6 years 3 months 17 days

Day 2300. This was week 14 of school. This week they learned the letter "r" so that Tammy now has all the letters to write her complete name as well. They are doing very well reading, and I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that Tammy got the dictation on Friday completely right, no mistakes. Great job! On Thursday they did another field trip in school, and this time they went to the opera and saw the Four Musqueteers . They enjoyed it. 

Monday

Monday was a holiday in Austria, celebrating Mary conceiving Jesus. For me it was another busy day. Thankfully we didn't have to get up early, like on a school day. Eventually Randy got up and made breakfast for everyone. After having eaten, they went downstairs to play. I got up at 9:30 and then taught from 10:15 until 11:30 am. Then it was time to cook lunch. After we'd eaten, I went to work on the computer until I started teaching again at 2:30 pm. I then taught for three hours, until 5:30 pm. It was time for piano practice. Then I made their food. After they had eaten, they went into the bathtub, then we did the advent calendars. After I had prayed for them, they went to bed while I sat down at the computer to teach from 8 to 9 pm.

Tuesday

I was really glad not to have any commitments that morning for a change so I got to sleep in. Once up and having taken care of lunch, I started doing much-needed office work I'm behind on. I picked up Sammy from school at 1:30 pm, and at 2:30 pm Randy came home with the other two. We went downstairs to do piano practice right away. At 3 pm Randy left with Emmy to take him to soccer class. I left with the other two just before 4 pm, after Tammy had practiced her ballet dance. Everyone had to dance for the teacher by themselves to show her they could do the dance they'd perform on Saturday. Tammy was nervous, saying she couldn't do it. I tried to calm her nerves, ensuring her that no girl could do it perfectly.

We took the subway and then the bus, then walked to the school where Emmy has his soccer class. Once he was done and had come out, we all walked to the bus stop where we went our different ways. Randy went with Tammy one way to take her to ballet class, while I went the opposite way with the boys to take them home. I had done reading practice with Tammy on the way there, and Emmy was doing it on the way home. The boys were also eating their sandwiches. Once home, I went to the kitchen to cut up their fruit and gave it to them. Then I sat down to teach from 6 to 7 pm.  A few minutes after I was done teaching, Randy and Tammy returned home. After she had eaten as well, it was bathtub time, followed by advent calendars and prayer time. At 8 pm they went to bed while I sat down to teach until 9 pm.

Wednesday

Sammy stayed home on Wednesday - for the last time his school had a training day for its new personnel. Once Randy had returned from taking Tammy and Emmy to school, he took Sammy downstairs which gave me the opportunity to get some more sleep. At 11 am I got up to get ready to teach at 11:30 am. After I was done, I made lunch and we ate. At 1 pm I had to leave to go pick up Tammy and Emmy, while Randy and Sammy left to go to Sammy's weekly horse therapy appointment.

As the first of the two buses only runs every half hour, I always get to their school 15 to 20 minutes too early. A grocery store recently opened right there, so I go there for a few minutes - it's my only time to go to a grocery store, so I really enjoy it. I bought a few items and then walked to their school. At 1:50 pm they are done and come out of the building. We then walked to the bus stop and took two buses back home where we arrived around 2:30 pm.

I was glad I still had some time until teaching at 3:30 pm, so I did piano practice with one of them and made their sandwiches. I finished teaching at 4:30 pm, then Randy was the one to leave with Tammy and Emmy to take them to their swim class. Sammy and I stayed home. It gave me the time to continue catching up on office work while also helping Sammy as needed. At 6:30 pm I was supposed to start teaching, but it was the student who is always late. He showed up when Randy walked through the door with Tammy and Emmy at 6:45 pm. They then sat down to eat their fruit that was all cut up and ready for them.

After I finished teaching at 7:20 pm, there was more piano practice, then a quick shower for Sammy before all the advent calendar stuff. At 8 pm they went to bed, while I sat down to teach.

Thursday

On Thursday I didn't have the time to go back to bed after everyone had left for school. I started teaching at 9 am and went until 11:30 am, then had to cook. At 1:30 pm I picked up Sammy from school, and at 2:30 pm Randy returned home with the other two. I only had half an hour to do piano practice with one of them; I had already made their sandwiches before. I then taught from 3 to 4 pm, then we had to leave right away. Randy and Sammy left a few minutes later to go to his wheelchair class. 

Tammy, Emmy and I took the 4:20 pm train, then the tram, then walked to the school where their exercise class takes place. They got changed and walked into the gym, while I stayed in the locker room. I was so very tired I just wanted to close my eyes and get a little nap in but there were grandparents with their granddaughter in the room so it never got quiet. At 5:45 pm the class was over. It was supposed to be the first of the five sessions of tennis but they didn't have the equipment so they had done the first athletics session instead.

We walked to the tram and took the tram to the train station where we made the 6:01 pm train. About 20 minutes later we were back home. I went to the kitchen to cut up their fruit, then they ate, then we finished piano practice before they went into the bathtub. Back out, it was time for advent calendars and books and prayer, then they went to bed while I sat down at the computer to teach from 8 to 9 pm.

Friday

On Friday I was able to go back to bed for a little bit after everyone had left for school. I got up at 9:30 am and started teaching at 10 am, going 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 right after having finished teaching to go pick up Sammy. We were back home before it was 1 pm. I still had to wrap up my last lesson and send homework to my student, then I finally got to eat lunch. After that, I went back to work and also made the kids' sandwiches.

Time went by really fast. At 3 pm Sammy and I left the house to take the 3:20 pm train, then we got on the subway. After we got off, we waited on the platform for the others' arrival; they came earlier than usual. We then got on the subway, and after a few stops I got off with Tammy and Emmy while Randy went home with Sammy.

The three of us crossed the mall to get to the dance studio where their breakdance class starts at 4 pm. They were only 3 minutes late this time. They went inside while I went to the lounch to take a nap on the comfy couch. There were more people than usual so I had to sit on the couch to sleep. I had asked Randy not to let Sammy call me during that time as he's woken me up before, and he didn't. However, there was a lot more activity than usual at the place so it was rather loud and I didn't get to sleep as well as usual. 

I got up and returned to where they were dancing before the class was out. Some parents were inside to take pictures so I went inside as well and watched them dance. I took some videos and pulled screenshots out of them. Their teacher went a little over time. After a few minutes I had to pull them out as we needed to catch the 5:18 pm train home. Thankfully we'd made it. Just after 5:30 pm we were home, and I went to the kitchen to cut up their fruit. I gave it to them and sat down at the computer to teach from 6 to 7 pm. Then we went downstairs for piano practice but it was rather short. Back upstairs they went into the bathtub, then we did all the advent calendar stuff. I prayed for them, and they went to bed while I sat down at the computer to teach from 8 to 9 pm.