6 years 7 months 28 days

Day 2431. Normally Randy takes Tammy and Emmy to school first, then comes back to take Sammy, but this day was different. Tammy and Emmy had a school race that they had been working towards for months, and the race was only three stops away from our home. I asked the teacher, and she said it was okay for them to go straight there and meet up with their class there. That was a big relief as they would have had to be at their school fifteen minutes earlier than usual. As it was, Randy could sleep 15 additional minutes before getting up to make breakfast. Tammy and Emmy put their school shirts on as they were competing as a school, and just after 7:30 am Randy left with all three kids earlier than he really needed to. They rode the subway for two stops to drop of Sammy at his school. They were there before 8 am but it's only at 8 am that the teachers arrive. Once they were there, Randy left with Tammy and Emmy.

They rode the subway for another stop; that's where they were meeting up with their class. The class was running late but eventually arrived, then they all walked to where the race was taking place. I hope to get some pictures soon. It seems like they had a good time. Tammy was in 10th place among first-grade girls from all schools, while Emmy fell just before the goal which put him in 63rd place. 

I had gone back to bed after Randy and the kids had left. My alarm went off at 10:30 as I had a 11 am student. I taught until noon, then I warmed up leftovers for us to eat. Randy left at 1 pm to pick up Tammy and Emmy and take them to Emmy's soccer class. I picked up Sammy, then we had just over an hour at home together. At 3:15 pm the two of us left, rode the subway for three stops, made a quick stop at the pharmacy, then waited for Randy to arrive with Tammy and Emmy. I gave Randy Tammy's sandwich, then he and Tammy got on the bus to go to her dance school, while I went home with the boys and Tammy's schoolbag. 

At home I made the boys' sandwiches and gave them to them to eat, then sat down at the desk to teach from 5 to 6 pm. Once I was done, I went to the kitchen to cut up their fruit and gave it to them. Then I sat down to prepare for my 8 pm student. After a while I went downstairs with Emmy to do piano practice. Back upstairs, I was wondering why Randy and Tammy weren't back home yet and called. I found out that Randy had done a big detour to get to the bakery where they had the bread pick-up. I felt bad for them, especially Tammy who is always very tired after two hours of dance class (dance sport and ballet). They barely made it to the bakery  in time. At 7 pm the boys went into the bathtub, and Tammy got home and joined them a few minutes later. Once they were out, there was no more time for Tammy to do her reading practice but we did do piano practice as it only takes 5 minutes. They both said their memorized Bible verse, I prayed for them all and sat down to teach. Both kids then lay down in my bed after having brushed their teeth. Once I was done teaching at 9 pm, I took the kids back to their beds and got myself something to eat. After having taken a break, I went back to work.

The kids have all been coughing and having a runny nose but this morning Tammy was feeling so bad that she could not go to school. So Randy only took Emmy to school, then returned and took Sammy to school. My third alarm went off at 9:30 am as I had a 10 am student. I taught until 11 am, then put a lasagna into the oven and prepared for my 11:30 am student. I taught until 12:30 pm, then we ate. Tammy had not eaten breakfast and ate little for lunch.

Before 1:30 pm Randy left to pick up Sammy; his horse riding therapy was canceled today. They were  back before 2 pm, then Randy left again after 2 pm to pick up Emmy from school. As for me, I was so tired that I lay down for a nap after a while. When Randy and Emmy returned home at 3:30 pm, they woke me up. It was good timing as I had to get up; we only had about 10 minutes until we had to leave. Tammy was not up for playing tennis, so only Emmy and I got read to leave the house. The kids have now their own tennis rackets, so Emmy grabbed his new racket and his scooter, and we went out the door.

We rode the subway for three stops, then rode our scooters to the tennis club. We got there a little late. The founder and director of the tennis school was back and taught the kids' class. Today there were only three kids in the kids' class. And there was only one other student in the adult's class, with me. We also had a different teacher, and I really liked him. I greatly enjoyed the one-hour tennis class and played pretty well, considering my eye handicap. I was able to take a few pictures of Emmy playing; it was visible that he was having fun.

After the class was over, Emmy was given the opportunity to still play with the other boy in his group, which he did a few minutes. Then he wanted to throw hoops for a few minutes. After that, we finally left and rode our scooters back to the subway and rode the subway home. Emmy finished his reading practice on the subway. We'd had a good time together, just the two of us, and there are never any behavior issues when both kids are not together.

It was already later than I would have liked, when we got home. I made their sandwiches, gave them to them and sat down at the computer to teach from 6 to 7 pm. After that, I cut up their fruit and gave it to them, then sat down to prepare for my 8 pm student. After a while, we went downstairs for piano practice. Back upstairs it was already 7:30 pm, so pretty late for the bathtub. Back out of the water, I quickly prayed for them, then sat down to teach. After they had brushed their teeth, both kids lay down in my bed while I was teaching, but they both left again after a while.

At 9 pm I was done teaching and went to the kitchen to get myself something to eat. After a break, I went back to work. Now it's nearly 1:30 am and time to take care of the kitchen.