Visiting season

"Who's coming today?" Edith asked as we got into the car after church. She was disappointed to learn we weren't entertaining any guests this afternoon, telling us how much she has enjoyed having different visitors in the past week. Us, too. After a semester in the zone, we seem to have done a season's worth of visiting with friends in the span of ten days.

First, Helene and Desi's mom, Jenn, brought the kids up to Princeton to play on her last day of maternity leave. We took an updated photo of the relative size of the babies, for which Helene was determined to make a good showing:


The following day it was Alice's turn to play the small one next to 8-month-old Gabe, visiting from Boston with his brother, Toby (3), and parents, Jenn and Gregg. It was great to see them all, if too briefly.

The recumbent pose belied Gabe's skill as a master crawler

Jenn managed to catch on-the-go Toby long enough for a sweet smiley photo, even if we couldn't persuade him to open his eyes

Wednesday my graduate school friend was in town from Israel for one day and proved she knew how to relate to kids by showering praise and affection on Edith upfront, then leaving her alone to do her own thing, never asking her to perform. Which meant we didn't take pictures either.

Friday Edith's other favorite Bostonian, Rebecca, visited with her friend, Eric, and his adorable dog, Miles.

Saturday I gave a final exam and spent the day grading it, but Edith got to play with old buddy Harrison, in town from Texas for his mother's graduation ceremonies. I was sorry to miss them (and since it was Tom attending, not me, there are no pictures), but fortunately they will be back next weekend for Harrison's father's graduation ceremonies. I'll be participating in those, too. Before then, Tom will be commissioned as a deacon in the Methodist Church, the next-to-last stage before he is finally eligible for ordination in two years.

Between the blooms, the foliage, Edith's birthday (and the annual anniversary of our becoming parents), the professional milestones we seem to celebrate each year, and the friends who start visiting as soon as the summer season begins, May has quickly become a favorite month in our family.