It's The Simple Things.

It is so good to be home. Routine, after a break, is once again good.
Funny how that goes - you get bored of routine but then you miss it.

The six year old is delighted to be back at school. So delighted she even ate soup on soup day.
You probably need some background to appreciate this.
Each day at kindergarten has an assigned snack. Four out of five days delight her.
Soup day is 'yucky.' Her teacher has been gently trying to coax her to eat some. She started with an egg cup full, progressed to a small cup and has now managed a bowl - reluctantly. This has been an eight month process.
On soup day this week, she ran to me at pick up and declared loudly,
"Mummy, I ate the soup -I even liked it. Ben said we should call the newspaper."
Pretty witty for a six year old.

Yesterday, in the glorious sunshine we walked downtown to our local (and favorite) coffee shop.
Sitting there with a well made latte and a scone, the husband and I looked at each other,
"Now this is a vacation."
I think our rose colored view came from the fact that the baby has been sleeping TWELVE hour nights.
That alone would be a miracle but she also has been napping for two hours at a time AND she is eating like a horse.
She is as jolly and contented as a gerber baby. It's bliss.
Quite a change from her sister's earlier observation,
"Mummy, I think the baby is nocturnal - she sleeps in the day and cries at night."

Maybe it was worth three weeks of travel to get to this point. I'm thinking Hawaii in the fall.
If you are standing anywhere next to my husband as you read this - move away quickly but first provide him with pillows to punch.