5 years 3 months 26 days

Day 1944. Yesterday Randy took the kids to kindergarten, while I lay back down for an hour until my alarm woke me up at 9:30. I taught from 10 to 11 am, then got ready to leave the house. Randy and I took the subway for three stops to go buy a Christmas tree there. We always buy it at that place, as the least walking is involved. I picked a tree quickly, then the guy put a net around it and helped tie it to Randy's cart. He then pulled it to the subway, and we took it home, where we set it up in the right spot. Then I started cooking, and Randy ate before leaving at 12:20 to go pick up Tammy and Emmy and take them to their tennis class.

I left the house at 12:40 to go pick up Sammy. He was happy to see me. I then told him that we needed to go to the bank and the supermarket before going home, which made him happy. We got on the subway and didn't get off at our stop but continued on for two more stops. We went to the bank, then the supermarket, then went home.

By 3:30 pm he was already asking for Daddy a lot. I then ended up stepping it up, playing with him and making him laugh a lot. He never asked when Daddy was coming home again. I then had to get ready for my 4 pm student - the one who always comes late. At 4 pm I told Sammy to go to the door as Randy was about to come home. Ten minutes later they came home, just as my student showed up.

I then had to teach until 6 pm, while Randy and the kids went downstairs. After I was done teaching, I made their dinner, they ate, then we went downstairs for piano practice. I had not filmed Tammy playing with both hands yet, so I did. Then I got them to play together, but Tammy had some issues so I said I'd film it another time.

We went back upstairs, and they went into the bathtub, opened their advent calendars and went to bed.

This morning we left the house at 10 am to go downtown, to their music school, for their weekly 10:30 piano class. Randy and Sammy stayed outside, but came in briefly towards the end of the class. After the greeting song, the kids did the finger-warm up, then had to play different songs. Emmy was bored  because the teacher played the songs way too slowly. He soon started getting upset and misbehaving. Then the teacher said the kids could come to the real piano in the front to play the song in front of everyone. They actually play an end-of-the-semester concert in January, so I guess it was practice for that.

The teacher asked for a volunteer to come up front to play, and Emmy's hand shot up. He went first, and he was the only one to play the song without mistakes. I was actually surprised that he only played with one hand and that he played slowly, when he could have played it fast with both hands. I guess it was the nervousness.

Tammy came next. I usually point to the notes for her so she knows where she is, while Emmy always plays the songs by heart. As I was filming and not pointing, she got lost and I had to start pointing to the notes for her to be able to finish the song.

Emmy was fine after his performance, participating well for the rest of the class. They didn't do anything on the board today, but did get a story at the end, even though it was late. After the stickers for being present, and stamps for having practiced, as well as the good-bye song, we got dressed and left.

We walked back to the subway, took one for one stop, then got on another one to go to the McDonald's right by the swimming pool. We actually rushed so much to get on the second subway that we got on on the wrong side and had to get off again two stops late, go up to street level and back down on the other side to get on the correct train going the direction we wanted to go. That cost us some time, but we still had plenty of time at McDonald's.

We had a good time eating there, then crossed the square to the swimming pool. We paid, then walked around the building to the wheelchair entrance. We changed and walked to where the teacher was doing the previous class. As we were later than usual, we didn't have to wait as long until 1:30 pm. However, she went way over time with the previous class.

At first I thought our kids were going to be the only ones there, but then there were 3 more, which was still a small class compared to regular Saturdays. Since I can finally go into the water again, I went into the pool with them, while Randy took Sammy straight to the warm baby pool. I enjoyed doing the class with Tammy and Emmy, especially as it was not as crowded in the water. And they got more attention, improving in how well they can do their frog legs while swimming. In the end, she threw a rope into the water that they held on to, and she then reeled them in which they greatly enjoyed.

After the class, we also headed to the baby pool where we were all having fun together for a while before getting out and going to our changing room. Once we were all dressed for the cold again, we left and walked to the subway, then took two subways home.

By 3:30 pm we were back home. I was very tired and needed a nap. The kids were eager to decorate the Christmas tree. I lay down, while they got on their tablets, and Randy also needed a break very much, as he was not feeling well. Unfortunately it was once again Emmy, as always, who woke me up way too early. Sleep was over then. An hour after coming home we went downstairs to work.

Randy got all the Christmas boxes out, and I opened them all. Especially Tammy was impatient to get started. But first we had to put the lights up. Randy helped me on the top half of the tree, and the kids on the bottom half. As the string of lights was really long, we continued it along two of the walls in the living room. Then Emmy, Tammy and I started putting the red and golden balls on the tree, then the chocolates that didn't need a hook. Randy never got around to making knots into the chocolates and putting hooks on, so that's a job for tomorrow. He tried to put the start on top of the tree, but it was so heavy that it was not straight, so he's gonna work on that tomorrow.

It was nearly 6 pm, so we stopped working and went upstairs for dinner. I went to the kitchen to make their dinner, then they ate. Randy was not up for them to take a bath, so I just gave them a quick rinse. Sammy was tired and fell asleep early. The others were also in bed earlier than they have been, but needed a little time to fall asleep. I then got myself something to eat.