31 months 22 days

MORE PICTURES TO COME

Day 964. Last night I went to bed at 12:45 am. However, it was going on 2 am before I could finally fall asleep. The kids were extremely restless, Tammy and Emmy both kept coming, and we kept taking them back, but it never seemed to end. In the morning, they were up early, as usual, and at 7:30 we got up. I made breakfast, and we sat down at the table to eat.

After breakfast I cleaned them up and dressed them, and at 9 am we all left the house. It was a cold and windy day again. We took the subway for two steps and got off, where we had never gotten off before, right by the river, at the marina. It's where we had to take a bus to get to a specific shopping mall. However, the bus was only running every 30 or even 60 minutes, and we still had nearly half an hour to wait. If it wasn't for that strong, cold wind! Someone went into the apartment building right by the bus stop, and we went inside as well to find refuge. A few minutes later we left again to walk the one block to the bus's final stop, where it usually sits for a few minutes, and we'd be protected from the weather. We had to wait for it for a few minutes, but then it came, and we were the only ones sitting inside the bus, waiting for it to leave. When we got to the next stop, where we would have gotten on, so many people got on that I was glad we had walked that one block to the final/initial stop.

We had left home so early, thinking we'd have some time at the shopping mall before the program started at 10, but now all that time was gone with our long wait. We got to the mall a few minutes before 10 am. The bus stopped right in front of it, and we walked inside. The first thing we saw was the line for the kids' faces to be painted. We continued walking to look for the Easter Egg hunt, and the long line gave it away right away. And it was just turning 10 am! We went to the end of the line to wait for our turn. Then I suggested I'd take Tammy and Emmy to have their faces painted, while Randy and Sammy kept waiting in line. And so we left and stood in line for the face painting. It wasn't too bad; when we left two hours later it was really long. Of course Tammy and Emmy couldn't sit still like the other kids waiting for their turn. And then Randy called me; Sammy was screaming because we had left, and Randy couldn't calm him down. What to do? I had to get Sammy to join us, but how? I could not leave Tammy and Emmy by themselves to get him. In the end Randy left the strollers in line and brought Sammy to us, then returned to the line. Sammy immediately stopped crying and was happy and smiling again. And so we continued waiting for our turn.

Tammy took a seat with one of the three ladies first, then Emmy with another lady. Emmy said he wanted to be a tiger, and that's what the lady did. Tammy said she wanted to be a cat, but the lady said she could only do the Easter-related motives that she had in a book to choose from. Too bad. And so Tammy got a rabbit painted on her face. When the third lady became available, I went there with Sammy, but he was scared, and so she couldn't do anything. Instead we continued waiting for the other two to be done. And Randy was already texting me that he was very close to the front of the line. We got there just in time!

The kids received a bag each, as well as rabbit ears that they didn't put on at first, as they were too big. Later we found out they could be adjusted. The bags were empty, and a lady told us that they could each put three chocolate rabbits and two colored eggs into their bags. Then we got to go into a tunnel - the Easter bunny's home. And that's where they were supposed to go hunt for the rabbits and eggs. They weren't hard to find, and soon they all had what they were allowed in their bags. We excited the tunnel, and took a picture there with a giant golden bunny. That chocolate company had sponsored the Easter Egg hunt. At the exit they checked their bags to make sure they had taken what they were allowed to have, and then it was over.

Randy said that there was a crafts station closeby, and so that's where we were heading next. The line was not very long. We had heard that the Easter rabbit was walking around and handing out balloons, and so I kept looking around for it. I had already told them at home that we were going to see it (though they know it's not real and that Easter is about Jesus) and asked whether they were gonna be scared of it, and they had said no. And then I spotted it! We started walking towards it together, but then Emmy freaked out, jumping into my arms and trembling with fear. Tammy was also scared and stopped dead in her tracks. The bunny even waved at us, but there was no going any closer. They were so terrified that we left again. They kept talking about it the rest of the day.

Back in our line, they got some chocolate rabbits out and started eating them. So far we've kept chocolate away from  them for the most part. Then it was our turn. There were four tables with different crafts going on, and we sat down at one. There were also a few other kids there. It was the Easter basket table. I sat between Tammy and Emmy with Sammy on my lap. They each got a little cardboard bowl and pens to pain on them. Then there were stripes of cardboard and  other material to make handles with, gluing or stapling them on, and there was also grass to put inside. They all did a great job. The mall photographer came to us, asking if he could take pictures, and then making me sign that they could use them.

After we were done, we started walking towards the little indoor playground that was in the mall. We were told that the balloons were there too. On our way there we ran into the place's mascot, once again terrifying Tammy and especially Emmy. Then we sat a little firetruck that would move, when you put a coin in. They all sat down in it, but the coin kept coming out, and it never moved. Randy ended up being the one moving it, and they greatly enjoyed it.

Then we got on the elevator to go to the upper level, where the playground was. We had a coupon for one free hour, and it was only 11:20 am. However, it turned out that they had to be 3 years old, and so we got the balloons for them and left again, heading to the McDonald's that was at the entrance. It's simply the cheapest and best option to eat out in situations like this.

