Day 1188. I had to set my alarm for 8:30 this morning, and having gone to bed late, it was really tough to get up. After breakfast I cleaned them up and brushed their teeth, but I only had enough time to dress Emmy, as I had a lesson at 9:30. Randy dressed the other two and took them all downstairs. I was very tired while I was teaching and was glad, when I was done for the weekend at 10:20. I continued working on the computer until 11:30, then I had to go to the kitchen to make lunch. It was after noon before we sat down at the table to eat.
They all ate well and had icecream, then they were watching videos until 1:15. That's when they lie down for their nap. The boys fell asleep fast, Tammy needed a little longer. I was glad, when I was able to walk away, as I was very tired myself. But I don't know what happened. I ended up doing something on the computer instead of sleeping, which was a big mistake. At 2:20 I already heard Sammy cry and got him out of his bed, and then Emmy walked into the room as well. They both lay down in my bed with me and I got to close my eyes for a few minutes. But of course they were not gonna sleep any more. Then Tammy also woke up, and at 3:15 we left the house.
We still had already paid tickets for the puppet theater, and the kids had been wanting to go there for a while. Today was the day. I looked up what they were playing online, and it seemed alright. We got there early, 20 minutes before it started, and were the first ones in the theater. Later more children and parents joined us. The kids were impatient for the program to start, and then it did. It started with the crocodile, which they loved, and the whole 35-40 minute program they were laughing and had fun. It was basic, classical fun where you cannot help but laugh. What I loved most was to see how much fun Tammy and Emmy were having.
After it ended we did not walk back to the subway but continued walking on through the amusement park to get to the other side where there was a Christmas market. They don't have much for little kids, but then we got to this little train that was perfect for them. Tammy had sat in it once before maybe a year ago and was terrified. Back then they had to stop the train and let her out. Today both Tammy and Emmy got in, and they both loved it and were laughing the whole time. Randy walked away with Sammy to distract him and put him on a dinosaur.
After the ride we continued walking. I knew there was another really nice ride they would like and eventually we reached it. I paid, and the three of us got on, sitting on the train. We were the only people on it. Then the doors opened, and we went in. We were in a winter wonderland with penguins and other animals. They were moving and some dancing and singing. They were a little anxious at first, but then it got worse. They were getting scared, even though there was nothing scary, and then Tammy started crying, and Emmy whining. We were in a pretend under water (in the ocean) world, which was really cool, but they didn't think so. I was really glad, when we were back out and got off. They were eager to leave. It wasn't long, though, that Emmy said it wasn't that bad.
We continued walking and got to the main square with the Christmas market. It was all food, though, and nothing really interesting. The kids wanted chestnuts, but I didn't see any anywhere. We continued walking to the subway and looking for chestnuts. We even did an extra tour around looking for one, and I asked a paper vendor, but there wasn't anything. I ended up buying a pastry for them and telling them I'd make chestnuts for them at home, as we had bought some in the grocery store.
We got on the subway, where they were watching Pinocchio, and went straight home. It was 6 pm, when we walked back into the apartment.
And therefore time for me to make dinner. The kids finished watching Pinocchio and then watched Superbook, while I was making their dinner. At 6:30 we sat down to eat. The kids were still asking for the chestnuts, but our oven is having some issues, so it took longer. I finally got them out, but they were hot, and I told them they could eat them after the bathtub. So they went into the bathtub, where they continued eating their food while playing, then we got them ready for bed.
I had decided to make this chestnut-eating and bedtime story time special for them. I put a blanket on the floor and the chestnuts on it and put a few pillows for us to sit on. Then we opened and ate chestnuts together, with my battery-powered lamp sitting right there to give us the right atmosphere. Then I read them a story. I prayed for them one after another and put them to bed. It was 8 pm by the time they were all in bed, and I sat down by them. Soon Randy came to take my place, but when they are still too awake, it does not work for him to sit there, as Sammy just starts playing games instead of sleeping. I eventually came back to sit there and stayed until they were all asleep. I got myself something to eat, and then started working on today's pictures. Now it's after midnight, and I'm hoping to make it to bed soon.
