Dream on!

This morning I took the boys for a walk about town, to do a few bits and pieces. Replaced a guitar string, cheaper than in SA, actually. Then to the catalogue shop to pick up a toy catalogue to see if we should order something for Caleb’s birthday, but it seems we would have to add about £20 for delivery charges, shipping costs and import duties, which is silly if one is only buying something to the value of £20! Stopped in at Spar for flour, which is sold in a clear plastic packet, completely unbranded. Don’t know if it’s locally produced, or if Spar buys it in really huge containers and decants it, but that’s the way you buy it. Then down to the museum to try replace Caleb’s cap which was lost at sea, but they are only open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Ugh. Nick and I took the boys to Plantation House for a picnic lunch, after which we tried the kite again, but still not quite enough wind. We just seem to pick the wrong days. This afternoon I started work on putting together songs for the Good News Club. I have to type out the songs from a music book, put in the chords, then hand-write them onto a big piece of cardboard because the church doesn’t have an overhead projector. Suzanne, the crippled girl, came around while I was busy with this, and by this time Caleb was with me in the lounge. I told her politely to go home because I was busy, but she ignored that and lay down on the carpet, and she and Caleb interrogated one another and she asked me lots of questions. I thought, oh well, she’s not doing much harm. She left after about 20 minutes or so. Another lady who I had not previously met came by later wanting to borrow £3. I turned her down. I don’t know why people think we are a charity centre (generally they don’t repay the loan), perhaps because we are linked to the church.

The other night I dreamed that a Pick’n’Pay had opened up on the island – not a hyper, the “Family” size, but it was such a wonderful thing! It was fully stocked with everything one would need, even lighting and appliances. I guess I must really be missing shops! In truth, that is my biggest, or possibly only, dislike of the island. I don’t miss much else (other than family and friends of course).

Nick swam 32 lengths today. He hasn’t done Jacob’s Ladder in a while because it’s tough on his knees, so he is giving them a good rest from that. Caleb is doing a lot of work by himself now. He has a little book, so he takes his book and the twisty crayons, and sits on his bed or a chair in the lounge, and writes letters and draws pictures. His drawings are cute, people and houses. Sometimes he copies pictures out of books – today he did a cow and pig. They all looked the same, like they have kwashiorkor, but the idea is there. Aaron can go from sleeping to 100% happy in about three seconds. His temperament is vastly different to Caleb’s. He doesn’t seem to need as much encouragement – he is probably more like Nick in that regard, where Caleb, like me, thrives on praise. Aaron doesn’t take himself very seriously and jokes around a lot. He played a trick on Caleb earlier, telling him I was in my “special room” when he knew full well I was in my bedroom. So Caleb rushed in there and discovered that I really wasn’t there. Aaron was all raucous laughter at his cleverness but Caleb thought it was funny too, and addressed the imaginary mother in the room.