7 quick takes....

 

1. Good morning! How are you? Warm? Cold? Is it a holiday where you are? Here in Malawi Pentacost is not a highlight on the calendar so Hartmut is at work, and we are having a very normal day. The girls are drawing. I don’t know how they do it, but they are working together on one drawing, and somehow they always agree with what the other does. I want to have what they have when it comes to tolerance.
2. ‘The weather is LOUD!’ Doris exclaims as she opens the door. She is right. The weather is very loud. The waves crash, the trees swing, and it’s cold. Even the girls are wearing long sleeved shorts today, without me telling them to do so. That says a lot, because they usually look at me as if I am crazy when I suggest it.
3. I hope the wind will blow out all its force and cold before the end of the week because the girls and I will take the ferry to Likoma Island on Friday. The girls are extra excited because they get to share the boat and all the adventures on it with other children. Through Instagram, I connected with a Dutch family who are travelling through Africa with a rooftop tent (how cool!) and now they’ll come and visit us, and together we’ll go to Likoma. It will be nice for the girls to play with other Dutch children and for me to hang out with other Dutch parents.
4. 15 years ago, I lived in Kenya and I had a potentially traumatic experience. The NGO that I worked for send me to Namibia, where they had counsellors and as a result I spend a month in Namibia with a lovely couple and their son; a cute blonde toddler. Fast-forward 15 years and this cute toddler became an international chess master who is competing in the African Chess Championship that is happening right now in Lilongwe. I am so grateful for Facebook because how else would I have known that he and his dad would be in the country. They came to visit us at the lake, and it was just really nice to reconnect and share a meal. One of the hard parts of our kind of life is always having to say goodbye as you move from country to country, but it also gives reunions like this. And they are sweet.
5. Did I write about our hammocks already? I am not sure but they deserve a mention. I bought two hammocks, and we hung them in our garden. One on the porch and one between trees. I could not have predicted how popular they would be. Both girls spend hours in them, and although I get nervous to see how they use them as devices to practise a scary type of acrobatics, I am glad they are getting the use that I hoped they would. The only downside is that they seem to miss the point that they are actually for relaxing (or at least, that’s what I think) because the moment I am in them, they come to push me ‘because swinging is better’ no matter how much I protest. Oh well, I am sure the novelty will wear of at some point, and then I can use them as I think is right.
6. One of the highlights last week was hosting three other homeschooling families. When I said that I was willing to host, I did not expect anyone to actually come as most people live in Lilongwe which is quite a long drive. It was nice to share experiences and for the kids to play together. At first Sophie was a bit disappointed. She had lots of plans of what she wanted to do with the children, but all they wanted to do was play on the beach and in the lake. Understandable, from both sides. Fortunately, Sophie decided to just go with it (which was a big lesson for her) and they had a blast. In the end I heard her invite all the children for her birthday party, so we’ll see how we make that wish come true.
7. Time to go. The sun has come out, and it’s warming up. The girls are outside, and I should follow their example. Have a great week! Take care….