Back from our week in Holland.  :-)

I'm not sure how much Dutch the boys picked up, but it struck me very strongly how a familiar language is like an old friend, warming your heart when you come across it again.  Like sniffing in hungrily the familiar smell of Mom's apple pie.

I sooooo enjoyed listening to the people around me speak Dutch, even though I know other people find the language harsh on the ears.  To me it sounded sing-songy, with wonderfully rich vowels and percussive consonants swooshing in between.  I loved being able to understand, and didn't despair too much at my inability to string together more than a patchwork of little words, as I could still just about make myself understood.  It was sooooo fun!

I just wished I could spend enough time there to get the boys to have the same reaction to Dutch that I do. One week spent amongst Americans in Holland wasn't going to do it.  I guess there's always next time.....

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