In addition to the age question that others have have brought up, there is also a slight antecedent issue with "Their children". I suspect "Grandchildren" would solve both problems without disturbing the meter much.
Quote:
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When guests arrive and lighter talk’s begun
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The contraction of "has" strikes me as inconsistent with the tone of the piece. I'd consider a simple fix like:
As guests arrive, with lighter talk begun,
FWIW, I share the reservations about "manifold" that others have mentioned. These nits aside, this is, indeed, one of the best sonnets I've read this year.
-o-