Memory Lane

So. We decided that it would be a great idea to bring only four outfits per person on this trip. Lighter luggage, you know.

We did know that we wouldn't have a wash machine in the house; that we would be going to a laundromat, but for some reason my brain didn't make the necessary calculations regarding cleanliness. 

O, for instance, goes through four outfits in a day sometimes.

So when Leo and Tante Wanda asked if we needed to wash, and insisted that we come and do it at their place, we accepted gratefully.
Tante Wanda, however, speaks no English, so I had to speak in Dutch for two whole wash machine cycles. As I mentioned earlier, I do speak Dutch. However, it is a bit of a a workout for my brain.
Tangent - I've been noticing (nod to Charlotte Mason here) that when I have a quiet moment washing the dishes or showering, that my brain goes over Dutch phrases on its own. It's a thinking and growing time, cementing in my brain the lessons I learn as I converse in Dutch. That was really neat to feel, and encouraged me to continue to make sure my students have time to themselves after hard stuff like math. -

We chatted about different things, and then she showed me a photo album she had made of all the pictures "uit Canada" she has collected over the years.

My aunt and uncle who live in Ontario; my favourite cousin sitting beside me on her mother's lap.

 

And my mother, looking so, so young.


We stayed for lunch with them ( my favourite food again, boterham ), and then left for naps before the last load came out of the dryer.
I stopped in on my way to visit with Oma to pick it up, and found that she had not only folded, but ironed everything.

!