3 years 6 months 7 days

Day 1286. It was a typical morning with Emmy being up first. He put his headset on that tells him stories and lay back down, so that his siblings didn't get woken up right away. Tammy was up next, and Sammy last. I turned the kids' songs on for him and put him in Emmy's bed. Randy then got up earlier than usual, around 8:45, to make his oatmeal and change their diapers. Tammy then didn't want to eat anything but wanted hot chocolate, so I forced myself out of bed to make her some. Then I cleaned them up and dressed them and got everything and everyone ready for us to leave at 10 am, which we did.

Sammy was in his wheelchair again, which is just so great. He was once again pointed at everything, as we went on. We got on the subway and rode it nearly to the end, then still had a little walk ahead of us. We quickly stopped in a store and then continued on and got to the school just before the class was to start. We took their shoes and coats off and went inside the room. Sammy stayed in his chair and rolled into the room to stay in the back.

The teacher started with the greeting song, going from person to person. Tammy and Emmy had each sat down by a piano, the last two available ones. After the greeting song, she had them come to the front and sit down in a circle, together with the parents. Randy went with them, while I stayed with Sammy. She did the same song as the last two times - §The Wheels on the Bus" - and as our kids know that song well, they both sang and did the actions. Especially Tammy sang with a loud voice. She really enjoys singing. Then the teacher taught them a new song, but it wasn't new to our kids, and so they sang along, especially Tammy.

Then the teacher got the lion and the mouse puppets out. Today she did not tell the story again, but sang the song right away. Then she put the lion stamp on their left hand and the mouse stamp on their right hand before the kids sat back down by their pianos. She then played the piano and told them what hand to play with - the lion (left) hand playing low tones, and the mouse (right) hand playing high tones.

Then she handed out finger puppets and did the song for them to practice learning what the numbers of the fingers are. They first put the puppet on finger one and did the song, then finger two and did the song, etc. I had to help out a little and encourage Emmy a little to participate. Then she collected the hand puppets again.

She then called them to the board and reviewed what a whole note, half-note and quarter note looked like and how long they were. All the kids got to draw some notes and to wipe them off again. Then they returned to their pianos, and she reviewed forte and piano, loud and soft playing, and had the kids play the way she asked them to. Then it was time for the final story; all the kids returned to the board for it. She did a good-bye song, and the class was over. They each got a sticker in their sticker book, and then we left the classroom to put their coats and shoes back on.

Sammy had not stayed in the chair the whole time, but was already back in it. We put his coat on as well and left the school, having to master a few stops to leave the building. Then we walked back to the subway and got on to go back home. The kids were watching videos; they had both behaved really well and participated the whole time. At noon we got back home. Even though that's the time, when we usually eat, I decided to still cook, as we're going to McDonald's tomorrow. The kids continued their movie, while I started making spaghetti. By 12:30 we sat down at the table to eat. Everyone ate, some more, some less, then Tammy and Emmy just wanted to go back to their movie, and they had a few more minutes before it was nap time. Just after 1:15 I stopped the movie to put them to bed. I sat down by them and was soon able to walk away.

I was very tired myself, but did not have the usual pressure of having to sleep quickly because of a student or us going somewhere, and so I was working for a while before I lay down too late really. It was close to 3 pm, and I knew that they'd be up any second, and a few minutes later they were. I'm not sure I'd ever even fallen asleep, when Emmy walked into the room. Sleeping was over. It was sunny outside and they said it was getting colder again tomorrow, and so I suggested they'd go outside to run their strollers and to give Sammy an opportunity to roll around all by himself. And so I helped getting them dressed and ready to go outside. Then Randy took them outside, while I returned to my computer to work. I need some serious time to catch up on everything I've got to do, and so this afternoon of time to work came just at the right time.

I went on the balcony to watch them a little bit, then returned to my computer. Time was going by so fast. And then Randy and the kids did not just come in but came upstairs at 5:30 pm already, when we don't eat until 6:30 usually. I wasn't done with the numbers I was working with, but helped them get their video going. They sure watched a lot today, way too much.

Randy told me that they had not eaten any snacks, and so they each ate a whole banana, while I went to the kitchen to start making their dinner earlier than usual. I then turned the video off and put them at the table, where they started eating, while I was still cutting fruit and taking it to them. At one point they got up to go in the bathtub, where they continued eating, then we got them out to get them ready for bed.

As it was half an hour earlier than usual, I let them watch Bambi 2 and joined them, which was fun. After 15 minutes I stopped the movie, so we could read some Bible stories together, which they enjoy. Then I prayed for them and flew them into bed. In the end it was 8:15, when I sat down by their beds.

I stayed there for some time, and they were chatting with my about my birthday primarily. I finally asked them to stop talking and go to sleep. Then Sammy was asking for Randy to sit down, and Emmy joined his brother's request, and so Randy took my place. I got myself something to eat, and then continued working. Now it's 12:30 am, and I hope to make it to bed really soon, as we have to get up an hour earlier than usual tomorrow.