Day 893. Last night I headed to bed at 12:30. Emmy had not been up and was sleeping in his bed peacefully. Tammy joined us in bed at some point, and so did Emmy. This morning Emmy was up first. After a while he got up and woke up Sammy. It wasn't even 7 am yet. After Sammy had cried for a while I finally got up to go get him. He was perfectly happy once he was in bed with us, lying between Daddy and Mommy. It wasn't long before Tammy was up, and then Tamym and Emmy were up and running, and Sammy soon joined them. I enjoyed a few more minutes in bed, always wondering what havoc they were wreaking. It was about 7:30, when I finally got up.
I made breakfast, and we sat down to eat. Then I cleaned them up and dressed them. I had told them we'd go ice-skating if the weather was good, and so thats all that Emmy talked about. He wanted to go right there and then and started whining, when it wasn't happening. I told him he'd stay home if he continued like that, but that didn't really make a difference. He started crying, when we were walking down the stairs instead of leaving. It was only 8:30, and the ice-skating rink wasn't opening until 10 am. Randy took another PCR test, while we were reading a Bible story. Then I walked upstairs. I didn't have much time for anything anyway. Emmy was soon at the gate crying for me. Just after 9 am I went downstairs to get them. They were up the stairs real fast! We all got dressed and left the house at 9:15. Randy and Sammy stayed downstairs, as Randy has not had a negative test yet.
We first took the subway the opposite direction to hand in the test, then we got back on to go all the way downtown. They always sit in seats on the subway. After we got off, we got on the tram that was arriving and rode one stop to get to the big square in front of town hall. It was just before 10, when we got there. It was the first time we got to go somewhere we couldn't have gone before having Covid, as you have to be vaccinated or have recovered to get in. At this time there was no line, so we got in right away. We walked to where you get your skates, and they had double-skates for little kids that you attach to the regular shoes, and they were free. They had two locations that were free for little kids, and we walked to one. There were no other kids there, when we got there. We sat down so I could put the skate on their shoes, then I put their gloves on. Then we were ready to go on the ice. They had all these different animals they can hold on to and push to have more stability, and most of them you could also sit on. They chose one each, and we went on the ice. They were holding on to their animal and walking. It worked really well. I also took their hands to try to pull them and let them slide, but they walking rather than standing and sliding. Only Emmy figured it out a little and slid for a while, when I pulled him. Tammy was always walking. The longer we were there, the more kids arrived, including kindergarten groups. They soon figured out that you could also sit on the animal and be pushed, and so I got to push them both in circles around the rink, pushing one with one hand, and the other with the other. I kept encouraging them to go back on the ice and walk. We were there for a while. I asked them if they wanted to go home, but they said no. Still, it was time to leave. We returned the skates and walked over to the big ice rink for them to watch the people there ice-skate for a few minutes. Then we slowly walked back to the exit and then the tram stop. Then we took the subway home, where we arrived at 11:30.
The kids immediately wanted to go downstairs to Randy and Sammy, which was perfect for me, as I was able to make lunch without them around. At noon they all came upstairs, and five minutes later we sat down at the table to eat. As usual, Emmy ate pretty well, Tammy not so much. They were gone before they could have any puddings. Emmy got the scale out of the bathroom and weighed himself. He was 11 kilos, the first time I saw that number. Then they wanted to go potty, and both succeeded in pooping. They'll have to pee yet. Then I cleaned them up and dressed them, and the boys went to bed, while Randy went downstairs with Tammy. The boys were asleep right away, by 12:45. I turned my computer on to work. Tammy came upstairs at 1:05, I sat down by her, and she also went to sleep right away.
After an hour, Sammy woke up first at 1:40. I picked him up and held him, but he wanted to go be with Daddy, so I put him on the floor, and he crawled all the way to the kitchen, where Daddy was. Emmy arrived there at the same time, having gotten up 10 minutes after Sammy. So the boys all went downstairs, while I returned to work. But I was so tired I soon closed my eyes and fell asleep. I heard Emmy crying for me at the bottom of the stairs at one point, but ignored him. Just before 3 pm Tammy woke up and walked into the room, and she wanted to go downstairs. So we went downstairs together. When I left to go back upstairs, there were two kids there that were upset. And so I grabbed my computer and came downstairs as well.
And we were having fun. They have had a little supermarkt register for a while, but only now they've been to a supermarkt a few times and understand better what it is. And so I played being at the register, and for the first time they went shopping, buying all the food they have. We don't have play money yet, so we used pretend money. They were having fun with this new play scenario. Of course they were also in the swing. Emmy and Sammy were swinging together and both laughing, which was great to see, as they don't play well with Sammy. Sammy was rather cranky this afternoon.
Tammy and Emmy watched Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig on our Amazon Show for a few minutes; even though I put Sammy in the chair with them, he really didn't want to be there. He actually turned around and put his legs down the chair until they reached the floor, and I helped him stand at that point.
Tammy likes playing with her dolls, and she played going potty and going to the pediatrician with her, as well as rocking her and comforting her. Then Emmy wanted to play with the balloons with Daddy, and Tammy joined them.
Randy put Sammy into the round playpen he's built, but it's not really working for him to walk in there. He did lean against the wall and play the guitar.
At one point Emmy suddenly took his clothes and diapers off and said he wanted to go potty. So I let him, and he did poop a little. And so Tammy wanted to go potty as well and also pooped. I gave Tammy her gummy bear, but Emmy had taken 2 at lunch time and so he wasn't getting any which led to him throwing a fit.
At 5:20 I stopped and announced that it was clean up time. Because of our supermarkt play time the toy food was everywhere, and so there was lots to tidy up. I kept encouraging them to help, but with very limited success. Once done we all went upstairs. Tammy and Emmy pulled up chairs to the kitchen counter and already started eating what I put on their plates. Once it was all there, everybody sat down at the dining room table, where I added the soup to their plates. But Tammy and Emmy had already eaten so much in the kitchen that they didn't really want to eat any more, and so they were soon up and running. They took their diapers off again to go potty before going into the bathtub, and Emmy pooped a little, while Tammy peed for the very first time into the potty. Great job! Then they went into the bathtub, where they all played, before coming out one after another.
Tammy and Emmy have been wearing their Christmas pj's and tonight Emmy found the Christmas hat and put it on. I was already impressed that he was able to put it on and put it on perfectly. And then Tammy also wanted a hat, and I helped her put it on. Then they ran to the end of the hallway and ran towards me from there, expecting me to throw them into the air once they arrived, which made them laugh and giggle. That's when I got to take this great picture, just before they started running, when they were in great anticipation.
I took the hats off for them to go to bed after having prayed for them. It was already 7 pm. I sat down by their beds, and as always, Tammy was on my chest, and we talked about all kinds of things and prayed for Sonja and Grandma and others. Then I put Tammy to bed, and as always, I sang "Hallelujah" as well as "Emmanuel, his name is called...", substituting all their names. It was slowly getting quieter. Sammy fell asleep first, and when Randy had finished eating, he took my place just before 7:30. They were asleep a few minutes later. I got myself something to eat and went downstairs. After having eaten, I continued working. Now it's midnight, and thank God, I have not heard or seen Emmy yet.
