Calvin, Cousins, and Communication

We were happy to be able to visit with Oom Anton and Tante Simone and most of their children.

 Their youngest is the same age as KE. He looks very much like O used to, we thought. 

The language barrier wasn’t actually a barrier for the children at all. Which is kind of neat to watch. 

Oom Anton shared that my Papa’s nickname used to be Calvin, after John Calvin.  Apparently he bought his set of Calvin’s Institutes quite young, and could quote passages from memory when appropriate. He also wore a hat similar to Calvin’s. 

Direct Dutch Lunching

We were happy to finally meet another one of my dad’s brothers this week. Oom Adri and his wife, and one of my cousins treated us to a very gezellig Dutch lunch.

I feel as if I’ve gained another aunt here; Tante Ida plans to FaceTime me when I’m back home again; which will be really nice. 

Kevin is still bemused by how direct the Dutch people are. My cousin was telling us about someone, and said, “She’s not a 10 -you know- but she is a very nice girl.” I could feel Kevin shaking with laughter on the couch next to me. I find this sort of talk to the point and easy to understand. He finds it surprisingly blunt. 

I will admit to teaching our children to talk like Maritimers, but I like this better.

OM III

I came up just in time to hear Kevin saying, “...and people would go inside this box and use that phone in there to call people...”

I posted a picture just like this last year; ‘zact same coats and everything, and I remember my sister saying how young we looked. I’m hoping she’ll make some similar comment this year; it will balance out Mama’s frank comment that we looked so tired in our official family picture this year. 

And once again, KE doesn’t want to be rushed. “You go ahead, Mom. I’ll just stay here and watch the tram.”

Look at those wires.

Outside Het Loo

We walked almost to the end of the formal gardens. KE lowered himself into a fountain (dry for the winter, happily), and walked along it to the end.

When Napoleon made his brother king of this place, many years ago, he ripped out the formal gardens, preferring a more natural woodland look.  Today the formal look has been restored, and it is certainly impressive. I’m conflicted in my thoughts about this. I don’t want to identify with the french revolutionaries, but I do like my gardens with a little more mystery and privacy; with curving pathways that lead to unexpected meadows, and wild tangles of roses bordered by orderly shrubbery.

A sign near the 84-horse stables said that, in order to maintain their status, royalty must always observe protocol. I think that this has never been more true than today, as many people now have the opportunity to be as wealthy and powerful as kings and queens, and class and caste have been discarded in favour of democracy. Maybe the only difference between Mr Jones and His Royal Highness would be the liveried guards, the crown, and the protocols.

 We didn’t get to see the boathouse, but I read that there were two pools in the stream; an upper and a lower. The royalty swam in the upper pool. 

Wiggles

Whenever we visit Oma, I talk to her in my very best Dutch, which isn’t actually very best at all, and Kevin occupies the children, interjecting the occasional question about family history.  Between the Kevin and Oma, I am learning quite a bit about our past. 

From today: Oma was engaged to Opa at 16, married at 24; the same age her mother married. 

I also asked how she felt when my father decided to go to Canada at age 20. “He was only going for a year,” she said. She paused. “But when the year was up, he was already married.”

Oma offered to hold KE for the photo Oom Adri was taking, but he wouldn’t sit still. I like to tell him he’s a barrel of monkeys these days. It’s hard to keep the lid on, and I don’t know that I really want to. 

Cousins

When I was a little girl, every year my Tante Lina would send me a present for my birthday. When you are one of many children, it's quite something to get a big package in the mail that is only for you. I spent a lot of time thinking about Tante Lina, whom I was named for, but had never seen (except for as a newborn).

And so I was very happy to finally be able to visit her on Saturday.

 Her English is limited to one phrase, she told me, ("Shall I wash the dishes?") from her one visit to Canada as a teenager. However, her daughters were home (my cousins!), and they had excellent English.

 "From watching movies," they said, "and English audiobooks." (This is not the first time I had heard how useful movies are for learning English. I need to think about this for my children's french acquisition.)

 

Here we are with Anna. "The one who looks like you when you were younger." said Kevin.

They had toys all ready for the children; a duplo train with a battery-operated engine that made Oliver laugh with incredulous glee, and lots of little dollies with extra outfits to try on.

Here's KE, escaping from Wendy. Wendy was so similar in temperament and personality to my sister Wendy that Kevin and I couldn't help but mention it. I know you can't completely see what a person is like in a short visit, but wow. Wendy IS Wendy.

