Day 2295. This was week 13 of school. This week they learned the letter W, which means that Emmy can now write his complete name while Tammy still has one more letter to learn to be able to do so. Tammy is getting better and better at reading as well as writing, though she still says letters wrong at first. Emmy has no problem reading or writing.
Monday
Monday was the first of day of the month of December. The kids had been counting the days as it was finally time to open their advent calendars. They each have two - one with chocolate and one with non-food. Tammy has a unicorn one, Emmy soccer and Sammy Mickey Mouse. They open those in the morning. Of course they were up more quickly than usual to open them, and they all had great first gifts in their advent calendars. I then got their snack boxes ready for them, did Tammy's hair, and went back to bed. Most of the time Sammy does not let me sleep during the one hour while we're alone as Randy is taken the other two to school. Once my alarm goes off at 8 am, I get up to get Sammy dressed and ready for school. I put him into the wheelchair so that Randy just grabs him when he opens the door and then takes him to his school that is only 2 subway stops away. By 8:45 am Randy is back home.
I usually go back to bed after Randy and Sammy have left and set my alarm for whenever I have to get up to teach. On Monday I taught from 10:15 to 11:30, then made lunch. At 1 pm Randy left to pick up Tamm and Emmy, and twenty minutes later I left to go pick up Sammy. Sammy and I had just returned home, when Grandma arrived for one of her rare visits. We had a good half hour together, then I had to go teach at 2:30, which is also when Randy arrived with the other kids. They then all had a good time with Grandma while I was teaching. After I was done, I made their sandwiches, then went downstairs to where everyone was. At 3:50 pm I left with Tammy and Emmy, and Grandma left to go home.
The three of us took two subways then walked to the premises of their programming club. We got there early, but the teacher was ready and other kids were already there as well. I left them there and walked to the nearby McDonald's where I had a student at 4:45 pm. After I was done teaching, I walked back to the club and went in to see what they had done. They had finally started doing electric circuits - no computers involved - which made me very happy. They had a switch where they could turn a light on and off. They packed up, then we walked to the subway with them eating their sandwiches. By 6:30 pm we were back home. I cut up their fruit and gave it to them, then we went downstairs to do piano practice, followed by the bathtub.
It's always challenging getting everything done by bedtime at 8 pm, as I start teaching at 8:10 pm, but it's even more challening now with the advent calendars. They open their chocolate advent calendars (Tammy Kinderschokolade, Emmy Nutella, Sammy Kitkat), then we have two advent calendar books to read. I prayed for them then they went to bed while I sat down to teach.
Tuesday
Tuesday was my only morning with no commitments. Yeah! I was able to get some much-needed sleep after everyone had gone to school. Well, Sammy was home again as his school had a training day for their new people. I made lunch, we ate, then Randy left at 1 pm to pick up the other kids. They returned at 2:30 pm, and I suggested we'd do piano practice right away as I did not have any students. I did it with Emmy, then he left with Randy had 3 pm to go to his soccer class. It was time for me to practice with Tammy. Just before 4 pm we also left. We took the subway, then the bus, then walked to the school where Emmy has his soccer class. After he had come out, we all walked to the bus stop but Randy and Tammy went one way to go to her ballet class, while I took the boys home.
Back home I cut up their fruit and gave it to them, then I sat down by the computer to get ready for my 6 pm student. After I was done teaching, Randy and Tammy returned home a few minutes later. They went into the bathtub after having eaten, then we did all the advent calendar stuff, I prayed for them, and they went to bed at 8 pm, while I sat down to teach.
Wednesday
On Wednesday Sammy had a long day. After Randy returned from taking Tammy and Emmy to school, he still had some time to play with Sammy before they left the house at 9:30 am. They had a one hour trip all across town to get where they needed to go for their 10:30 am appointment. They used lasers to measure Sammy's legs and torso to make night braces for his legs that go all the way to the top, as well as a corsett so he sits straight. That whole process took hours. When they were finally done, they crossed town again to go to Sammy's 2 pm horse therapy session. I had made sandwiches for them to eat for lunch. They had an eye doctor appointment scheduled for after horse therapy but it was a good thing that was canceled as the day was long enough as it was.
As for me, I had a student at 11:30 am. At 1 pm I left the house to go pick up Tammy and Emmy, and it was after 2:30 pm before we were home. I had to sit down at the computer to teach right away. I then taught for two hours. Once I finished at 4:30 pm, we had to leave right away after quickly making their sandwiches. Tammy, Emmy and I took the 4:50 pm train, then the tram for two stops, then we walked to the swimming pool. We got changed and walked to the pool where the previous class was still going strong. I took their picture as they both got new neoprene suits after they had grown out of the old ones.
