Home Again, Home Again

Well, now that we are back home after our lovely vacation, you'd imagine the girls would be delighted to see the toys they had left behind for a week.  Madeleine, however, opted for the unconventional route of ignoring her toys and instead playing with her laundry basket:

I mean, I  know we didn't get to do laundry the entire time we were away, but I certainly wasn't expecting Madeleine to get so excited over seeing her laundry bin after a week's separation.

At least she decided to try out some other costumes as well, donning her astronaut gear -- although, with her fishy dress, she's sort of demonstrating competing alliances.  Perhaps she'd be better suited in a submarine than in space:

We're all still yearning a bit to be back in the idyllic New Hampshire setting of our past week, though of course there's really no place like home.  The kids have differing opinions on that statement, however.

ME: Julia, are you glad to be back home at our house?
JULIA: Mama, I just wish we could STILL be in New Hampshire!  I wish we could stay there INFINITY days!

ME: Madeleine, did you have a great time on vacation?
MADELEINE: No, Mom, we're still IN vacation.  (gesturing around the living room)  This IS vacation.

I think Madeleine really gets it.