Paka Baba and Gaga

We had a lovely time with the grandparents and were happy to potter around in our routines, the highlight of which were mealtimes. They had their own coffee making facilities in their room which meant they didn't have to come all the way down two flights of stairs first thing. Alastair's room was next to theirs and he enjoyed showing them his books and being read to. Gregor moved temporarily to the room next to ours on the floor below and has got back into the habit of waking me up before he barely wakes himself.

We purchased a digital TV in honour of Baba and Gaga's stay and they happily watched all the CBeebies programmes with Gregor, who was less enthralled by the news and history channels.

Here they are discussing food. I think Gaga was translating some recipes for Nela which they have already replicate back in Kiev. On that favourite subject, we managed a great variety of, often British, dishes including: sausages in many forms (since Gaga is denied these in Kiev), roast chicken and Yorkshire pudding, shepherd's pie, kedgeree, steak and kidney, Misha's salads and soups, stuffed marrow, fish and chips, lamb danshak, roasted brill, wild sea bass, haddock, mackerel pate, prawn cocktail in avocado, spaghetti and a couple of barbeques when the weather was kind. All in all they were quite satisfied with the catering.

Here they are looking just that. The backdrop is the tablecloth that Misha's maternal grandmother, Marguerita, used to have on her table and carry him round it as a baby singing to him.

During their last week we all went to Norwich. While the grandparents went around the shops at Chapelfield, we took Alastair for his post-op checks with the surgeons who were both very pleased with his progress. Once we were all done we drove over to aunt Judy's for a barbeque and a luxurious break for me, to be cooked for!

Heathrow, Terminal 2. We arrived in good time, had a coffee and sandwiches, avoided the protesters gathering and said goodbye to a reinvigorated Baba and Gaga.