Kids Here Speak English

Yesterday I, as part of a 5-person team of adults, tried to keep track of one 4-year old, two 3-year olds, two 2-year olds, two 1-year olds, and one 10-month old at the zoo. About the time I was trying to wrangle a two-year old and my very own one-year old out of the display crate in which the local rhino had been transported, I realized that I've broken yet another re-patriation barrier. I talk to kids without thinking they only speak Dutch. (Very timely - I wasn't sure how to say, "Please don't roll around in the rhino crate, Rebecca and Tori!" or "Why yes, Ainsley, those lorikeets love when we feed them nectar, but their claws are puncturing my scalp, and I think some wings are getting tangled in my hair." ) But I digress...

This is quite a new development: Just a couple weeks ago at the church nursery, I was thinking in Dutch. I served "koekjes" instead of cookies. And I wanted to ask if the children were "moe" instead of tired. And how exciting it was that sweet Emily is "lopen!" err...I mean walking. When it comes to my lingering foreign language use, this is the last frontier. For a few months already, really the only time I slip into Dutch, is when I'm speaking to children, my own not included.

A bit bittersweet, this latest ex-expat milestone is. My language skills are languishing quickly. If I'm not careful, it won't be too long before Dan and I have to spell words in English rather than speak them in Dutch when we need to keep Rebecca out of the loop!