Tuesday 4 May 2010

The Nederlander

I’ve had ten of them.

Friday was the tenth ‘Koninginnedag’ I’ve had the dubious pleasure of experiencing.

Ten times I’ve seen the Dutch national holiday come and go in its usual sea of orange clothing, odd songs, and untimely downpours. Yet not once have I ever particularly enjoyed it, other than as an excuse to imbibe that little bit extra. Not a surprise I suppose, being a foreigner.

I wonder about Mango though, technically she is Irish, despite her birthplace, but for all intents and purposes she’s going to have her early years surrounded by the same things that every other little Dutch girl has.

Her Irish passport is winging its way to us as we speak, albeit probably via the hands of an Israeli assassin, or first being used as an incentive for an Arab billionaire to invest in some Galway based businesses. Should it eventually arrive in one piece it will be the only thing to set her aside from all her peers at school or daycare.

She will be sung Dutch songs, will be told Dutch fairy tales, and will play Dutch games with her little Dutch friends.

She’ll be cycling before she can walk, having cheese for breakfast, and talking with a funny accent.

We’re raising a foreigner.

A cute one though.

47 comments:

Kalei's Best Friend said...

Definitely a cutie... Mine weren't that young when they got their first passport!. Good for her!.

Making Babies said...

Just look at that hair, please tell me you have already put ribbons and clips and all sorts of hair accessories through it already... Too cute!!

Breigh said...

She is SO cute!

... but her hair is thicker than mine, that is so unfair! :P

Corkmum said...

The passport is probably going to take longer to get to you cos all the ladies in the passport office are passing it around ooohhhing and aaahhhhhing over Mango....she is a sweetie!! Funny cos I have a friend in Ireland who is Dutch and her kids also have as much hair as Mango,must be something in the Dutch hair!

AnnB said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AnnB said...

I have a great CD of Rosaleen Linehan telling children's stories - I could get a copy to you if that would help. A beauty like Mango should get to hear all about the wonders of the lessons learnt by King Labhraid Lionnseach!

Kelley @ magnetoboldtoo said...

sorry, were there words in this post? I didn't notice cause OMG BAY-BEEE!

Jenni said...

ridiculously cute.

Mwa said...

You just keep her nice and Irish. The one thing Northern Europe has enough of already is Dutch people. More than plenty. And Koninginnedag is just plain annoying. Only marginally less so than their bloody carnival. (I'm Flemish - I can't help it.)

Veronica Foale said...

My WORD but she looks like you!

Ms. Moon said...

I have an actual physical urge to kiss that child.

Betty said...

Awwwwww...

Bonnie B. said...

Good God, that child is adorable!!!
(that's all I've got)

Ed said...

Dude, you hit the jackpot. That is one cute kid!

Geri Atric said...

Know what you mean. Boiled egg, cheese, brown bread and hagelslag for breakfast.... My Anglo/Celtic (now grown up) kids, are as Dutch as they come - in tastebuds and dialect (although I did register them as British as well). The eldest has re-emmigrated to the Scottish Highlands, hoch aye *sigh*. Still, have to be grateful for small mercies I suppose - she was talking about emmigrating to New Zealand(!) before deciding to don the kilt.
Your Mango will be a delightful Irish/Dutch 'mengelmoes'! Bless her.

Horse Chick said...

In any country or on any continent she is such a GORGEOUS baby!!!!
Real Dutch babies don't have that beautiful dark (big)hair or those ravishing blue eyes!!

Robin said...

For certain there was no oops in the petri dish. Sanne is perfection and she is Yours!

Putz said...

i have decided to stop saying how cute she is because that tells everyone how cute you must be, and i can't admit to that...EVERYTING DUTCH, HOW WOULD EVERYTHING DUTCH BE///??, BY THE WAY I HAVE GOT WOODEN SHoES I WEar WEWHEREEVER I GO..had them customed made in rotterdamn

Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] said...

But what accent will she have?

Make her have an Irish accent please.

Rebecca said...

She has a serious head of hair and is totally gorgeous!

Sue @ Smiffy's Blog said...

Like the others, I can't get over her head of hair! Bless her, she's going to be a real heartbreaker that one...Dutch or Irish it doesn't matter she'll still be one with those looks! Sue x

Barbara said...

She is so beautiful.

Kori said...

Doesn't everyone eat cheese for breakfast? Really?

And I can help but comment on how absolutely gorgeous she is; are you SURE she is yours?

Dora said...

OMG! That is the cutest little Irish Dutchgirl ever! Been meaning to comment, but I've been busy with my own little blue eyed charmer. Only mine's a ginger. :-)

Gail said...