It took a few minutes before a table became available as it wasn't very big, but then we had a good one. I got the food, and we sat down. Tammy and Emmy only like the fries, while Sammy usually eats some meat too, but not today. They got their Happy Meal toys, but unfortunately they don't have any age-appropriate ones right now.

I was looking at my phone to see when the next bus was leaving, as it has such long intervals, and it was only a few minutes away. We had to be fast to make it, or wait another half hour. I wasn't sure we would, but we did. We got on the 12:13 bus going back to the subway, then took the subway home. At 12:40 we walked through our apartment doors.

It was nap time, and I was very much hoping they would sleep today, after all the trouble we've had recently. I was also so tired myself that I just wanted to sleep. We immediately took their coats and shoes off and put the boys to bed. I sat down by them; both of them were pretty active, with me barely staying awake. By 1:15 Emmy FINALLY fell asleep, much to my relief. I knew Sammy would once I leave, and by 1:25 he was asleep as well. And so Tammy came upstairs and lay down. It was 1:35. I stayed with her, and ten minutes later she was also asleep. Now I usually start working on the computer at that time, but I was too tired. I also needed to make their dinner-to-go boxes, but I was too tired. I lay down in bed and set my alarm for 45 minutes later and fell asleep.

Just before the alarm went off, Emmy walked into the room at 2:35 pm. Sammy was up too. Randy was fast asleep in the kitchen chair. And so I got up and got Sammy out and put him on the floor to play. I quickly cut up some watermelon and cantaloupe, their favorite fruit, and put it in the box, and I still had some bread in a box from breakfast. It would have to do today. We got the boys ready to leave at 3 pm. At 2:50 Tammy woke up, just in time, and just after 3 pm we all left to go to church.

We walked to the train station, got on the train, then took the subway and walked into the mall to cross it and go to church. We walked by a grocery store, and so I quickly ran into it with Tammy and Emmy to get a few items. In the meantime Sammy was once again screaming because Mommy and the siblings had left without him. Leaving the grocery store, I took Sammy, and he stayed with me until we had reached the church.

We got there just before the service started at 4 pm. We walked to the front, near the drums, so they could look at them more closely. They seemed a little tired. Randy left with Emmy to change his diaper. Tammy didn't dance but was rather immovable, while Sammy had fun with me and enjoyed the music. He did ask for Daddy who wasn't there and gone for a rather long time. He was happy to see him again. We went to the back of the church, and a few minutes later to the baby room.

The kids were really missing the cars they love so much and that are usually in the second baby room, but that room was looked. We got their food out, and they ate some, while also playing. Two other kids were in the room that they interacted with somewhat. I was so very tired, sitting in the chair and not wanting to move. Someone had told us that there was a puppet show (Kasperl) at 5:30 that the church was doing a few levels down, where anybody could come to watch. That was exciting! The kids had seen a show once, but were pretty scared by the crocodile in it. They kept talking about it though and were saying that they did want to go back there to see it again. This was their chance!

And so we left the baby room just before it was time and went downstairs. However, it turned out we'd been given the wrong time and it was too early, so we returned to the baby room. A short while later we went back downstairs, and this time it was the right time. They set up several benches, and I was in the first row with them. However, once it started Emmy was apprehensive and fearful and moved one row back to where Daddy was. And I took Sammy from Daddy. Tammy also moved to the back, sitting next to Daddy. Later Tammy returned to sit next to me.

There was no scary crocodile in the story, but of course there is always a villain. It was a story with a Christian message, but hidden so well that an unbeliever wouldn't even know it. The kids enjoyed it and kept talking about it the rest of the day. I was told the church wanted to do this regularly every few months, which is a great idea.

It was 6:15 pm and we went back to the sanctuary, where the strollers were. The service was over and people standing everywhere and talking. We slowly moved outside and towards the elevators and didn't get to talk to anyone. We started our long walk through the mall to go back to the subway. Sammy was with me, and so was Tammy. We got on the subway and arrived at the train station at a good time. We stayed inside the building for a few minutes, and Tammy and Emmy were just running around, with me going after them. Then we went to the platform the train was leaving from. Tammy and Emmy started watching Peppa Pig, and continued on the train. It was the 7 pm train, which got us home before 7:30.

As they still had a lot of paint in their faces, I turned the water in the bathtub on. They went in, and I also gave them the rest of their dinner box. I cleaned their faces, they played for a while, and then we started getting them out and ready for bed. Somewhere after 8 pm they were all in bed. They all had milk, and I rocked Tammy. She was the first one to fall asleep. Then Emmy wanted to be rocked, and I did. I've been rocking Sammy, and I could tell he wanted me to, so I did. After that Sammy soon fell asleep. But Emmy, oh Emmy, he once again would not fall asleep. I was tired and hungry and finally walked away to make my food. Emmy got out of bed and sat down on the floor near the kitchen, being all quiet. Randy was still eating. Once he was done, Emmy told him he needed a diaper. After his diaper change he went to bed, and Randy sat down by him. Soon they were both asleep. I went downstairs with my food, ate, and then went to work. It's been a long, long day, and there is no way I can finish the pictures tonight. I need to get some rest before another long day tomorrow.