5 years 8 months 22 days

Day 2091. On Friday Randy left with the kids extra early so he could go pick up a second-hand bike for them after having dropped them off at their kindergartens. As for me, I went back to bed after he had left. My alarm woke me at 9:30 and I got up to get ready for my 10 am student. I then taught until 12:30 with a short break. Randy returned home at some point and warmed up some food, then left in time to make the 12:27 pm bus to go pick up Tammy and Emmy and take them to their tennis class at 2 pm.

After I finished teaching, I left to go pick up Sammy. The subway was delayed so it was nearly 1 pm before I got there. He was happy to see me and said good-bye to everyone, then we left. We rode the subway back home, where I had to warm up my food. Sammy was watching videos on the projector and playing with the door. I was working and preparing for us to leave the house before 3 pm. I made sandwiches for the kids, and at 2:50 pm we left the house. We rode the subway to the train station, then got on the train and reached our meeting point early. The train Randy and the kids were on was a few minutes late. Once it arrived, Tammy got off and came to me, while Sammy got on the train with the boys. Randy and the boys then went to the end of the subway, where Emmy had his soccer class at 4:30 pm.

Tammy and I walked to the bus stop and got on the bus that took us straight to the dance school. Thanks to construction, the temporary bus stop is right in front of the school so that we didn't have to walk. We got there a few minutes early, and Tammy got changed into her ballet outfit. Even though it was a little cold, I wanted to sit outside by the window where you can look inside and watch them dance, but the door was locked.  They said that they had lost the key. Halfway through the class someone suddenly came and opened the door, and I sat down outside and watched Tammy dance. They are working hard on practicing their dance for the performance in a month.

Just before 5 pm the class was over and Tammy got changed again. We got on the bus in front of the school that took us the one stop to the subway where it now ends until construction is over. We got on the subway, rode it for one stop, then switched to the subway that would take us home. However, we got off two stops early to pick up bread for a third of the price, then we continued on home where we arrived just after 5:30 pm.

Tammy started watching videos while I went to the kitchen to make their dinner. I put their plates on the table then sat down at the computer to get ready for my 6:30 pm student. Randy and the boys returned just after 6 pm, and they all started eating. Randy put them into the bathtub while I was still teaching. They were all coming out by the time I was done at 7:20 pm. And it was time for us to go downstairs for piano practice. We kept it brief and to the point, then went back upstairs. I put Sammy to bed with a prayer, then we still had a few minutes for a story. I read them a story, prayed for them, and sent them off to bed. It was time for me to sit down at the computer to teach from 8:10 to 9 pm. Then I went to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. After having eaten, I went to work on the computer.

On Saturday mornings it's always hard to sleep because the kids make so much noise. My alarm went off at 9:30 am but I went back to sleep and Randy had to wake me up. I quickly got up and got ready. Just before 10 am Tammy, Emmy and I left the house together, while Randy and Sammy stayed home today. We had our scooters as we were going back home after class. Their swim class was canceled today as the teacher had a funeral.

It was raining a little, when we left. We took the subway downtown, then rode our scooters to the music school where we arrived a few minutes before the class was to start at 10:30 am. Today one regular student was missing, one other one was there, and one that comes from time to time was there as well. The teacher did the greeting song, then asked whose fault the rain was. That was instead of the guessing game today. Then it was time to get started with the finger warmup exercises. After that, she split the class into two halves and one half played the right hand of the song they can already play, while the other half of the class played the left hand. Then they switched. Then she asked who could play the song all by themselves. Tammy's and Emmy's hands shot up. Emmy got to go first and played it really well. Tammy didn't play it quite as well. The third regular student also did it. Then she asked them to play the song they had done previously. We hadn't played that one all week but they were already able to play it perfectly. Again they each played it by themselves. Emmy played it perfectly, while Tammy unexpectedly made a mistake towards the end.

Next it was time for the clapping. Tammy and Emmy had practiced together at home, but they had a hard time clapping together so I helped out. The teacher was doing the song while everyone was clapping. Next it was time for the latest song they've learned and that we practiced all week. And today they did the second verse as well. Then it was already story time, followed by getting their stickers and stamps.

We rode our scooters back to the subway and rode it home. Back home, I went straight to the kitchen to cook lunch, then we sat down to eat. After lunch, Emmy wanted to watch his tablet but Randy had said he was not allowed his tablet today. So he sat down at my computer with me and watched some videos together with me which had not been my plan. Later Tammy joined us once she noticed she was missing out. But not for long. Randy asked who wanted to learn to ride a bike, and Tammy said yes. She went downstairs with Daddy who then tried to teach her. She did okay.

Sammy was upstairs with me and crying. He wanted to go downstairs as well so I took him. I put him on the go-kart that Randy had sitting there and rolled him outside. Then I returned upstairs. After a while they all returned upstairs. I closed my eyes for a few minutes after Emmy had left but there was no time to sleep. It was time to get ready to leave the house. We all left just after 4 pm and made it to the 4:20 pm train. After we got off the train, we rode the subway for three stops then walked through the shopping mall to church.

We got to church before the service started and sat down in the sanctuary. I gave my flashdrive to the tech guy as I had four pictures on it to show. Then the service started. I danced with Tammy, then with Emmy, then held Sammy and then held Emmy and took a great selfie with him. The one doing the kids' program today left with them before the one-hour worship time was over which was good. Sammy had already asked to go to the baby room. But he doesn't stay long at the kids' program because he wants to go to the baby room which is where Randy went with him.

After worship and the announcements, it was my turn. I got to tell some testimonies from Mali as well as prayer requests. Then the leaders prayed for me/Mali as well as the pastor who was leaving on a missions trip.

I went back to my seat, and after the offering the preaching started. At the end of the service, we did a sang of joy, then people went to the front to pray. The kids had just come back together with Randy so I wasn't sure what they had said. One of our friends from church grabbed Sammy and prayed for him, then brought him back to us.

The service then ended, and we slowly made our way to the exit, briefly talking with a few people. Then we left.

We walked through the mall to the exit and went to the McDonald's there for dinner as we had not gone for lunch as usual. We had a good time there then walked to the subway that was just arriving. After we got off, we had 1 minute to make the next train and we just about made it. It was the 8:18 pm train.

Just after 8:30 pm we were back home, and we immediately started getting them ready for bed. Even though it was late, I still read Emmy a story. As Tammy didn't want to join us, we read a soccer book. I prayed for all three, and they went to bed. It was pretty late for them. At 9:15 pm Sammy was still up... the only one still up because he wanted Daddy with him. As for me, I had my computer on and was back at work. Now it's 1:30 am, and I still have to take care of the kitchen.