She made her dress herself, and was working on knitting a scarf while we talked. 

  

Kent got lots of attention; here he is with Weike. 

 

Tante Lina, who has been a widow since her girls were little, asked Kevin to help fix their garden gate. He did so, and told her that if she had any other jobs that needed doing she could save them up until the next time he comes. 

Whenever that will be. 

It made me feel wistful. I was so glad to meet this part of my family, but who knows if I will ever see them again.

My People

My first cousin L with my youngest son, KE. 

My Oom Anton has two boys with O's brown eyes and blond hair combination. We had never noticed it before we had O, and have been thinking it is rare. Apparently not in this family! 

 

I am really enjoying getting to know my relatives here in Holland. I haven't been able to see everyone, but those I have seen have all been so kind and welcoming. I find myself proud to be able to say to Kevin: " This is my family."

WaterBus

"Wednesday next," said Oom Leo, "You go with me on the waterbus to Rotterdam."

 

It was a beautiful day; it felt like Spring.
We saw the old houses on the waterfront in Dordrecht, a marina full of old sailboats, yellow and black water taxis zipping around, and cargo boats being loaded. We saw "a million euros a metre" yachts; the taps, they say, are made of gold. 

We saw a newly launched boat, bright with brand new green paint. 

 

We saw an Ark, built full-size.  "With Jesus," said a banner on the side, "you won't miss the boat."

We went all the way to Rotterdam, and stopped on the peninsula of Heijplaat, which, 100 years ago, was a community completely developed by the shipbuilding company which owned the land, from the houses and churches to the grocery store and park.

"I like it here; it's quiet," said Oom Leo.

 A village inside the big city.

"It's a catamaran." said Kevin, grinning. "It feels way faster when you're out here."

Big Sister

Yesterday night we did a quick grocery store run to get bread and butter for breakfast, and when I went to put Kent in his car seat, I found that he was wearing this! Katherine said he "saw the tie and wanted to wear it." 

Utrecht

We took a little jaunt to Utrecht on Thursday.
Saw another of these enormous trees:



And stopped for a burger at Meneer's. I recommend it; everything tasted like real food. Ideally, I wouldn't have to mention that, but there it is.

The girls were glad to see mayo on the tables for the fries.
 

Actually, it's a bit sweeter than mayonnaise; like they added a bit of sugar. I prefer plain mayo, but this is still better than ketchup to the girls and I.
When we had supper at my Oom Leo's, there was this toothpaste-style tube on the table. Kevin passed it to me. "Want some ketchup?" he asked. I feel mildly embarrassed about my litre of ketchup in the fridge back home. How excessive.

We ate burgers, and KE

 Ate Kevin.

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.

!

Cousin Petra

We had a lovely visit with a cousin of mine this week. She and her husband live on a dairy farm on the next road. We went for what everyone calls 'coffee,' though none of us had actual coffee. It was nice  nice for Kevin to hang out with someone who speaks English well. (Though he says he finds it relaxing to be able to sit back and not be expected to talk.)
.

Watching the milkrobot milk a cow.

 

O feeding her husband Jasper's dromedary, which he keeps "just for fun."

Oma

Kent is getting so much love these days with both his mommy and his daddy available more than usual. He smiles and laughs for us, and the other morning distinctly said "doozy" several times to indicate that I needed to change him. He also says "hi," slow and gentle, as if his intent is only to charm.

We stopped at my Opa's grave this morning to pay our respects, and then visited with my Oma.  

We had a very nice chat in Dutch. Yes, I was surprised, too; I didn't realize I spoke the language. Good thing I did, though; she spoke slightly disapprovingly of my brother' visit and how he didn't know a word of Dutch, and could only sit beside her and look at pictures. 

I asked her how she met Opa. She couldn't remember exactly; in the end we concluded that young people from her village (Nieuw Lekkerland) wandered toward Kinderdyk, and young people from Kinderdyk wandered toward Nieuw Lekkerland, and so they met. 

I think there is probably a better way to translate her, but that was what I heard! 

Opa grew up in the house where the Stam bakery in Kinderdyk is today; 12 children in a small house. She said there was a loft where he slept until he married and moved down the road. 

She also told me that KA was probably teething, and likely having lots of dirty diapers because of it. Which was true.