Swimming with the kids!

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  Blantyre, Malawi
Sunday, October 19, 2008

Well this week has been amazing...Friday was Chisomo's 2nd birthday, so we decided to take him, Madalitso, and Kondwani (who are all about 2 yrs old)  for ice cream and to go swimming.  They were a little scared leaving the gates of the orphanage, but we sang songs with them along the way and they were fine.  We had to change them out of their cloth nappies and into the swimsuits that I brought along.  Chisomo and Kondwani were ok in the pool, but Madalitso was so scared at first.  He warmed up to it after a while and they all had fun.  We took lots of pictures and a video.  Then they all downed their ice cream with no problem at all, then we hurried back so they wouldn't miss dinner.  We have a new volunteer here, Karen, from England.  She's really great and she, Claire, and I have been doing everything together.  Yesterday, Karen and I took 4 year old twins, Morris and Emmie to the pool and for ice cream because they will be returning home to their family next week.  They had a blast in the pool and when we got back, Morris told the house mother that they played in a big bath in the bathroom!!!  He was hilarious!  We found out that Maggie (2 yrs), will be returning to her family this Thursday, so this afternoon we will take her, Nizia, Sarah, and Esime to the pool and for ice cream.  After that, I think we are going to stick with just taking the older kids a few times a week.  One day this week, we are going to each take a baby into town with us and wrap them on our backs in a chitenje like the local women do.  It'll be so cute!!  We have a few babies in the hospital right now.  A 4 day old baby named Mary was brought into Open Arms on Friday by her grandparents and they took her straight to the hospital.  There is another baby named Mischeck, who is 4 months old and weights only 5 pounds...They brought him to the hospital yesterday because he's been really sick.  I've been spending a lot of time with him because he is always screaming and he's better when I cuddle him.  It's scary though because he is literally just skin and bones and he's so awkward to hold (very fragile).  I hope he'll be ok, but I'm really not sure that he will be :o(     Claire and I got a membership to a local pool and gym.  We've been doing that almost every day, so slowly but surely, I am getting into shape.  Ireen invited me to go to her house on my birthday in 2 weeks, so that's where I'll be.  Friday night, we had a little party in her room.  It was her, Anna, and the 3 of us volunteers.  We brought drinks and snacks and taught them drinking games.  I took some really funny videos and pictures.  It was a lot of fun!  One of Ireen's daughters works at the market here and she brings her baby to work with her, so I went the other day to visit them and I brought them yogurts and M&M's.  She was so happy.  Claire and I (and now Karen as well), are still working on organizing the storage room.  We are almost done going through all of the clothes, medical supplies and shoes, but we still have tons more to do.  It will take at least another 2 weeks.  I need to get going now...I'm going to attempt to put pictures on her here again...I try every time, but it hasn't worked yet...Maybe today will be my lucky day.

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