Day 2503. Friday and their last day of their first year of school after 39 weeks! Wow! Time sure flies.
We were able to set the alarm for an hour later than usual, for 7:15 am. Randy got up to make breakfast for the kids and left with Tammy and Emmy just after 8 am. I had set my alarm for 8 am but after a short night, I didn't even hear the alarm. At 8:30 am I woke up because Sammy was doing everything he could to wake me up. I finally checked the time and couldn't believe it was already that late. I realized I had overslept and jumped out of bed. Sammy wasn't dressed yet so I had to do that as well. At 8:45 am we walked out of the building and rode the subway to his school where he arrived at 9 am. Everyone was already there and happy to see him.
I was extremely tired but rode the subway to a store where I could print out pictures of kids in Mali, then I went home. I still had half an hour before having to leave again and made the most of that time. At 10:15 I left to go back to Sammy's school.
Tammy and Emmy had school from 9 until 9:50 am. They received their report cards (no grades yet) and gave their teacher a gift. Each child had created a little card that a parent then put together on a chain and attached to a jar full of little chocolates. The kids told me that it made their teacher cry. Randy stayed at the school until they came back out and took their picture. They also took another class picture. Then they got on public transportation to head to Sammy's school as well.
When I got there, Sammy was walking with his walker so I took advantage of the opportunity to film him walk. He did a great job. There are no straps of any kind. He's just holding on to the handles. After he had done a big round, I found myself a seat and Sammy stayed with me at first. The teacher brought his report card and took a picture of us with it. Then one of the teachers took Sammy with her to sit down with the other kids from his class, and the school director came up to speak a few words and start the summer party. Before the first song started, Randy and the kids finally arrived. Sammy was elated!
They did three songs, and Sammy did a great job singing, doing the actions and playing the tambourine. You could tell he had lots of fun. I filmed him singing.
Then it was time for the buffet; the kids all got some food from there to eat. Then Sammy started saying good-bye to everyone and telling them how much he was going to miss them. In Austria kids are off school for 9 weeks in the summer which is quite long. Then we left and took the subway in the opposite direction to go to McDonald's to have lunch. We had a good time, then went to the playground right there where the kids were having fun. I was extremely tired and closed my eyes on the bench while the kids were playing. After a while we left to go home. On the way to the subway there was a Coca Cola cart; they were giving away free coke so we all got some.
It was about 1:40 pm by the time we were home, and we were expecting Grandma at 2 pm for one last visit before our trip. It was great to see her again. She brought gifts for the kids, looked at their report cards and had two hours of fun with them. Just before 4 pm she left, while I had to sit down to teach at 4 pm. I was extremely tired but made it. After I was done at 5 pm, I went to the kitchen to make the kids' sandwiches and cut up fruit for them.
Randy left at 6:30 pm to pick up left-over bread from the bakery but found the subway shut and locked down and a big, black cloud in the sky. Obviously there was a big fire nearby which meant that the subway was not running, nor was the interstate open to cross the Danube. Randy waited for a while, then got the kids to show them, but it was hours before the subway started running again, so no fresh bread for us.
Later they went into the bathtub, then got ready for bed. We read a Bible story, and I prayed for them, then they went to bed and I went to the kitchen to get myself something to eat and then took a break. Later I went back to work and then to bed way too late, as usual but I cannot fall asleep earlier.
