Tulip Time:)

Yes yes, folks...finally! I have the chance to share some pictures from our eventful last weekend----we had an absolutely wonderful time in Orange City, IA this past weekend---celebrating, in full garb, I might add....Tulip Festival. Now, for those of you that do not know or understand this phenomenon of small-town Dutch pride---let me explain...for it is quite the experience. First of all, Orange City is very very proud to be Dutch. They have a Dutch bakery, Dutch reformed churches, Dutch fronts on the buildings downtown, and the statement, "If you're not Dutch, you're not much" posted as you enter the town from the highway. The area is full of De Boer's, Den Hartogs, Van Zanburgens, etc. So, understandably so, they are a prideful people when the tulips are in bloom and a heritage celebration is on the horizon. And while Jason and his family are not even a smidgen Dutch, they are good, long-standing community members; thus, we took the plunge with them:) And besides, Sweden isn't that far from Holland:) And both cultures love beautiful clothes, beautiful flowers, good food and a good laugh, so really, what isn't to love? Jonas fit-in quite well, anyway, and had 20 or so people asking to take a picture of the "Adorable little Dutch boy."---Jason was laughing on the inside.
Tulip Festival comes complete with the typical expressions of festivities----rides, funnel cakes, parades, the need for sunblock, and of course...crowds. Thousands and thousands of people come out from all over the place for this thing....bus loads of tourists from neighboring states and not-so-neighboring states. The town goes crazy for about three days, and everyone seems to have successfully dug up that Dutch costume that hasn't seen the light of day since last year---even my little boy:)
Although, his was brand new:) Grandma so graciously had a costume made for Jonas this year along with a new pair of wooden shoes for his growing feet (he already has a pair, so this is turning into a collection:). She got all dressed up with him on Friday for the big event---Sweeping the Streets---all the men and boys walk through the streets, filling buckets from troughs on the side of the road, and splashing it all over the pavement, so that the women can come through and scrub with brushes, making the way clean for the Tulip Queen and the parade to follow---This is a continuation of a tradition that began in the Netherlands wherein the streets were scrubbed prior to any royal celebration where the King or Queen would pass through...so...Jonas made his debut as a "water boy"....and loved every single waking second of it---I am sure he was just thinking, "Wow...a water fight!" Anyway, after he marched the entire parade route in wooden shoes (yes, this is one proud Mommy:) carrying his bucket and stopping a time or two to dump water (mainly all over himself)......he then rode on a float through the entire parade too!
I really am so proud of him---I had even brought his crocs along (as they resemble wooden clogs) just in case the wooden shoes started to bother him, but he loved wearing them, and actually didn't want to take them off, or the rest of his costume for that matter, even when it was all over! So, I guess, the moral of the story is...give your kids the chance to surprise you with their ability to be super flexible and involved---you never know what might just make that little one glow from ear to ear---in this case, dressing up, smelling tulips and smiling and waving at thousands of tourists was Jonas's cup of tea....we'll have to see about next year:) All-in all, this was a much deserved run down the giant slide and sour-apple flavored Hawaiian-shaved ice:)