Day 958. Late last night I happened to text with Paul and Mexico came up. After our conversation I checked flights once again and found good connections for a decent price, much cheaper than what they have been. I was very tempted to book, but Randy was already in bed. And so I turned my computer off and went to bed as well. It was 1:15. When I lay down, I told Randy about my find. We talked for a moment, and then I got back up, went downstairs to my desk, turned the computer back on and booked the flights. We're going to Mexico! After all the turmoil these previous weeks, praying about whether we should go or not, it's a relief that it is decided now, and I'm in great anticipation of what God is gonna do. It's an invitation-only retreat for fulltime missionaries with Heidi Baker and David Hogan. I'm not only hoping for spiritual refreshing, but also that many would pray for healing for Sammy, as he'll have to stay with us, while the other two are in childcare.
And so it was 1:45, when I went to bed the second time, but I had so many things going through my mind that it took a while for me to fall asleep. Emmy came a few times during the night, making it hard to get good sleep. In the morning he was sleeping in his bed, when Sammy was the first one awake and crying. Randy brought him to our bed, making him happy, and soon Emmy also joined us. Then Tammy woke up, and Emmy joined her on the floor, then Sammy as well. At 7:50 I got up.
I made breakfast, and we sat down at the table to eat. Sammy once again ate little, really all three did. Emmy now has joined the club of runny noses. Then I cleaned them up and dressed them, and we went downstairs, where we read a Bible story together. Then I grabbed my computer and went upstairs to work. Just after 10 am I went to the kitchen to make the stew for lunch that then cooked on the stove by itself, while I was back at work. Just before noon everybody came upstairs to eat. Tammy ate everything, Emmy got close, Sammy ate some but not very much. They all had pudding, then I cleaned them up and dressed them. Just after 12:30 the boys were already in bed for their nap.
And then the nightmare started again; I don't know why nap time has become so difficult again.
Sammy fell asleep after a few minutes, but not Emmy. A few times I thought he was close. Then Tammy came upstairs at 1:30, before he was asleep, which is always a mistake. By 1:40 they had woken Sammy up with all the noise they were making. Randy went downstairs with him. I continued trying to get them to sleep, with my frustration level already at its limit. I told them they needed to sleep so that we could go to church. As time went on I told them they'd have to stay at home if they didn't sleep. Even though they acted like that was a motivation to sleep, they still didn't. At 2:30 they went downstairs. I was gonna have to go to church with Sammy only.
Ten minutes later Tammy shouted up from downstairs that she wanted to sleep. And so I lay down with her in our bed. She was pretty awake and would not have fallen asleep on her own, alone in her bed. By 3 pm she had finally fallen asleep, and I got up to make their dinner-to-go boxes. 5 minutes after she had fallen asleep Emmy shouted up that he also wanted to go sleep. He came upstairs, and I put him into his bed, but he had no intention of sleeping. I had to continue making their dinner, and he soon stood in the kitchen. I told him it was either lying down to sleep or going downstairs to play, and he was doing neither. If I could have lain down with him like I had done with Tammy, he would have slept. But as it was I had too much to do to get ready. By 3:45 the window of opportunity had closed, and I took him downstairs to his Daddy and picked up Sammy to take him upstairs. Emmy was crying and wanted to come up as well, but I didn't let him. I had to keep my word that he was not coming to church as he had not slept. I dressed Sammy, then started dressing sleeping Tammy who was soon awake. I put them into the strollers, and we left the house just after 4 pm.
We walked to the subway and on to the train platform and got on the train. Then we still had to take a tram. We were having fun together. I also called the boys at home that we had a video conversation with, which helped make the train ride go by faster. We met someone from church in the tram who then walked with us to the church building. We got there just before 5 pm. We walked to the front, to the usual spot, and I got them out of the stroller. Then we went all the way to the front, where the fabric and bands were already lying on the stairs. Tammy immediately went for the bands, while I gave Sammy some fabric and sat down on the stairs with him. We didn't stay there the whole time. It soon became a little tiring to constantly have to hold Sammy, as he also gets heavy even with him weighing way too little.