Frodo Baggins sprang to mind when I saw that photo......;)

Think there is a ruling somewhere that the longer you wait for a baby the cuter it turns out?

River said...

A little Irish Dutch woman. Interesting.

Jane G said...

She is just getting cuter and cuter by the day. Next time you come home on holidays I just have to meet you, I really want a cuddle of her :D

Steve said...

Another great photo. And that hair...!

I'm sure she'll grow to be very proud of her Irish roots.

Anonymous said...

A Beautiful little Irish/Dutch chick with blue eyes and a mane of gorgeous dark hair...look out world!

-Tanya

Muddling Along said...

Look at her beautiful hair ! Its too adorable

Sadia said...

The first time I realized that my children were American was when I was able to hear through the baby-speak to the American accent. It's a little horrifying. (I have an American accent now too, though I should rightfully have a Scottish one.)

I'd better start teaching them to put Us where they belong, or they'll be writing atrocities like "honor" and "favorite". *shudder*

Holemaster said...

Look at all that hair. She even has a hair style going on. She's lovely!

areyoukiddingme said...

Her hair looks like a wig in that picture! Hilarious! She's a beauty, though.

You could always move back to Ireland before she goes to school, you know.

AnnD said...

Best of both worlds! I think it's neat!

Heather said...

We have bald babies in our house, so when my newest baby was born I was shocked to see what I thought was a serious head of hair. Your daughter's hair could eat my daughter's hair for breakfast. I love it. She is beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Oh. MY. What a doll! She is GORGEOUS!

-Rikki

Anonymous said...

Oh. My. Gosh! Your little one is absolutely adorable! Cute is an understatement. :)

Ave said...

Ow my ovaries! Is it bad that I'm jealous of her hair?! Man, you're so lucky!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Jo said...

A supercute one. That photo should be blown up on the wall, over looking all who visit!

Martin said...

@Chrissy - No choice but to, otherwise no travel allowed!

@Making Babies - Noooooooo! ;-)

@Breigh - It's actually fairly light, but there's just lots of it!

@Corkmum - Funny thing, her passport pic is the most unflattering one imaginable.

@AnnB - Hold that thought!

@Kelley @ magnetoboldtoo - Meh.

@Jenni - :-)

@Mwa - Such anger!

@Veronica - A handsome child of course!

@Ms. Moon - hahah

@Betty - aww indeed!

@Bonnie B. - It'll do ;-)

@Ed - Yeeuuuup.

@Geri Atric - Funny. Since 2005 the citizenship laws have changed so there was no choice but to have her 'be' Irish.

@Horse Chick - Dutch kids are almost always blonde!

@Robin - hehehe

@Putz - Watch out for splinters!

@Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] - god only knows....

@Rebecca - it is serious isn't it!

@Smiffy's Blog - It looks that way

@Barbara - :-)

@Kori - easy does it there now...

@Dora - A ginger! excellent

@Gail - Oi... Behave

@River - All sorts of messed up!

@Jane G - at the rate the passport is taking, I'm not holding my breath.

@Steve - she'll have no choice ;-)

@livingrightnow - hehe

@Muddling Along Mummy - :-)

@Sadia - stay on top of those Us, and unnecessary use of Zs instead of Ss.

@Holemaster - Not a bad one!

@areyoukiddingme - er, no. ;-)

@AnnD - hehe sort of.

@Heather - I find bald ones kind of funny now.

@Rikki - :-)

@justjuli - hehehe

@Ave - I know we are, very much so.

@corymbia - thanks ;-)

@Jo - I take it you mean 'enlarged' on the wall as opposed to some odd semtex concoction...

Anonymous said...

Sanne is absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous...you gotta get that child into commercials! We can all say we knew her when Spencer wasn't quite getting the job done!

A Free Man said...

I'm raising Australians. Which is slightly disturbing. But that's what it is, so I feel like I should insure that I'm raising the best Australians I can. Thus, far too many days spent at odd Australian football games.

Chelsea Lietz said...

Looooove her hair!

Martin said...

@Hotmammamia - You yanks and your commercials!

@A Free Man - I'd rather an Aussie Rules game over Hockey or Tulip munching, any day.

@Chelsea Lietz - It's really something isn't it!

Missy Boo said...

Awww! Your little foreigner is just too cute :)

Blues said...

Well, with me, when we have ours, they'll automatically be half spanish half american because of the household. But sometimes it disturbs me a little that the kid will undoubtedly be more Spanish than American growing up here.

I was in the embassy recently and saw a blond woman with her two blond, american looking children. She addressed them in English and they responded to her in English. But with eachother - they were two little Spaniards saying little Spanish things to each other.