New Years

Yesterday we took to the shops, and after going from one shop to another, couldn’t find anything suitable for the boys to buy with their combined £20. We had almost given up, when I spotted a kite tucked away in a corner of a shop which doesn’t even sell toys, so we promptly encouraged the boys to buy it. It’s very big, dragon shaped, and looks quite sturdy. As yet haven’t had opportunity to test it though. I bought a watch, a purple kiddies watch which works just fine, as my Swatch isn’t working too well anymore. We pottered around in the afternoon, I cleaned pots and replanting some little plants (get it, ‘pottered’ around…), and Nick cleared away some plant rubble (actually bougainvillea cuttings which had accumulated in the alley between the house and church). We’re still working hard to get things nicely organized around the house and sorted out and personalized, and still lots of work remains. It’s good though. After that, we were so hot that we went to swim. Got there just after 4 and left about 5.15. Caleb was in the water the entire time, swimming around, even swam out to the deep-end, under our eagle eye supervision of course. He is doing doggy paddle now and LOVES the water. Surprising how he’s taken to it, isn’t it? Aaron also enjoyed it, but he gets cold, so he got out after about half an hour and lay in the late afternoon sun with a towel under and over him. I think that’s his favourite part of the whole swimming thing, when he gets to be wrapped in a towel and lie in the sun. Got home, had a quick supper of pasta-and-sauce, then had to start getting the house tidy again in preparation for the evening’s guests. Our first caller arrived at 20h50, ten minutes early. Then someone else came at 21h15, then some more dribbled in over the next hour. We had a small group of twelve. 23h30 came and we went next door to the church for the watchnight service. It was very good. Nick opened a prayer time for anyone to pray, and many did. He preached a short sermon on Psalm 1, what NOT to do to be spiritually blessed, and what TO do. Then at 00h00 we all wished one another, then people went home. Then there was a bit of cleaning up to do, and finally bed. By the time I got to bed though, although tired, I couldn’t sleep again. Lay awake until the rush hour traffic started at about 02h00, people walking home from town or driving home, all of whom seem to have to pass our house. The pedestrians were talking and laughing, mostly inebriated to a greater or lesser degree, and that went on for at least 40 minutes. Sleep finally came sometime after that. I thought I would have a little rest now while the boys are quiet, but that didn’t work either.

Yesterday Caleb and Aaron were playing a game of doctor-doctor. I asked how the game went and Caleb explained that Aaron was the sick person and he, Caleb, was looking after him. Then he led Aaron away with his arm around him, very sweetly. Shame, they are so good together. Caleb often takes it upon himself to be Aaron’s teacher, so he will show him how to write letters, or ‘read’ a book to him, or show him how to put books back on the bookshelf properly. He has also taken on the responsibility of opening the bathroom blind in the morning, so when I go in it’s been higgledy-piggledy pulled up and somehow wrapped around the cleat. I have to redo it everytime, but I don’t mind that. He’s learning responsibility and can really be quite helpful! Yesterday when I was potting, he walked around to the front of the church where we had put some beach pebbles in the grave thingies, to get some stones for me to put in the pot. This while Aaron was sleeping.