At 5:30 we took the dinner boxes and made our way to the back to go up the stairs to the toddler room. We were the first ones there. I took their shoes off, and Tammy went straight to the play kitchen, and Sammy followed her there. I needed to go to the bathroom but was not gonna leave them there by themselves. Once another parent had arrived, I made my way to the door to go, but Sammy started panicking already. So I handed Sammy to the parent, and then I could leave and he was fine. Having returned, I put Sammy by the box full of cars, as I know he likes them. Tammy was pushing the stroller with her baby and one from there around. I had their dinner boxes out, but neither one really wanted to eat. Tammy started looking at books, and Sammy was exploring a box on the shelf. Today's teacher came to me with green paper and scissors, asking me to help Tammy cut along those lines before the program. Tammy has never really used scissors before, so I had to show her. It wasn't very easy for her. Then it was time for the program to start.
We sat down in the middle of the room and did the starting song. Tammy was doing the actions, and even trying to sing. Then there was the individual greeting song, with the sheep puppet kissing each child. Then everyone got a little mirror, and then a Bible for the Bible song. Our kids really like that song. Then the teacher started the teaching on Palm Sunday. Most of the kids weren't ready to just listen to a story. Then she had everyone take the green leave they had cut earlier to use to wave at Jesus with. She put donkey's ears on, and her son rode on her while we moved the leaves. Then she asked who else wanted to ride on her, and Tammy volunteered, and so they did a quarter-circle together. Next she had the kids find other kids and bless them. Tammy ended up with the teacher's son. And finally it was time to do some drawing. Tammy jumped at the opportunity and immediately got busy covering the paper with color. I took Sammy and sat down by their lunch boxes so he could eat some more. After Tammy was done drawing, we went to the exit to put their shoes back and return downstairs. It was nearly 7 pm.
I was having a hard time carrying Sammy and the bag with stuff as well as holding Tammy's hand to help her down the stairs. My arm holding Sammy was really getting tired, but there was no help in sight. I did not see Anna. Once we had reached the sanctuary, we walked to the stroller in the front. Sammy was not happy and started crying. Great. The preaching was not over yet. Because of that and because of me being worn out I decided it was time to go home. I put Sammy into the stroller, and we rolled to the exit. Once by the actual door to the outside, I put their coats on, put them into the stroller, and it was time to leave. It was a shame we had not seen Sonja or anyone, but I really just wanted to get back home.
We went back out into the cold and walked to the tram stop. Sammy was perfectly fine again. While we were waiting for the tram, we called Daddy again and got to see both him and Emmy. Emmy should really already have been in bed at 7:10 pm, but it was good to see him. I had really missed having him around, our little entertainer! Randy said that he'd had a good time home alone with Daddy. The tram arrived, and Tammy wanted to watch Peppa Pig, and I let her. Just before we reached our stop I looked at the time and was surprised how tight it was gonna be to catch our train. And so I ran to the elevator with them, we went to the platform level and were happy to see that we were not late. Thank God! I had no desire to have to wait half an hour for the next train. We got on the train, and they continued watching Peppa. And then the train driver made the announcement that we had to wait a few minutes as another train needed to pass us. As Tammy was watching, it made no difference, but Sammy was getting impatient about getting home. By 7:50 we walked through the apartment doors.
Emmy was already asleep. I got the kids out of the stroller, and together we got them ready for bed. By 8:15 or so they were in bed. Tammy wanted me to rock her again. After a while I put her back into bed. I had to stay by her side until 9 pm. Then I went downstairs with my computer, looking for a good movie for us to watch. A few minutes later our food arrived (late). We sat down to eat and watch a movie together. Half-way through the movie we stopped it, and I started working on the computer. My eyes have been falling shut while writing for the last two hours. I have not finished with today's pictures but they'll have to wait until tomorrow.
