Day 2273. This was week 10 of school for the kids. The tenth letter they've learned is the "d". Tammy has a much harder time reading and writing. She calls every "s" and "t" an "m" so I always have to point that out to her. We always do a little dictation practice on Thursday night as they have a dictation in school every Friday morning, one that includes their new letter. I think I was able to help her more on Thursday as she did a whole lot better on Friday. The teacher actually wrote "super!" next to what she had written. Emmy did well as always and just had two little mistakes.
Wednesday was an extremely intense day. I had three adult students learning a language (German and French) which is a whole lot more tiring than tutoring teenagers. I was so exhausted on Wednesday that I had a very hard time. The day started with my first student from 9:30 to 10:45, then I prepared for my next student at 11:30 am. At 1:30 pm I picked up Sammy from school and took him home, and at 2:30 I started teaching again, going until 4:30 pm. Then I made their sandwiches, and a few minutes later I left with Tammy and Emmy to take the 4:50 pm train.
We did reading practice on the train and took the tram for two stops after getting off. Then we walked to the swimming pool, signed in, and went to the locker room to change. We had made an earlier train that was delayed so that were by the pool earlier than last week. The kids had lots of time to watch the previous class and kept asking when their class was starting. And then it finally did.
This time they had brought their own swimming goggles. This teacher does things very differently from last year's teacher, teaching them professional swimming where they put their head under water. That made it especially hard for Tammy who already knew how to swim the other way but now she's having a hard time changing. Emmy was having a really bad day, saying he couldn't go on after only a few minutes, and he did sit out much of the class. Only when they were all jumping into the water did he come back to join in.
After half an hour the class was over, and we went to the locker room to change. Then we left to walk back to the tram. It was very cold. The kids were eating their sandwiches on the way home. We made the 6:31 pm train and were home 15 minutes later. I cut up their fruit for them to eat, then sat down to prepare my 8 pm lesson. Then we went downstairs for piano practice. Only Sammy went into the bathtub, then it was time to pray for them and have them go to bed, while I sat down to teach. Normally teaching reinvigorates me but that night I was so exhausted that I was having a hard time teaching.
On Thursday morning the kids had to take their backpacks to school as well. They were very excited that they were going to a trampoline park with school. And they had lots of fun there. Once back at their school, they still had some lessons.
As for me, I had a 10:30 student, then went to the kitchen to make lunch. At 1:30 pm I picked up Sammy, and I already started teaching at 2:20 pm, about ten minutes before Randy gets home with the other kids. Once I was done teaching, I went downstairs to where everyone was and did piano practice with Tammy and Emmy. Then I made their sandwiches, and then we left to take the 4:20 pm train. Randy and Sammy left a few minutes later to go to his wheelchair class.
The three of us took the train and then the tram, then walked to the school where they have their exercise class every Thursday. Tammy got changed, then they went inside the gym. I stayed in the locker room where I was on my phone and reading a paper.
When the class ended at 5:45 pm, Emmy was the first one to come out, and he had Max (the mascot) in his arms. Every week another kid gets to take him home, take pictures with him and write in his diary about what he's done that week with that kid. Emmy was very excited that his turn had come. Tammy was really disappointed as Emmy has now had both the school mascot and Max to come home with him already. However, he did forget to take Max to tennis and breakdance the following day, as well as piano class on Saturday.
We took the tram and then the train and got home at 6:15 pm. They had already eaten their sandwiches so I went to the kitchen to cut up their fruit. Then I prepared for my 8 pm student before going downstairs with the kids to do piano practice. Randy and Sammy returned before 7 pm. They then went into the bathtub, then there was a short story time and prayer time, and they went to bed while I sat down to teach.
On Friday I lay back down for a little bit after Randy had left with Sammy at 8:15 am. At 9:15 am I left the house and took the subway downtown, then a bus to my doctor's office as I had a 9:45 appointment there. After a blood test, an ultrasound of my neck vessels and my organs and a mammogram, it was time to discuss the results. I was nervous as I already knew my blood result was bad but couldn't figure out how bad the ultrasound result was. At least the mammogram was perfect. After having waited over half an hour, my turn had come.
The doctor looked at the ultrasound results and told me it was all good or as expected. She looked at my blood results again and said she wanted to give me cholesterol medication. Then she told me to be back in February for a checkup. I left there somewhat relieved.
I was glad I had plenty of time to get home and prepare for my 11:30 am student. I taught until 12:20 pm, then I had to leave right away to pick up Sammy. Just before 1 pm we were back home, and warmed up leftovers from the day before to eat. Sammy was playing with the door, drinking icetea and eating Kitkat. I needed a break bad.
Time went by fast. I made their dinner sandwiches, and at 3 pm I left the house with Sammy to take the 3:20 pm train. After the train, we took the subway. He was excited that it was an old one so he could show me at every single stop that he was able to open the door all by himself, which he did. After we got off, we waited on the platform for the arrival of Randy and the kids.
Randy had left the house at noon to pick up Tammy and Emmy and take them to their 2 pm tennis class. Once the class was over at 3 pm, they walked to the train and took it to where Sammy and I were waiting for them. When they arrived, there hadn't been a subway train the whole time Sammy and I had been there so that the platform was completely full of people. When the subway arrived, it was impossible for everyone to get on, including us. We had to wait for the next train. And then they made us get off a few stops later. Another delay. That way Tammy and Emmy got to their breakdance class even later than usual. Randy and Sammy stayed on the subway to go to the train to take it home.
For once Tammy was not whining as we were walking through the mall to the dance studio. They then walked straight in to join their class. It was nearly 10 minutes after the class had started. I then walked to the lounge where I lay down and had a half-hour nap until my alarm gave me a rude awakening. Then I walked back to their class and watched the last few minutes through the glass. They were doing a good job dancing.
The class ended at 5 pm. We left and walked to the subway, then took it to the train station and rode the 5:18 pm train home where we arrived just after 5:30 pm. I was not sad that my 6 pm student had canceled. I cut up their fruit and gave it to them and also made them hot noodle soup which has become a frequent request recently. We then did piano practice, and I prepared for my 8 pm student. There was not enough time for a story after the bathtub and before they went to bed. I prayed for them and sat down at the computer to teach.
