Day 2337. My alarm went off at 9:30 am, and I got up to get ready for us to leave the house which we did just before 10 am. Tammy, Emmy and I rode the subway downtown, doing reading practice, then walked to their music school where their piano class started at 10:30 am. There was only one other student there. As they have done a few times, they were hiding before the teacher came in but she doesn't always like the surprise, just like this day, and she did not do any warmup fun questions like usually.
She started with the greeting song, then went straight into the finger warmups and spent more time than usual on them. They do three keys now - Do, Fa and Sol. Our kids did pretty well. Then she went through the three songs our three kids were going to play at the concert the next day. She started with the easiest song - done by the third girl - singing it first, then singing the notes, then playing it, then the girl coming to the front to play it on her piano - after bowing and saying what she was playing. Next came Tammy with her song. She was so shy saying her name and what she was playing; it wasn't quite like her. Then she played her song well. Emmy was very confident saying his name and what he was playing, and also played his song well.
Next she had them come to the front to do the two songs they were going to sing at the concert. We had been reviewing the words so they know the text, and they did alright. The kids wanted to do story time next but there was no time as the teacher and school director had to leave to deal with a situation. And so they got their stickers and stamps, and the class was over.
We all put our coats and shoes back on and walked back to the subway that we rode for three stops to McDonald's. They were having special deal-weeks that made it much cheaper for us. We had a good time eating, then Tammy, Emmy and I left first. I had to get home as I had a 1 pm student. Randy and Sammy went straight to their music school for Sammy's 1:30 music class. Unfortunately his teacher was sick so that another teacher was substituting for her.
As we'd gotten to McDonald's earlier than usual, we got home about 20 minutes before 1 pm which gave me the time I needed to prepare for my student. I taught until 2 pm, then lay down to rest. I was very tired but ending up doing stuff instead of sleeping which was probably a mistake. Randy and Sammy returned home just before 3 pm.
It was after 4:20 pm before we left the house. We had to hurry to make the 4:36 pm train. After the train,we took the subway, then we walked through the mall to get to church. The service had already started. We normally take the earlier train but that one is not running until the end of February. We found good seats to the side and started dancing in worship. The kids were having lots of fun. I enjoyed watching them, and I enjoyed dancing with them. Eventually I sat down on the floor to be on Sammy's level, and Emmy then came and lay down on me. That's when I took the picture - and Tammy snuck into it too.
Before worship was over, it was time for them to leave for children's church, so Randy left with them. I stayed in the sanctuary and got to enjoy the service. Because of half the trains not running, we really had to watch the time to get to the train station at the right time and not have to wait for half an hour or so. That's the reason why I left before the service was over and went to the children's room to let them know that we had to leave. The next train was not an option as I still had a student at 8 pm. And so we went to the subway and took it to the train station. We got there a minutes before our train was to leave so we really had to rush to go two levels up to the train platform. Unfortunately the elevator stopped at the first level so we knew it was over unless the train was late. When we reached the platform - after the train was to leave - we found out that the train was 2 minutes late which meant it was arriving when we got there, and we were able to take the 7:18 pm train home. It was an old train so we had to lift Sammy in his wheelchair into it and then out of it.
About 15 minutes later we were home. The kids were slowly getting ready to go to bed. I prayed for them, then they went to bed while I sat down at the computer to teach. After I was done at 9 pm, I got myself something to eat, then went back to work.
Normally I enjoy getting to sleep in on Sunday morning but this morning I had to get up even earlier than yesterday. My alarm went off at 8:50, then I got up to get ready to leave the house which we all did just before 9:30 am. We took the subway downtown, then walked to their music school where we arrived just before 10 am which was the beginning of the party. It really wasn't a party but the end-of-semester concert for all the students. All the kids were asked to go to the back with one of the teachers. Sammy was looking for his teacher that he loves so much but she was sick and not there. The three of us sat down in the last row of the large room where the concert was going to be. All the parents were waiting for the return of the children and the beginning of the party.
And then they came. They were all holding hands and walking in one after another, straight to the stage where they all sat down. Then the director (their teacher) said a few words. Then it was time for the children to show their skills. It started with the youngest ones doing their songs, then sitting down at the piano one after another and playing one song each. There were a few classes before our kids - all classes that they have completed so they knew the songs and piano pieces. Then it was finally their turn. They are in the last class that sings. Starting next semester, they'll only be playing the piano.
There were the three kids from their class and another girl from the same class from another day. They did the one song first - with their teacher playing the piano - and then the second song. Tammy sings the loudest, Emmy I couldn't even hear at all. They did a good job. In the end they held hands and bowed together, then they sat back down.
