More at Lake Malawi

Posted on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 10:02

 Emily’s birthday dawned wet and soggy.  She turns three today and she agreed with Jon that she looks a whole year older today than yesterday. She already knows what she is getting for a present. She found this brightly wrapped package the first day we were here and was quite delighted with the contents and sorely disappointed when her mother said she couldn’t have it until her birthday. It’s tough to be almost 3.

There was quite a light show in the night over the lake. The lightening stretched across the whole sky without a let up. I was too sleepy to watch long but some sat on their balconies and enjoyed it.  All during breakfast we watched dark columns of bugs come up from the water making it look like the lake was smoking.

The Kirbys provide glow sticks in the evening and most everyone joins in a game of kick-the-can in the dark. One glow stick goes in a water bottle so people can find the “can”. There is not a ton of hiding places so ingenuity is a must. I have seen glow sticks in the tops of trees and I have seen kids hiding their glow sticks and sitting in plain view amongst the spectators. It is not wise to lurk around other people’s cottages as Jonah and Abi found out. One tourist who thought his porch, which is very close to our porch, was private and must have forgotten his clothes indoors…. At any rate he disappeared fast. Abi never noticed but she sure wanted to know why Jonah was such a basket case silently shaking with laughter and totally unable to speak. Lying in the sand is not a great place to hide either; sand fleas and ants make waiting rather uncomfortable.

Jason and Antionette enjoyed their meal out. They said the food was good and it felt just like they were eating in this German lady’s kitchen. They figured it cost more for the lady to make the food than she charged them. The girls were good and easy to watch and the baby was also, at least until she got hungry. Then there wasn’t much anybody could do to make her happy. I wanted to keep her under the mosquito net but she didn’t like that idea. After all, the party was outside!!! Uncle Steve took a turn trying to sooth her and then Memere took over. Antionette could hear her screaming from the parking lot when they got back and Antionette was smiling… so nice to know that you are so needed and no one can take your place!

Since the rain stopped most everybody has been playing volley ball. Unfortunately my children have inherited my total disinterest in ball games. Vanessa won’t even go investigate and says she isn’t interested in broken fingers (it’s almost time to go home and she wants to play her harp and piano!!)  Brianna tried it for a bit but didn’t enjoy the pain in her wrists so she is busy with a sandcastle. Being a social creature, Christina is trying, but we won’t ask the boys their opinion of her skills. Steve played too hard as usual and one toe is black and blue.