At 5:30 pm their class started and lasted half an hour. They were still having a really hard time doing the new way to swim right, with putting their head under water, and the teacher didn't really help them. It was rather frustrating. At least Emmy kept it up to the end this time around. We got changed again and left. They were eating their sandwiches while we walked to the tram, then made our way home.
By about 6:45 pm we were back home. I cut up their fruit, they ate, then we went downstairs for piano practice, followed by the bathtub and advent calendars. After having prayed for them, they went to bed while I sat down to teach at 8 pm, as usual.
Thursday
Tammy and Emmy did not need their school bags as they had a field trip planned. They took their backpacks instead, and their teachers went with the whole class to a workshop where they got out their milk cartons to make an artwork out of it using trash (upcycling). They had lots of fun.
As for me, there was no sleeping after Randy had left with Sammy to take him to school at 8:15 am. I already started teaching at 9 am, and I had two students, teaching until 11:30. Then I cooked lunch. At 1 pm Randy left to go pick up Tammy and Emmy, while I left 20 minutes later to pick up Sammy. I had little time after we got home, as I already started teaching at 2:20 pm, at least I didn't have another student after. That way I had time to make their sandwiches, and I did piano practice with one of the kids.
Just after 4 pm I left with Tammy and Emmy to take the 4:20 pm train, then the tram to go to their exercise class. They got changed and went inside with their sticker folder. I then had nearly an hour in the locker room to wait for their class to be over. I had been extremely tired all day not having had a chance to sleep in the morning, and so all I could do was to close my eyes, but it was too uncomfortable to actually sleep. After the class was over, we took the tram to the train and rode the 6:18 pm train home where we arrived about 15 minutes later. Randy and Sammy arrived some time later from Sammy's wheelchair class
I cut up their fruit and gave it to them to eat, then we went downstairs for piano practice, followed by bathtub, advent calendars and prayer time. At 8 pm they went to bed, while I sat down to teach.
Friday
Friday was "Krampus" day. Krampus is the evil equivalent to Saint Nicholas. As Saint Nicholas day is the following day, a Saturday this year, they celebrated Saint Nicholas day on Friday already in school. In Tammy's and Emmy's school, each kid had made a boot out of a milk carton that they found filled with goodies on Friday. And then Emmy's name was drawn to get an advent calendar bag. It really was his lucky day!
At Sammy's school, Saint Nicholas actually came to visit. When he walked into the room, he shouted his name out loud. He was so very excited! He got a little gift bag with chocolate and nuts from him.
As for me, I was able to lie back down for a little bit after everyone had gone to school. At 10 am I started teaching and went until 12:30 pm. Randy had already left at noon to pick up Tammy and Emmy and take them to their tennis class. I left after I was done teaching to pick up Sammy, and only got to eat once we were back home.
I was working on my computer while Sammy was playing, doing different things. At 3 pm we left the house together. We took the 3:20 pm train, then the subway, then waited on the platform for Randy to arrive with the kids. Once they had come, we all got on the subway. Tammy, Emmy and I got off after a few stops, while Randy continued with Sammy to take him home.
The three of us walked through the mall to the dance studio where their class had started at 4 pm. They always arrive a few minutes late. They went in, while I went to the lounge room to take a nap. This time, there were a few people there so that I could not lie down on the couch. Instead I sat down comfortably, closed my eyes and soon fell asleep. I had half an hour to sleep. However, halfway through that time Sammy called and woke me up. Because of my alarm, I could not put the phone on silent. I was able to fall back asleep and got up once the alarm went off.
I walked back to where they were dancing and watched them through the glass window. They were doing handstands one after another, then they did a "battle". Two kids went together in teams, taking turns dancing. Tammy and Emmy were in a team together. They could see me watching and filming them. Emmy did a headstand and let go of his hands briefly, only standing on his head, and I was able to take a screenshot of it from the video.
At 5 pm the class was over. We walked through the mall to the subway, rode it to the train station and took the 5:18 pm train home. Once home, I cut up their fruit and gave it to them, then I sat down at the computer to teach at 6 pm. By 7 pm I was done and went downstairs with them to do piano practice. Back upstairs, it was bathtub time, then advent calendars and prayer time. But we weren't done yet. It was time to put their boots outside the apartment door so that Saint Nicholas could fill them during the night. Only then did they go to bed, while I sat down at the computer to teach.
Saturday
It was Saint Nicholas day. When the kids woke up, they couldn't wait to go check their boots. Emmy was up first and got the key, but he said he was too scared to open the door. He only opened the door once his sister was by his side. And there were their boots - filled to the brim with chocolate, peanuts and mandarines. There was also a red bag full of goodies next to each pair of boots (from Grandma). They brought them inside, and I gave them an empty ziplock bag each to put their goodies inside. Then I went back to bed.
