Day 713. Last night I was cleaning up, when something fell and made a noise, and Emmy started crying. He's our light sleeper. That's when a few hours of trying to get him to sleep started. I tried and tried, sat down by his bed, but every time I walked away, he started crying again. I was finally so exhausted as it was nearing 2 am, I asked Randy to take my place. So he sat in the chair by his bed, and at some point returned to bed, and everything was well after that. In the morning Tammy was the first one up again, around 5:30, and jumped into bed with us. Emmy came a little later. Then they left together and went into Emmy's bed, where Tammy started taking Sammy's leg braces off (velcro). It wasn't long before Emmy was asking for "Essen" (food). By the way, yesterday he stared putting two words together repeatedly for the first time, and he did it today too. When he asks for "Oma" (Grandma), I tell him that she's at home with Opa. Then he says "Auto" (car), because I told him that she drove home in her car. Now he's saying "Auto fahren" (drive a car). The other day he also repeated a sentence a few times, but I don't remember what it was.
I gave them some milk each, and then banana. They protested, when Randy picked them up to give them a new diaper. Tammy did not want to be in the high chair or eat what I had to offer. They had some snacks, I cleaned and dressed them, and then we did NOT go downstairs.
I was extremely tired. I lay down in bed, while Randy was finishing up with Sammy. I was well aware that Tammy and Emmy just cause mischief when they stay upstairs, pulling stuff out of shelves, but I was too tired to care. Once Sammy was ready, I did go downstairs with them, but Randy already had his breakfast ready, so I left. I cleaned up and went back to bed and set my alarm for 10 am, so I had two hours. When it went off, I was as tired as if I had not slept, and it was very hard to get up. But I did and went to the kitchen to cook, even though it was hard to keep my eyes open. Sonja arrived at 10:30, and so Randy went to the store to hand in our Covid tests and pick up a few items. It was already ten after 11 before the lentil soup was ready and served and everyone came upstairs to eat. Randy wasn't back yet, and so I started to feed Sammy, while Sonja fed the other two. Emmy kept asking about "Papa" and was happy, when he returned. He's always concerned about whoever is not present, whether it's Mom, Dad or Sonja.
Thank God they had good day today, no drama at the table, they ate their soup and then icecream, and then Tammy wanted a pudding as well. Then I cleaned them up, dressed them, and put Emmy to bed. Sonja went downstairs with Tammy, and Randy put Sammy to bed. I could hardly believe it, when Emmy fell asleep so quickly and never talked or protested. I never even had to go back in there. It was a different story with Tammy. And now that she has an opening in her bed, you really have to watch her instead of letting her play until she finally falls asleep. She comes out of her bed and goes into her brother's, and we don't want her to wake him up. I left the bedroom door open so I could easily get up and glance into their room to check on her. In the end Randy sat down by her bed, and she fell asleep shortly after.
I don't think he ever left the chair. When the boys woke up, Emmy wanted to be with Sonja, so they both went downstairs to be with her. Our goal was to leave between 2:30 and 3, and so I finally called them back upstairs, as 3 pm was approaching, and we started dressing them all. Tammy woke up once the noise started. We loaded them all into the strollers and left the house just after 3 pm. We had to take two subways, say good-bye to Sonja when we changed, and it took us nearly an hour to get to the park where the church was having a picnic. We got there at 4 o'clock and quickly saw the small group of church people right by the playground. At church we don't get to talk to people hardly at all any more, so there was a greater opportunity there. The kids immediately wanted to go to the playground, but first we said hello, and they were a little shy, when we did. But they don't stay shy for long.
We went to the playground, but most was for older kids. The big structure in the middle that include a slide was really high. At one point they climbed up the rope ladder, with our help, but I did not like them being so high I could not protect them from falling off on the side. They were not up there for long. They did enjoy the swings, and then there was another rope structure that was actually a caroussel, but they weren't there for long either. After a while we returned to the church group and got the ball out that Emmy started playing with and having fun with. I sat down with Sammy, and Randy then returned to the playground with Tammy and Emmy, while I got to talk to some old friends together with Sammy. I enjoyed it. I don't get to hang out with friends any more and just talk at all, and I do miss it.
After a while I returned to the playground with Sammy, and then we all went back to the church group. Someone had bought a few boxes of icecream, and we were offered some. Our kids have never had icecream on a stick before. The pastor's wife offered them some. Emmy was curious, and she was holding him and giving him the icecream. He wasn't able to hold it himself. She also gave Sammy some, but Tammy refused to even try it. She just wanted me to hold her and put her head down on my shoulder. It was hilarious to watch Emmy. There was a thin layer of chocolate over it, and once he broke through and bit into the cold icecream, he was startled, which was really funny. In any case he enjoyed the icecream.
It was 5 pm, and so we needed to start heading back. It took us another 10 minutes anyway to get going. All three were waving at everyone, when we left. It took a long time to get home, where we arrived at 6:10 pm, so ten minutes after their regular dinner time. We all stayed upstairs. They put the chair by my side in the kitchen, Tammy climbed up on it and stayed most of the time, and put the food I put on her plate straight into her mouth. Both of them ate quite a bit in the kitchen, and then continued somewhat at the table. They nearly finished their food in the bathtub. They always have a fun time playing in the water, and today it was like interactive theater in a more intense way than ever before. Tammy had two ducks she sat on the edge of the bathtub. I was talking for them and reacting to her actions. Every time they fell into the water, I talked for them and made Tammy laugh. Emmy enjoyed watching to. It was so much fun. Until Emmy spotted poop in the water. He didn't freak out, but it was the end, and they all came out and went to bed.
I stayed with them at first, and tried to walk away, but Tammy was leaving her bed. Emmy has had his opening for a month now, so he does not leave it at bedtime any more. I finally got her to lie down, and then she fell asleep before her brother. I had come and gone quite a few times. I got to eat and then start working on the computer. Now it's 12:30 am and everything is done, so I'm heading to bed.