The director then asked one kid after another to come to the mic, saying their names but they each had to say into the mic what song they were playing. The girl from another day came first, then it was Emmy's turn. He spoke sovereignly, bowed and sat down to play. He made a tiny mistake early on and a major one in the end. Even though they can play these pieces in their sleep, the nervousness does get to them. Once he was done, he bowed and went back to his seat.
Tammy was next. She said into the mic what she was playing then sat down at the piano. She started well, remembering that it was staccato, but sped up and forgot about the staccatao. In the end she made a big mistake when her fingers weren't on the right keys any more. Later the teacher said to her that she had warned her to play too fast and that that was the result of that. Tammy bowed and went back to her seat. After their classmate had done her piece, those kids were all done. They got up for a picture, then were released to go sit down with their parents. Tammy and Emmy gave us big hugs, then Tammy went back to the front to watch while Emmy stayed with us. There were still the older and private students that had to play. It didn't take that long, and so it was only 11 am when everyone was done. The buffet was open. Emmy made a quick dash to the chips.
We were all enjoying snacks and drinks but didn't do much talking with anyone. As it was this early, I was glad that we could all go home instead of the kids having to go straight to their maths club. After about 15 minutes we left, walked to the subway and rode it home where we arrived before noon. I immediately went to the kitchen to make lunch. Randy had to leave with them at 12:25 to go to their maths club. I had made sandwiches for the kids to eat, so only Randy ate before leaving. Sammy ate a little later, after they had left.
When they got to the premises of the maths club, nobody was opening the door for them so Randy called me. I then contacted the school director who told me the class was canceled (like last week) because the teacher was still sick. However, that notice hadn't been received by the parents as several children were standing in front of the locked door, including our kids' friend. It was annoying. So our kids played at the playground with that girl for a few minutes, then they came back home.
There was no more program for the rest of the day. I was so very tired and wanted to get some rest but didn't get a chance. Eventually we went downstairs for piano practice, then I returned upstairs while everyone else stayed downstairs. I then lay down for a much needed nap and slept for about an hour, until I was woken up by the kids. They were hungry, so it was time for me to go to the kitchen to make their dinner. They ate their sandwiches, more than usual, then I cut up their fruit. Sammy was gonna eat his fruit in the bathtub. Tammy was on her tablet, Emmy was watching soccer on the projector, and Sammy was doing different things - tablet, toys. 7 pm and bathtub time was approaching so I was saying we should get started in the bathroom. Suddenly there was a sound, then the sound of Sammy crying and the kids shouting. Randy walked over to Sammy and shouted out that there was blood everywhere. He has a tendency to exaggerate. Sammy had a wound on his eyebrow that was bleeding, and he was crying. It seems that he had pulled himself into a standing position and had then fallen down. We're not sure what he had hit with his eyebrow. I carefully wiped the blood away. It looked like quite the cut. He was still crying. We decided that he needed to go to the hospital to be sewn up, and Randy was going to take him. Sammy was scared but I calmed him down. When Emmy was two or so, he had fallen and had had an identical wound on the same eyebrow. When you look closely, you can still see the scar. Now Sammy was going to be a twin again, with the exact same scar. However, I was hoping he wouldn't have to stay in the hospital for 12 hours like Emmy had been back then. Emmy was put to sleep to be sewn up, and as he had just eaten, they had to wait that long until there was no more food in his system. At 7 pm, Randy left with Sammy to ride the two subway stops to the hospital and then go to the kids' emergency room. Tammy and Emmy were a bit shocked, especially Tammy who was crying until she went to Jesus who gave her peace. She knew that Jesus was with Sammy. Tammy and Emmy then went into the bathtub but missed their brother there. Then we did story time. Sunday is the only day of the week that I don't teach from 8 to 9 pm. We read the children's book we had received at McDonald's, then the Bible, then I prayed for them and for Sammy, and they each prayed as well. They then brushed their teeth and went to bed. Tammy wanted to sleep in my bed and cuddle with me, but I told her that was not possible. It was time for me to get something to eat; Randy had just finished eating before they left. Thankfully, he kept calling us and updating us on the situation. By 9 pm they were back home - much to the siblings' delight who were still awake and waiting for their brother. Instead of sewing him up, they had put some glue and a special bandaid on it. And because they are concerned about a potential concussion, they said that Sammy should stay home from school for the next three days. But the hardest is that he is not allowed to use his tablet or watch anything. I'm not sure how that is going to work. In any case, it looks pretty obvious that he does not have a concussion. It was time for him to go to bed but it took him a while to fall asleep. They all went to bed much later tonight but Tammy and Emmy have school in the morning and have to get up VERY early.
I finished eating, then went to work on the pictures and my report. Now it's 1:30 am, and I still have to load the dishwasher.