But not for long as my alarm went off at 8:30 am. I was so very tired. I got up and got ready for my 9 am student, after everything was ready for us to leave right after I was done teaching. But I kept waiting and waiting and no student. Ten minutes before the end of the class, I got a message that the whole family had overslept, then they made a new appointment for 3 pm.
First the early morning because of Saint Nicholas day, then a no show... I could have had another hour of sleep. Instead I was dead-tired all day long.
Just before 10 am I left with Tammy and Emmy to take them to piano class. We rode the subway downtown doing reading practice, then rode our scooters to the music school. Their class started at 10:30 am. We were very glad that their teacher was back after three weeks. After the warmup, she did the second song with them that they had been practising, never doing the first one they had hoped to play for her to show her how well they can play it. Then she did a new song, the next one in the book. After a story, the class was over. I then talked to the teacher about the piano competition in February that they have signed up for. She still hadn't given us the 6 or so music pieces they need to learn and memorize for that. She then told me what book to order on Amazon and that she would tell me which pieces in there they should learn. I hope we'll know in the next few days as time is rather short.
We rode our scooters back to the subway and rode the subway home. Back home I made a quick lunch, then we sat down to eat. I didn't have much as I had my next student at 1 pm. I was extremely tired and wondered how I was going to teach but thankfully teaching invigorates me. Randy took the kids downstairs to play. After I was done teaching at 2 pm, I lay down to close my eyes until my next student at 3 pm, but I got distracted by my phone and only got a 20-minute nap in or so. Then I taught until 4 pm, then we all left the house together.
We took the 4:20 pm train, then rode the subway and got to church a few minutes before the service started. It was a special family service, and when we got off the elevator there was a crafts table with some kids and adults. Our kids joined in right away and decorated some plain water glasses that they could then take with them. They also got a small bag of candy each. Then we went into the sanctuary for the service.
They had little chairs set up in the front for the kids, and our kids sat down on them. Randy sat behind Sammy to make sure he wouldn't fall off the chair. Then the service started. This time they only had one disguised adult who was disguised as a snowman and who acted as a clown. A few teenagers did the songs up front, dancing and doing the actions. Tammy tried to do the actions as well, but Emmy just stood there and then sat down. Sammy had the time of his life.
After the offering, two adults did a little puppet conversation, then the pastor's wife came up to speak, and she did a great job preaching a message that the kids could understand and was still pertinent to the adults. Sammy shouted quite a few "amen" and "thank you, Jesus" which was very refreshing and received positively by the preacher. Once she was done, the puppets return to bring closure to their story, then there was another song/dance and the service was over. They had Christmas balloons for the kids, and each kid got one. Our kids were very excited.
We talked to some friends and returned to the crafts table so that Tammy could finish her glass. Then we left. We walked through the mall and stopped at McDonald's as the kids were hungry. We got some food to take with us and continued on to the subway. We all ate on the way. We rode the subway to the train station and got on the 7:01 pm train home where we arrived about 15 minutes later. They went into the bathtub, then we did all the advent calendar stuff and I prayed for them, then they headed to bed while I sat down at the computer to teach. Yes, I now teach Saturdays at 8 pm as well which means 6 nights a week.
Sunday
Finally a morning to sleep in, without having to be woken up at 6:15 am by the alarm clock. Tammy and Emmy were sleeping next to me, on either side of me, and it was just after 7:30 am, when Emmy was up. They then got up and opened their advent calendars, while Randy and I stayed in bed. At some point Randy got up to make breakfast for them, and then they went downstairs to play. That gave me the silence I needed to sleep well. At 11:30 am my alarm woke me up, and I got up to make lunch. We ate, then Randy left with Tammy and Emmy at 12:30 pm to take them to their maths club.
Sammy and I stayed home. I had so much work to do that I did not even know where to start. When I told Sammy that I had installed Alexa on Daddy's phone, he was very excited and tried to call him, but he never picked up. At 1:30 pm Randy returned, and he went downstairs with Sammy to play. At 2 pm he left again to go pick up the kids. It was the first time I didn't go to pick them up but I wanted to make the most of the time and keep working. Sammy tried calling Daddy on his phone again, and this time it worked, after I had looked at Randy's phone while he was home. Sammy was very excited when Daddy picked up for a video call with him, and I'm excited that it's no longer me that gets all of Sammy's calls on my phone all the time.
At 3:30 pm Randy returned with the kids as they had still played at the playground with their friend for a little while. They all went downstairs to play while I continued working for a while. Then I also went downstairs to do piano practice with them, followed by reading practice.
We then all went upstairs, where I made dinner for them. They ate, then went into the bathtub. After that, we did the advent calendars, and I prayed for them. Then they went to bed, while I went to the kitchen to cut up vegetables for my salad which takes some time. And I did it even though I wasn't feeling well. My nose was already red from running all day. But I enjoyed my salad, then continued working.
