3 years 1 month 18 days

 Day 1144. This morning the alarm once again let me know that it was time to get up. The kids had already been up and playing. I forced myself out of bed. After breakfast I cleaned them up and dressed them and let them know that Grandma was gonna come at any moment. They hadn't seen her in a long time. Emmy asked me whether Grandpa had died, as my Mom's husband never comes and won't even talk to them on a video call. I myself was getting ready to leave the house at 9 am. It was a few minutes after, when I did, and when I opened the door, my Mom was just walking up to our apartment.

I walked to the subway and went to the x-ray center, where I had only just had an examination two weeks earlier. My doctor wanted another ultrasound, and Thursday is the day, when I usually have nothing going on in the morning. I got there just before 9:30 and sat down to wait for my turn. There were few people in the waiting room, so I thought it'd be quick again, like last time, but a few people who had arrived after me went inside before me. Finally my turn had come. I didn't really know what to expect, but it wasn't that different from last time. I was called into the same room and told to lie down on the same bed. Then they started looking at all vessels in my neck, then at my kidneys and other intestines. She told me that everything was just fine. Great; I didn't even know why she had sent me to this examination. I waited a few minutes for my pictures and then left to return home.

I got home just after 10. When I walked into the room, Grandma was reading a book to Tammy and Emmy When Tammy saw me, she was all excited and came running up to me. I was surprised, as she's the one who won't hug me right now. I sat down by them, and Randy left to go to the grocery store. I had Sammy, who I then put by the piano, when he asked for it. He likes it a lot, and he moved his head with the rhythm, which he often does, when he hears music.

Grandma left just after 11 am, before Randy was back. While Sammy was playing the piano, Tammy and Emmy were doing the Paw Patrol sticker book with me and had lots of fun doing it. Then Emmy asked for a Peppa Pig coloring page, and so I went upstairs to print one out. I left Sammy by the piano. It took a little longer than expected. When I came back downstairs, I was surprised to see Sammy close to the staircase. I asked Randy later whether Sammy was able to go from a sitting position to the floor - without falling. He said he hadn't seen it yet, but obviously Sammy had done it today because he also wanted to come upstairs to where I was. Once back downstairs, I ended up playing ball with Sammy. He was on the floor and threw it to me, while I kicked it back to him with my foot. He had lots of fun playing with me. At the same time, the other two were coloring the Peppa Pig printout, and today it was Emmy who impressed me with it. He had used pink to color all the pigs' faces, so that's a big step forward. Sammy then also wanted to color, so I put him on the stepper by the table, where he could sit and draw himself. Then Randy finally arrived, and I was able to go upstairs. It was already 11:45, so I had to go straight to the kitchen to get our food ready. No work this morning.

It was a good few minutes after noon before we sat down to eat. It was leftover day, but none of the kids ate much and all my ideas to get them to didn't work. There was no icecream, and then it was bedtime right away, without videos. They were not happy, to say the least. I sat down by them, and after some time Randy took my place, while I sat down to my computer to prepare my afternoon lessons. I was tired and wanted to close my eyes for a short time, but didn't really get to. Sammy woke up before 2 pm, so really early, for some reason, and it's a miracle the other two didn't wake up as a result. It was closer to 2:30, when Emmy walked into the room, and then Tammy. A few minutes later Randy and Sammy left for his physiotherapy session. The kids started crying, when I told them I would not let them watch videos at that time. Instead we went downstairs together, where we had fun for nearly an hour. Then we went back upstairs and I started the videos for them, while I sat down at the computer to get ready for my 4 pm lesson. I had started it and gone on for a few minutes, when Emmy came into the room, wanting me to change the video they were watching. I told him he couldn't interrupt my lesson like that, but he didn't care. I excused myself and changed the video for them. I returned to my students. At about 4:30 Randy and Sammy returned, and then I heard loud crying again, when Daddy turned off the video to go downstairs with them. Tammy tried to come into my room, and I had to hold the doors shut to keep her from doing so.

I had a second student at 5 pm, and at 6 pm I went to the kitchen to start making their dinner. A few minutes later they all came upstairs, and I let them watch Superbook. Just after 6:30 we sat down at the table to eat, then they continued eating in the bathtub. By about 7:40 they were in bed, and I sat down by them for 5 minutes. Then it was time for me to take my computer and go downstairs to get ready for my 8 pm lesson. The kids were not happy at all, when Randy sat down by their beds, but no protesting made any difference. I went downstairs and taught until 8:50. I was surprised to still hear Emmy, as they usually sleep by this time, and so I went upstairs as quickly as possible. Emmy was really happy to see me. I gave him milk, comforted him, and asked him whether it was okay for me to go to the kitchen to cut my salad up, and he said yes. A few minutes later he was asleep.

After I was done making my food, I sat down to eat, then I started working again. Now it's 12:30 am and time for bed, after I've cleaned up the kitchen. Thank God there is no 8 am alarm tomorrow.