Day 2307. This was week 15 of school, and the kids learned their 15th letter, the letter "h". On Friday Emmy had a perfect score at the dictation again while Tammy made one mistake. She's also having a harder time reading, still confusing letters which Emmy does not do.
On Thursday I had to get up at 9 am, so less than an hour after Sammy had left to go to school. I taught from 9:30 to 10:30, then I left right away to go to the dentist for my 11 am appointment. I was very tired as I took the subway downtown, then rode the bus for one stop. I register at the dentist's, then sat down and waited to be called up. It then took nearly an hour for the dentist to do a deep filling, and my tooth has been hurting since.
I got back home around 12:30 pm and had some food. At 1:30 pm I picked up Sammy from school. Back home, I sat down at the computer to get ready for my 2:20 pm student. Randy got home with the other kids at 2:30 pm. After I was done with my student, I had five minutes before starting with my next student. When I finished with her at 4:05 pm, it was time to leave the house right away.
I had already made their sandwiches and packed my bag, but I had forgotten to take a drink bottle with me for the kids. Also, I hadn't noticed that Tammy had put boots on instead of her sneakers, so she had to do the exercise class barefoot.
We took the 4:20 pm train, then the tram, doing reading practice. Then we walked to the school where they got changed and went into the gym. I was so dead-tired having gone non-stop all day after another short night that I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. It wasn't very comfortable so I didn't get a good nap but dozed off a few times.
At 5:45 pm the class was over. Emmy came out first and told me right away that Tammy had received Max, the mascot, to take it home. Every week another child takes him home with them, and Tammy had been impatient for her turn. Now she has him home for three weeks because of the Christmas holiday. She was very excited!
We walked to the tram and took it to the train station and just about made the 6:18 pm train, thank God. The kids were eating their sandwiches. About 15 minutes later we were back home.
I went straight to the kitchen to cut up fruit for the kids. Randy and Sammy got home just after us. Sammy has wheelchair class on Thursday, and that day they had a little Christmas celebration. After they had eaten and I had gotten my 8 pm student prepared, we went downstairs for piano practice. Back upstairs there was only time for a quick shower and the advent calendars. I prayed for them, and they went to bed while I sat down to teach from 8 to 9 pm.
Friday was an intense and long day for me. While I normally lie back down at 7 am, when Randy leaves with Tammy and Emmy to take them to school, that was not the case that day. Tammy and Emmy had their Christmas service at their Christian school, and all the parents were invited to join. And so I was the one taking them that morning. We took the 7:12 am bus, then another bus, then walked to the school where we arrived early. The school opens its doors at 7:50 am. We then walked in. I went downstairs where I took my coat and shoes off, then went into the gym. I was able to get a seat in the front row. Tammy was sitting right by me while Emmy moved away to the left of the room. The first graders did not have to do anything during the service.
Just after 8 am the service started. The director greeted everyone, then we sang some songs. The second graders were playing some songs on their recorders while the third and fourth graders played their guitars. We also sang a few songs and ended the service with "I wish you a Merry Christmas". It was 9 am and time to go. I said good-bye to Tammy and Emmy and left to go home.
By about 9:45 am I was back home and dead-tired. I had been walking with my eyes nearly closed. I lay straight down and closed my eyes but knew I didn't have much time. At 10:10 I got back up, and Randy and I left to go to Sammy's Christmas celebration at his school. It started at 10:30 am. When we got there, they had put up benches in the entryway which was where the celebration was going to happen. Randy and I sat down in the first row. The teachers were bringing in the children one after another - some walking, some in wheelchairs, some in standers like Sammy. Sammy was very excited when he saw us and waved to us.
Once everyone was gathered, the school director said a few words. We had a program in our hands with four song in it. The first song I had never heard of. The director said that they had been practicing it a lot. One teacher had a guitar, and everyone sang. Sammy was doing a great job and at times, he was the loudest. He was having so much fun, it was a blessing to watch. When we sang Jingle Bells, all the kids had bells to ring. After the four songs, it was over and all the students went to their classes, and the parents followed them there.
All the kids have assigned seats in the classroom. They put Sammy by his seat in his stander, while we got chairs to sit with him. There was food and cookies sitting on the table in front of us. The main teacher of Sammy's class said a few words, then we were giving a little task. We were given an orange and cloves and had to stick the cloves into the orange. The three of us worked together to complete the taks. The teacher said we could put it on the heater at home which would make the room smeel good.
They were giving out fruit punch to everyone, and we were invited to start eating. There was cold noodle salad and some other stuff, including a sweet dessert that was their lunch of the day. We had a good time eating and talking. And Sammy gave us a gift he had made in school. He had made a bag and the candle inside that had his name on it.
At noon we said our good-byes and left. We took the subway, and Sammy and I got off at home while Randy continued on the subway to go to Tammy's and Emmy's school. He picked them up and took them to their 2 pm tennis class. He also had the mascot Max with him so Tammy could take a picture with him there. At 3 pm the class was over and they took the train downtown where we were meeting up.
Sammy and I were home not long after noon, and I was in such bad shape that the only thing I could do was to lie down and sleep. I got a few minutes here and there but Sammy needed me to get up to help him time and time again which was tough. When it was time, I got up and made their sandwiches, changed Sammy's diaper, and at 3 pm we left the house together.
We took the train and then the subway, then we waited for the others on the subway platform. It was the shortest wait ever as they arrived unusually quickly. We got on the next subway together, and after a few stops Tammy, Emmy and I got off while Randy took Sammy home.
We walked through the mall to the dance studio. Tammy got changed and went inside with Max. It was just after 4 pm. I took a picture of her and Max with the breakdance kids. Then I went to the lounge. As I'd had some sleep at home, I was okay and was on my phone and read the paper instead of sleeping. Ten minutes before the class ended at 5 pm, I went back to their dance hall to watch them dance. At 6 pm the class was over.
We walked through the mall to get to the subway, rode it to the train station and took the 6:18 pm home where we arrived about 15 minutes later. I went to the kitchen right away to cut up their fruit, then sat down to teach from 6 to 7 pm. After I was done teaching, we went downstairs for piano practice. Back upstairs, it was bathtub time, then advent calendars quickly, a quick prayer, and I had to sit down to teach from 8 to 9 pm. They then went to bed after I had started teaching.
