6 years 9 months 25 days

Day 2489. On Wednesday my third alarm already went off at 9:30 am. Emmy was still throwing up and having a bellyache and therefore stayed home. I taught from 10 to 11 am, then from 11:30 to 12:30 pm. Then I went to the kitchen to cook. Emmy had some food and kept it down. He looked a little better than the day before. 

Because Sammy didn't have horse-riding therapy, it was Randy who picked him up from school and brought him home. Just after 2 pm Randy left to go pick up Tammy from school. They returned home at 3:30 pm. I asked Emmy whether he was up to playing tennis, and he said he wanted to do it, even though it was an extremely hot day.

And so the three of us left just after 3:30 and rode the subway for three stops, then walked to the tennis club. I felt for the kids having to play in the sun and was concerned about Emmy, but he was fine. As for us three adults, we were partly in the shade which was better. I enjoyed my hour of playing tennis very much.

After it was over, we had to leave quickly and walked back to the subway as fast as we could where Randy and Sammy were already waiting for us. We switched kids and all got on the subway going in the direction of our home, but Randy got off with Tammy and Emmy after one stop and got on the bus that left from there. We haven't been happy with the maths club they go to on Sunday and found another school that was teaching the exact same methods. I'd been able to get a try-out set up for them at 5:30 pm. I would have liked to go there myself but I had a student at 5:30, so Sammy and I went home. I gave Sammy his sandwich and sat down to teach.

I felt bad that Sammy had to be on his own for the full 75 minutes that I was teaching but I was proud of him being able to be content with his tablet. After I was done at 6:45 pm, I went to the kitchen to cut up fruit for the kids. I also talked to Randy and found out that they were having so much fun that they were staying to the end of the lesson at 6:45 pm. And so it was about 7:15 pm before they got home which was pretty late. They sat down to eat, while I was preparing for my 8 pm lesson. Then we went downstairs for piano practice but time was pretty short for that. Back upstairs, I had to sit down to teach right away while the kids were getting ready for bed. I always make time to pray for them all, no matter what. 

I taught until 9 pm, then I went to the kitchen to get something to eat and take a break. Later I went back to work.

On Thursday I had my only morning without teaching of the week so I enjoyed going back to sleep after Randy had left with the kids and not setting another alarm. Emmy had thrown up one last time in the morning and had a bellyache and didn't want to go to school, so he went with Randy and Sammy to drop Sammy off at school, then they continued on to the pediatrician to have him checked out. They did an ultrasound and urine test but found nothing wrong with him. He's pretty much been fine since.

When Randy and Emmy returned home, Emmy went straight to me and woke me up so sleeping time was over. However, Emmy had school work to do as his sister had brought his school books home with the pages they had done so he sat down next to me, and I helped him where he needed help while doing work on the computer. We had a good time together. 

Then it was time to warm up leftovers to eat. Randy left just after 1 pm to pick up Tammy, while I had to leave before 1:30 pm to pick up Sammy. Once again, Emmy didn't want to stay home by himself so he came with me to pick up his brother. By 2 pm we were back home, and I had to sit down to get ready for my 2:20 pm student. Randy and Tammy returned at 2:30 pm. Tammy had had a field tip to the woods in school to explore and learn about insects.

I taught until 3:10 pm, then made their sandwiches. We all had to go places, and it had been a hard decision who was going where. In the end I decided to be the one to take Sammy to the therapy center to see the orthopedic doctor while it was Randy who took Emmy to a soccer try-out at a soccer club. Because of the intense heat, at least that was one reason, Tammy chose to join me and Sammy.

All five of us left the house at 3:45 pm. Randy and Emmy chose to take the tram to the nearby soccer club where the training started at 4:15 pm. And it lasted for 90 minutes which was long in this heat. Tammy, Sammy and I took the subway and then walked to the center where we arrived plenty early. We then sat down on a bench to wait for our turn, and Tammy and Sammy were also looking at the birds and fish. Then it was finally our turn. The doctor and people from different companies checked his braces and his wheelchair, then weighed Sammy and adjusted his wheelchair. Then we said our good-byes and left. 

We took the tram and subway to go back home where I went to the kitchen to cut up their fruit. I gave them their sandwiches and fruit, then sat down at the computer to teach at 6:15 pm. I was done at 7:05 pm. By then they had all eaten their food so I was able to go downstairs with the kids for piano practice. Back upstairs, it was bathtub time. At 8 pm I started teaching and finished at 9 pm, then went to the kitchen to get something to eat and take a break. Later I went back to work.

This morning Emmy was fine and went back to school. They always write a dictation on Friday; Emmy had no mistakes while Tammy had two mistakes. As for me, my third alarm got me up at 11 am as I had a 11:30 am student. Randy warmed up some leftovers to eat and left just after noon, while I taught until 12:20 and then left to go pick up Sammy. Randy and the other kids returned home at 1:30 pm. Sammy wanted to go ride his bike, and Randy took him and Emmy outside for that while Tammy preferred staying inside. I started teaching at 2:30 pm, then had a Zoom meeting right after that went until 4 pm which is when I had my next student. And at 5 pm I had another student. Randy had left with Emmy on the 3:50 pm train to take him to his last break dance session of the academic year. 

I finished teaching at 6 pm and went to the kitchen to get the fruit cut up for the kids. I gave it to them, and when Emmy returned home he got to eat as well. Then we went downstairs for piano practice; Emmy was really tired but still did well. Back upstairs it was bathtub time. They had fun, then I prayed for them and sat down to teach at 8 pm. Tammy came to sleep in my bed, and later Emmy came as well. At 9 pm I was done teaching and went to the kitchen to get myself something to eat. Then I took the kids back to their beds and sat down to take a break. Later I went back to work. Now it's already 2:15 am, and I have yet to take care of the dishes.