Day 1022. Thank God they have conquered jetlag. However, they went to bed really late last night, after church, and the alarm woke us at 8 am this morning, as Sammy had physiotherapy this morning instead of Thursday afternoon this week. Last night I met an older lady who volunteered to help us, upon someone's recommendation, and so I asked her to come this morning to help. She already arrived at 8:15. We had to wake the kids up, and they were tired and did not want to eat. Randy got Sammy ready and left with him, while the rest of us went downstairs.
And for the next 2+ hours Tammy and Emmy were having a great time. She was a sweet, older lady who was up for everything. They were looking at picture books, were drawing together, sticking blocks into a board, playing crocodile and Kasperl and swinging. There was always something going on, even though they were clearly tired. I stayed downstairs, working as best as possible at my desk, as it was her first time with us, and I wanted to be available if needed. Randy returned at 10:30, and a few minutes later she said her good-byes. Emmy did not want her to leave. Both he and Tammy went upstairs to see her off and said that they wanted her to come back to play with them.
It was close to 11 am, when I finally got to go upstairs. I was extremely tired, but soon had to get started cooking lunch. At noon they came upstairs to eat, but once again they did not want to eat, even though they usually really like pork. And Randy was not feeling too great either and didn't eat too much. Nobody ate dessert either, and so they were in bed by about 12:30. The boys fell asleep right away, while Tammy needed a little time. As soon as I was able to walk away, I left and went straight to bed myself, that's how tired I was. First I asked Randy whether he also wanted to lay down in bed, but he preferred the kitchen chair.
I fell asleep and woke up, when Emmy walked into the room after only about an hour of sleep. He did not want to go back to bed - in his own or mine - and so I opened the gate for him to go downstairs to play. Randy then went downstairs as well. I fell back asleep until Tammy walked into the room, and then Sammy woke up as well. I took them downstairs as well, even though I was still really exhausted. Still, I stayed awake, and just after 3 pm I let the others know it was time to come upstairs to get ready to leave at 3:30.
We left on time and took the subway to the school, where their exercise class was taking place. They had missed the last two Mondays and today was the last class before the summer break. It's predictable, as it always starts with a greeting with a cat, then a dance, where they walk in a circle and make movements, then she gets the balls out. They were tired during the class, and so not always participating fully, especially Emmy, but I've seen worse and they were having fun. There was only one new item in the class, and only Tammy did it. Emmy once again made the cones fall before they were ready, so that the adults had to start over putting them on top of each other. And Sammy had lots of fun lying on his back on the trampolin, with me making the trampolin move with my foot. He also sat by the big mat all by himself for a while, with balls that were not rolling into the box coming to him. One time Tammy came to him and stroked his head, then hugged him.
The class always ends with a song they are all drumming to or using rattles with. Emmy had already been waiting for the box with the instruments for 10 minutes, when it finally came out, and he got one of the few big drums, so he was happy. He was playing the loudest and wildest. Then the class was over.
Emmy immediately asked to go to the playground right there, and so we did. He and Tammy kept going up and down the slide. They now need just a little shove on the top of the net to get on the platform, and Tammy has already done it without that. She had her baby with her today, and I'd hold it while she climbed up, then gave it to her, and the baby came down the slide with her, or one time all by itself. Sammy got to enjoy the swing with Daddy.
While they were playing, we were watching dark rain clouds approaching and finally decided it was time to head home before we got caught up in the rain. They wanted to watch Peppa Pig on the subway, and I let them.
We got home just after 5:30 pm and all stayed upstairs. I quickly got some food ready for them, and they sat down to eat. Of course they barely ate anything, then went into the bathtub. And I got some fruit to take to the bathtub, and they at least got some food into their tummies that way. Once they were all in bed, I was surprised to see that it was only 6:40 pm, so rather early. Still, the boys fell asleep quickly, while Tammy was wide awake. I stayed for a long time, then asked Randy to sit in the chair instead of me. He was not feeling well at all and just resting anyway. Tammy was unhappy about me leaving, and I listened to her plead with me to come back for quite a while, while I was eating, before I got up to relieve Randy again. I held her hand, and then she soon fell asleep, and I was able to leave and return to work on the computer.
Randy had not eaten or done anything but close his eyes and rest all evening and went to bed early, at 10 pm, and so I went downstairs to work. Around 11 pm Emmy came to the top of the stairs, calling me to come. I walked him back to bed and sat down for a few minutes, but I still had a lot to get done. I walked away, against his will, and went back downstairs. He stood again at the top of the chairs, calling me, and I kept telling him to go to bed or lie down in my bed, and I'd come as soon as I was done with my work. At some point he did leave, and I can only assume I'll find him in my bed, when I got to bed myself in a few minutes.
