Oh dear! What have I let myself in for?
A little while back Helen asked if I would be able to have the girls to stay for a weekend as she and Jamie will be away at the same time. Of course I say yes. They have stayed once before and are very easy to have around. BUT, in a moment of weakness, I have suggested that they bring along their friends Lianne and Florian, as their mother Joanne is also going to be away with Helen (to be honest, it will save me driving across town for play dates).
At the last minute Jim announces he will probably not have returned from his planned trip to America by that weekend - so I am frantically planning how I am going to entertain four children, by myself, without having a complete meltdown.
Friday dawns and I am as organised as a Seargent Major. Except for the fact that I cannot fit four children in our most road worthy car - no problem, I drive to work in the Toyota and will leave by 2pm. I rush home to change cars. If I go by all the back roads I should be fine in the old Rangie. Arriving at Helen's, her housekeeper, Nancy is super organised so we pile all the luggage and kids into the car and head off with them all sitting well back pretending they have seatbelts on just incase we meet a policeman on the way. We all arrive home in one piece.
They are 'camping' in the upstairs bedroom; easier to control if they are all together! Rita and Bosco have been busy moving in mattresses and mosquito nets. Mea and Lianne will top and tail in the bed by the window and Ella and Florian will be on the floor.
House rules are laid down - one hour of television or one movie per day so they all have to agree when and what they are going to watch; no going outside the buffalo fence without an adult; no lurking around the house saying there is nothing to do (they have 2 1/2 acres to play in).
Their first task whilst I prepare dinner is to draw labels for the vegetable garden. I will laminate them and tomorrow they can work with Bernard to identiy the plants and put in the labels. They then set the table for me. Florian is not keen on greens but with a little bit of encouragement ie no pudding - he manages the required number of peas and some salad - by the end of the weekend he will be eating salad without reminding. Harry Potter is the movie of choice, so everyone gets in together in the big old bath which we have in our en suite and then settles down for a couple of hours of majic. Getting them to bed is no problem, the thrill of maybe hearing lions is a drawcard.
Saturday morning, and I manage to beat them out of bed to have breakfast ready and waiting - and have a cup of tea in the calm before the storm. Breakfast, dressing and the morning jobs; they all feed the birds on the front terrace, Ella helps give Shampain and Tarbu their breakfast and then they are out in the garden to show Bernard their art work and label the vegetable garden. When they are finished it looks like we have sprouted a whole new species but they look lovely and are all the more special for having been hand made. The novelty soon wears off and Bernard has to get on with other work so it is time to head out. This morning we are going to visit Kitengela Glass. It is a short drive down our road so they are very excited about being allowed to rind in the back of the pickup. This is also a novelty for the locals walking on the road seeing 4 muzungu children bouncing along. We leave the car in the parking area at Rolph's Place. After crossing the suspension bridge across the gorge with some trepidation, it is a 2km walk across the plains. I am amazed! Absolutely not one whinge about the heat, or distance; no 'when will we be there'. The atraction is the colourful stones and pieces of glass on the ground. Everyones pockets are full by the time we finally arrive. A couple of hours watching the glass blowers and bead makers passes quickly and we sit down to drink our water and have fruit and biscuits. The 'carrot on the stick' to get them to leave is pizza lunch and swimming at Rolph's. We finally arrive home late afternoon and the vote is for another episode of Harry Potter whilst I prepare dinner. Baths and bed is early as we have another big day tomorrow. I collapse on the lounge with a glass of wine. I am half way there, one more day to go and tomorrow the cavalry is arriving in the form of my friend Laurance and her son Simon. Simon is 15 and just home from school in South Africa for holidays. The kids all love him and he can take charge. There are giggles and some grumbles coming from upstairs. I have to climb the stairs and pretend to be cross and threaten that there will be no Simon if they do not go to sleep.
Sunday morning is safari time. We have packed breakfast of muffins, hot chocolate and fruit. We have to be in an enclosed car in the park so it will have to be Rangie. The kids all sit in the back and we prop open the top flap with a stick. They take turns of being on stick duty as we go over the bumps. Everyone has paper and pencils for making lists of animals spotted and Mea is in charge of the camera. We manage to while away 3 hours driving around with a stop for breakfast. There are a few fights over positioning and Florian is getting a bit picked on being the only boy so he comes up front with me. Once we get home they are back outside playing with the dogs and watching the gate for visitors. Orders are put in for lunch and I make sandwhiches and pack a picnic for children and dogs so Laurence and I can enjoy some gossip time with out being interupted. Simon arrives and takes charge, basket, camera, blanket, dogs and off they go with instructions not to return for at least 1 hour. Time is ticking by. I receive a text from Helen saying they are about to board the plane in Lamu and will be in Nairobi by 5pm or so. We manage to keep them entertained for a couple of hours and get all the belongings which are now scattered from one end of the house to the other. Into the cars and on the road to Wilson Airport. Laurence and I settle down to a well earned glass of wine on the veranda of the Aero Club and the children run off to play and wait to spot the plane landing. Helen and Joanne arrive, loking rested and slightly tanned. Everyone is excited (and relieved). I make my apologies as soon as I can and just make it into the park gate before 6pm.
The house is quiet, too quiet. for all the hassles and whinges, I do love having the kids around. Dogs have collapsed and are fast asleep. I text Jim and tell him I am going to bed early and will speak to him tomorrow, climb into a hot bath and then to bed and fall asleep with the light on.
............there is a phone ringing somwhere. I pull myself out of sleep and find the phone. It is Jim. 'How did the weekend go?'
'Well , once I picked them up in Rangie...............................................................................'
Another chapter of Mea and Ella Visit The House On The Park is closed.
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