and mom. One of the hallmarks of truly 'vacating' is not having to think about, plan, and cook all the meals. My sister Beth was a more-than-gracious hostess in that regard.

One nice thing about traveling with a less-than-full complement of kids was that it gave me time to see each child a little more clearly. I find that parenting is sometimes like Impressionist painting, with many dots mushed up together; it's good to step back a bit to see what the picture really looks like.

Big Guy, Eldest and Andrew survived their at-home Jamestown adventure (they didn't starve!) but appeared pleased that it was over.