Day 2252. On Wednesday I taught from 11 to 12, then cooked lunch. At 1:30 I picked up Sammy, and at 2:30 Randy came home with Tammy and Emmy. I had some time until my next student at 4:30 pm, so I did piano practice and reading practice with the kids. I had two students, teaching until 6:30 pm. And Wednesday is usually the day when I don't teach at night, so it's less stressful to get them ready for bed and read a Bible story before.
On Thursday I taught from 10 to 11 am, picked up Sammy at 1:30 pm and taught from 3 to 4 pm. Then we got ready, and I left with Tammy and Emmy to take the 4:20 pm train, while Randy and Sammy took the bus a few minutes later. They were going to Sammy's wheelchair class while we were going to their exercise class. We took the tram after the train, then walked to the school where the class started at 4:50 pm. I waited in the locker room while they had their class. It was the fifth of 5 sessions of basketball so their last time playing it. Next time they start with gymnastics, doing that for five weeks. The class ended at 5:45, then we took the tram to the train and rode it home. By 6:15 pm we were supposed to be home but that was not the case. We were supposed to get off at the next stop, when the train suddenly stopped on its tracks. We waited and waited but nothing was happening. We were wondering what's going on but no announcement came. As we were close to the driver's door, I kind of jokingly said to the kids that they could knock at the driver's door and ask what's going on and then Emmy did. The driver came out, and we asked him what was going on. He said that there had been an accident, and we had to wait until we could go on. I suggested to him that it would be helpful if he could make an announcement on the speaker. He thought he had already made one and said he'd make another one, and he did. I was getting a bit antsy because we didn't really have time for this, but we ended up arriving at our stop 35 minutes late. Those 35 minutes were missed the rest of the day. We still had piano practice to do, and I had dinner to make, then story, prayer and bed time. By 8 pm they were in bed, and I sat down to teach.
On Friday I taught from 9:30 to 10:30 and 11 to 12, then I had to leave the house right away. We were switching things around for the first time. I took the 12:12 bus, then another one and arrived at the kids' school a few minutes before they were to come out at 12:50 pm. Randy picked up Sammy at 12:30 pm and took him home. Once Tammy and Emmy came out of school, we walked to the bus and then took it to another bus. Once we got off the second bus, we went to the playground right there as there was still time until their tennis class at 2 pm. They had fun, and Tammy started playing with another girl there. After a while we left to walk the rest of the way to the tennis center. Once there, Tammy put her tennis dress on, then they went on the court to play.
It was my first time there in quite some time, and the first time since the winter semester started earlier this month. I was hungry and got myself a snack and a drink in the restaurant there and sat down by the window to watch the kids play. Emmy plays better than Tammy. There were two other kids in their group, but in total, there were a lot of kids there, more than I had ever seen before, even quite a bit older ones. They did the warm-up together, then they each went to their trainer. Our kids still have the same trainer they started learning tennis with.
At 3 pm the class was over. Tammy changed again, then we left and walked to the train station. We took the 3:24 pm train and rode it downtown. After we got off, we walked to the subway where Randy and Sammy were already waiting for us. Together we got on the next subway that arrived. Randy then got off with Tammy and Emmy after a few stops to take them to their breakdance class that's from 4 to 5 pm. They usually get there a few minutes late. Sammy and I rode the subway to the end and then got on the train home where we arrived just before 4:30 pm. I had plenty of time to make their dinner and get ready for my 6 pm student. Randy and the kids only got home at 5:45 pm after another train delay. After I was done teaching at 7 pm, I still had to do piano practice with the kids. I had already done their reading exercise with them on the bus/train. Time was short as I still had a 8 pm student.
On Saturday morning my alarm went off, and before it was 10 am I left the house with Tammy and Emmy to take them to piano class. We rode the subway dowtown doing their reading exercises, then walked to the music school where their class was to start at 10:30 am. All students were present, them and the other two. The school had had a Halloween party the night before, and the teacher asked the kids to guess what she was disguised as. In fact, the only girl from the class that had been at the party had shown up to class in her costume. Our kids just told everywhere that we don't celebrate Halloween.
After the finger warmup, the teacher started going through all the songs of the book from this semester, then she turned to a new page and reviewed the chords they already know and asked them to try to play those two new songs with them. The second one is quite a challening song, but we have two weeks to practice until the next class. She had them write under each chord what chord it was. Then they all went to the front to do their song, followed by a story. After they got their stickers and stamps, the class was over. We took our scooters and rode them back to the subway, then we took the subway for three stops to go meet up with Randy and Sammy at the McDonald's there. They were already waiting for us. We had a good time eating, then the kids wanted to go to the playground right there. I was very tired but agreed to go there for a little bit.
The kids were having fun there for about half an hour. I sat down on the bench to watch. At 1 pm we all left. Randy got on the subway going downtown with Sammy to take him to his music class at 1:30 pm, while I went home with Tammy and Emmy. I only had half an hour before starting to teach which was not enough to get some rest and prepare for my lessons, so I just prepared my lessons. Tammy and Emmy were on their tablets, while I was teaching - at least until Randy and Sammy came home at 3 pm. And I had 3 hours of teaching to do, from 2 to 5 pm. There was stil l no rest after that, as I went straight to the kitchen to make dinner for the kids. Then we did piano practice and went through our evening routine. The kids were happy that I didn't have any 8 pm students for a change so that I could read them stories without having to watch the clock. After having prayed for them, they went to bed.
