Day 2491. Normally the kids have piano class on Saturday morning but today they were skipping class because they were invited to a birthday party. That allowed me to stay in bed instead of leaving the house. Randy left with Tammy and Emmy at 9:45 to take them to the party at an indoor playground, while Sammy stayed home with me. And we were having fun with each other when Randy returned home.
I went to the kitchen to cook for the three of us. At 1 pm Randy left with Sammy to take him to his music class. He was having fun and was reviewing the two songs he's doing tomorrow. Another teacher came in to sit with him as his main teacher won't be there tomorrow and this teacher is going to take her place.
As for me, I left the house at 1:45 pm to go pick up Tammy and Emmy at 2:30 pm. It was another extremely hot day. And because it was the weekend, the buses were only running every half hour. We had just missed a bus when we got to the bus stop and decided to go into the grocery store right there. We enjoyed the air condition inside and looked around and bought a few items. Then we went back into the heat and to the bus stop.
it was 3:35 pm by the time we got home. Randy and Sammy were already back. I had a 3:30 pm student but it was 3:40 pm before I was able to start teaching. I finished at 4:30 pm, then it was time for piano practice. After that, I made their sandwiches. At 6 pm I started teaching again. After I had finished at 7 pm, I went to the kitchen to cut up their fruit and gave it to them. After they had eaten, it was bathtub time, then story time - the first one in a long time. Finally we had some time for a story again even though it meant it was after 8:30 pm before they got to go to bed. Then it went to the kitchen to get myself something to eat and sat down for a break before going back to work later.
It was no typical Sunday morning, and there was no sleeping in for me. I helped the kids get ready, especially Emmy in his new suit, and at 9:30 am we left the house together. We rode the subway downtown, then walked to the music school. It was another very hot day. We walked into the school, took our shoes off and went into the biggest room where the end-of-year concert was going to be. The room was already full but we were still able to get seats in the last row where we usually sit. The teacher had already taken all the kids from the first hour to the back for a voice warm-up. They returned and went up on the stage to sit, and Randy took Sammy up there and handed him to the teacher who was going to help him.
Then the founder and director of the school gave a little speech before handing the mic to another teacher who was the MC. Then the first group came forward to sing, and Sammy joined that group for the two songs they were singing. Sammy sat down on the front of the stage with the teacher next to him; she was holding him so he wouldn't fall off. Then they did the two songs with actions that Sammy has been practicing. He had so much joy doing it and did great. At times you could hear him sing, and he also did the hand movements as possible. And he had fun. After the songs were over, Randy took Sammy again and returned to the seats right next to me. I was so proud of Sammy!
The first group continued until around 11 am. There were so many kids that they had split the concert into two, with the younger kids at 10 and the older at 11 am, and Tammy and Emmy were already in the group of older kids. They had some snacks and drinks at the buffet, then all the kids performing at 11 am were taking to the back to warm up. A few minutes later they all walked into the room together holding hands and then up on the stage where they sat down. Tammy and Emmy were right in the middle. Once again the director gave her speech, then another teacher led through the program. And Tammy and Emmy were part of the first group, together with the other two kids from their class. Together they sang two songs with actions, with their teacher playing the piano. They bowed and sat back down. Then the other two kids in their class played the piano first before it was Emmy's turn. He played the most advanced song of all four. He made a few mistaks but did well. Then it was Tammy's turn. Her song was pretty easy but she still messed it up quite a bit which was surprising considering how well she could play it. She bowed and also sat back down. The hour was still long, and they had to keep sitting on the stage and watching all the others sing and play.
Sammy didn't have that much patience so Randy left the room with him at some point. Sammy got some food from the buffet as he was hungry. Once the concert was nearly over, I waved the kids off the stage as they needed to leave. Emmy changed into regular clothes, then we made our way to the subway.
Before we got on the train, we bought a slice of pizza for Tammy and Emmy to eat as lunch as I had not had time to make them sandwiches. Then we continued on to the subway. Sammy and I got off at our stop, right by our house, while Randy continued with Tammy and Emmy. They had their maths club at 1 pm and made it their in time. Sammy and I went home where I went straight into the kitchen to cook. The food was nearly ready by the time Randy returned home.
We all ate, then Randy left again to pick up Tammy and Emmy and bring them back home. It was 3 pm by the time they were home, and at 3:30 Randy had to leave again, this time with only Emmy. Emmy had chosen to be part of the choir at the big concert next Friday so he had to go to the rehearsal at 4 pm. The two of them took the subway downtown to go to their music school for the second time of the day. The rehearsal lasted about 45 minutes, then they came back home.
Back home, I was using the time to catch up on office work. Once Emmy was back, they ate their sandwiches, then we went downstairs for piano practice. Time is short now, and especially one of the four songs he's going to play at the concert is not going very well yet. Unfortunately he gets so angry when he makes mistakes that it keeps him from practicing effectively.
Back upstairs, I cut up their fruit for them to eat. Later it was bathtub time, and then story time. I prayed for them all before they went to bed. Then I went to the kitchen to get myself something to eat and take a break before going back to work later. However, I was so tired that I fell asleep while working. But as I pushed through, I got more awake again and went to bed at my typical time of 1:30 or so.
