Day 675. Last night it was 1:30 am; too late, as our alarm went off at 7:25 this morning. While they were not so loud as to wake us up, they were all awake. I made breakfast, fed them, cleaned them up and dressed them. At 8:15 we left the house to go to their first dance class. We walked to the bus stop, took the bus, and both Tammy and Emmy were sitting with me on the bench. After we got off, we still had to walk quite a bit to get to the big business complex. Now the challenge was to find building K; I even saw a sign for building Z. There was another Mom with a baby. Since it was her first time as well, she was also looking for the building. I asked a guy who pointed us in the right direction, and we finally got there, nearly on time.
The class started at 9 am and lasted for 90 minutes. There were six kids in total (due to Corona), and Sammy was allowed to be there without paying because of his condition, so he was the 7th kid. It was a nice lady who was the teacher. We had to show her our Covid test, and then she got started. First we all sat down on the mats on the floor. I had all three kids with me who were curiously and cautiously watching everybody, trying to figure out what was going on. Age-wise they were on the upper end, compared to the other kids. The teacher started with a song that was welcoming each child separately. She included Sammy from the beginning, which was great. Then she did another song, where they had to stand, and she was doing motions. Our kids were just standing there and watching her. It did remind me of the program at church, so our kids have seen this kind of thing before.
The teacher did not go on for long. The kids weren't too interested or participating, so she decided to do play time early. It was the first time after all. They had LOTS of toys, so that was paradise for all the kids there. Soon ours were playing as happily as if they were at home. They had these different shaped mattress blocks, similar to what Sammy is using at physiotherapy, so Randy went with him over there and started working with him on going up the stairs. Tammy and Emmy were riding cars, going through the tunnel, and Emmy was having fun with the teacher, our little comedian and casanova. He has already won her over. They were playing with toys, and even with everything there, Emmy wanted to go up on the window sill and look outside (just the courtyard). All three were having great fun. Then the teacher called everyone back together into the circle, and she did a snake song. Kids started coming up and grabbing her snakes, including Tammy. Then she did a good-bye song - the same one they used to do at swim class. And then it was over.
We put them back into the strollers and started the long walk back to the bus stop. Again Tammy and Emmy were on the bench with me. By the time we got home, it was 11 am. They all went downstairs, while I went straight to work getting lunch ready. I cooked the fish, and warmed up the baby food jars we're working on getting rid of. Once they're gone, it won't be that easy to get something quick when necessary. I got all the food ready by 11:30, and they came up to eat. They must have been hungry. Everybody loved the fish and ate it all, including Sammy.
After dessert, I cleaned them up and dressed them, and Randy went downstairs with Tammy and Emmy, while I cleaned and dressed Sammy and put him to bed. He took a little longer to fall asleep today; he'd lost his pacifier and fell asleep after I returned it to him. Then I went to get Emmy and put him to bed. Normally I walk away, and he falls asleep, without any sound. Not so today. He started crying hard, got up, and actually climbed up and out of the bed successfully! He was on the floor, when I walked over to his bed!!! What desperation can make you do! I put him back to bed and sat down. After a few minutes I left again, but he wasn't asleep yet and started crying again, and then climbing out of bed. I think he might have got stuck on top his time, and I rescued him and put him back to bed. This time I stayed until he was asleep, which didn't take long. Then Randy and Tammy came upstairs, and I put her to bed.
I sat down to do office work, even though I was really tired. At one point I closed my eyes and was ready to sleep, but I didn't, which I regretted later, when I was so extremely tired I had a headache. When Emmy woke up after an hour, he seemed tired but would not sleep on me. Randy sat down with him, and he did sleep on Daddy for a little bit, before they went downstairs together. Surprisingly Sammy was still asleep, and today he slept 2 hours, which he hardly ever does. He and Emmy have had a runny nose today. I got Sammy out of bed, and then Tammy woke up as well, and I called up the boys to come eat. I was holding Tammy, who needs that cuddling time after waking up, for a while. Emmy went straight to the balcony door, so I opened it up for him, and then Tammy wanted down as well. Randy put Sammy's high chair by the balcony, so he could still see his siblings, as he says he'll eat better that way. I took their jar outside with me, and they finished it quickly, while having fun. I let them have fun for a while, and then started changing diapers, cleaning and dressing them. Then they all went downstairs, where Randy stayed with them, while I went back to work.
I had a hard time working, being so very tired. At 4:50 I stopped and went downstairs to relieve Randy. I tidied up and decided to turn the shelves around again, as it had been a long time since the last time. They immediately got very busy checking out the "new" toys. Time went by fast. At 5:30 I left them to get dinner ready, and at 6 pm they came upstairs to eat. They continued eating in the bathtub, but did not eat everything. At least all three, including Emmy, were happily playing in the water. After they came out, they went to bed. The boys had runny noses, which kept Sammy awake for a long time. And Tammy wanted me there too. Emmy fell asleep, but woke up again, twice. So I spent a long time sitting by their beds tonight. And some time later Emmy started crying again. I had to pick him up, but he would not be comforted, so I asked Randy to try. He couldn't do it either (the other day that had worked), so I took him back, and he finally stopped crying. After a while I was able to put him back to bed, and he continued sleeping, and I went back to work. Now it's after midnight, and all the work is done, and I've got to go to bed a little earlier tonight.
