A Little Respite

My parents visited last weekend and thought it would be fun to take Nathan up to their house for a couple of days. I was grateful for the break, and had forgotton how much easier it was to parent one child. (Of course, I didn't think so at the time...)
Yesterday was a breeze. I spent the morning doing puzzles, reading, and playing with Jamie. Then, after lunch he went down for a 3 hour nap - nice. I probably should have taken that opportunity to do some chores around the house, but instead I got to sit and read the 2nd half of my book club book - uninterrupted. Then, I carded some wool and spent some time knitting. It was wonderful. :)
When Jamie woke up, I helped to build a train track and he kept himself busy until dinner time while I knit some more!
Just look at these pics - he's completely engaged... There was no squabbling over who got which trains, no tears when someone decided to take pieces of the track apart (because he did it when he felt like it,) and no distractions when it was time to clean up. Of course, these are all character-building things and I'm ever so glad we decided to have more than one child for many reasons... but my goodness, it can be difficult sometimes!
This afternoon, I'm meeting with my mum in Marysville so I can bring Nathan (and myself) back to reality. Although it was nice to have a break from his constant chatter, I missed his silly 4-year-old jokes and his efforts to "help" me with the household stuff. And besides, if I think things are crazy now... just wait until baby #3 arrives!