Wooden boats, family outings and wobbly hands

I'm bored. There are guests arriving, but only at 6pm and I have to be at the desk all day in case of people wanting to rent kayaks. Bush and Jurie are heads down doing the books and the kids are frootling about under the watchful eye of Zoda, swimming and colouring in (new best thing for Ben) and getting into spats which I have to sort out every hour. Just loaded them all into the rattletrap to do errands in the village - which is bustling as it's Saturday morning. Got us some dvds to watch tonight - very civilised here - and now have a fresh pot of Chombe tea at my elbow and time to spare.
Had another great afternoon at Monkey Bay last week with Jurie's sister Juleta. She found a pile of down ski jackets - got one for myself to brave next winter if we are in CT (haven't been for the last 3 winters so it might be tough!) and two more to sell. Gorgeous stylish puffy things. Mine is green - a lovely limeish/apple.
Previous week the specials were fleece blankets (which we are actually using every now and then.)
(Just spotted Ben and Buj racing naked along the beach - despite strict instructions that there is to be NO naked swimming. Gone feral!)
Now it's almost a week later - things suddenly got busy. Jurie's mum arrived and Dan left on leave, Jurie got Malaria, so we were short staffed (again!) - all a bit hectic. But did a stint on Mumbo as hostess for escape (it's called work, but really isn't!) - with 5 paediatricians. (Malawi bristles with aid workers - especially doctors! Read Paul Theroux on the subject in Dark Star Safari - an account of his trip through Africa. No rose coloured sunnies on that one!)
Was a great night though and all the guests were lovely and insisted on putting their tables together for meals, so had good conversation again- always such a joy for me. I realise here that I am a bit of a social animal - can take isolation (well always with attendant husband and offspring, the darlings) for just so long then need a good chat! Also need to shop - missed Monkey Bay last week and it's now imperative to go on Tuesday. I know I will never be able to shop in a normal shop again - can't bear not to treasure hunt and find bargains.There - I have revealed myself as an empty-headed twit who lives to shop and talk - may as well live in Sandton, except that it would kill me...
What news of life on the lake? Not much. Zoda found a real carpenter ( a lovely beaming, chubby (rare in Malawi) chap) to make a proper boat for Eddie's birthday - this one is about 40cm long, floats, is painted properly and has every feature of Nankappa in exact, proportional detail - amazing. Cost about R250, which is expensive here, but worth it for such a magnificent piece of work. Think we'll do a picnic on the real boat for the party - cruise around Thumbi island with a boat full of sugar-hyped kids! (Don't worry, Mum, they'll have life jackets!)
Now I aim to find half an hour in the day for myself - I paddled my own canoe (an apt idiom, except it was a kayak) for the first time yesterday and it was a breeze. Bush and I had a rare afternoon off together and took the boys paddling down the lake edge on an adventure. We went to Cape Mac Lodge for a swim in the pool - huge treat, then to the Gecko Lounge for tea (and beer and icecreams - king cones so Ben and Ed in heaven!) and to get dvds for the night, and then to Gaia for the most delicious carbonara! Gaia had two missionary families staying - one forgets there are still people trying to convert the dark hordes in Africa - really extraordinary after all these years - isn't everyone who wanted to be converted already?! The 7 year old, Maisie, asked me in a loud piping tone whether I was a Christian. "Gosh, I don't really know anymore, Maisie," I said and she stared at me in astonishment. I changed the subject hastily.
Anyway - that was the first afternoon we have spent together as a nuclear family since we got here so it was a lovely day. Buj and Java are on Mumbo at the moment so Ben and Eddie are having to play together and are doing so amazingly harmoniously. Plus they have no teacher or Zoda or me to look after them, but they are just getting on with it. They are playing a complicated game involving three sticks of bamboo (a mum, dad and a baby) and it's keeping them terribly busy. It also involves climbing every tree in the garden - no physio needed here in the tropics. I wish I could send Ben's colouring-in to Aunty Brenda with a little note telling her that if you just leave children alone a little, and let them grow at their own pace, even the wobbliest little hand learns to stay in the lines eventually - which is, after all, one of life's greatest and most valuable skills! When I remember her showing Bush and a very tearful me, all the class's efforts and then flinging Ben's wild scribbles on the top of the pile with a triumphant " and this is Ben's attempt!", I am filled with uncharitable and violent impulses! Schools can be such life-affectingly horrible places sometimes - so glad we opted for the Waldorf route.
Time for lunch (bangers and chips and salad - very healthy!), naturally not cooked by me - the joy!
PS Belated pics are of Buj's pirate party in May - complete with treasure hunts (x5!) and walking the plank...