Day 2589. This was week 3 of school. Last year the kids learned to add and substract numbers between 0 and 20, now they're doing so up to the number 100. They have already started to learn how to write the letter by hand while they learned the printed letters last year. They have done i, u, n and m so far. They had their first maths test on Thursday (Tammy had an A, Emmy a B) and their first dictaton on Friday (both aced it). This year they're getting grades though not yet.
Friday
On Friday I taught from 10 to 11 am, then went to the kitchen to cook lunch. Randy picked up Sammy at 12:30 pm, then left to pick up Tammy and Emmy at 1:50 pm. They were home by 2:30 pm. At 2:45 pm we left the house together a little early, as it was our first time going there.
This year they've started taking a gymnastics class, i.e. everything on the ground but also on the bar, the vaulting block etc. They like it a lot, and when the opportunity to came up to try out competitive gymnastics, Tammy wanted to do it. Then Emmy found out that there are so few boys that they are happy about each and any of them and that it's easier to win prizes, so he wanted to try out for it as well. They have three Fridays and a competition, then the coach decides who can join the team.
This was their first Friday even though it was the second session as we had been away last weekend and had missed the first one. They were a little nervous. Tammy was looking forward to wearing her new gymnastics outfit. Thanks to other children there we found our way to the locker room where two girls were already waiting. We started talking to the one girl. Then the coach arrived a little late for the 3:30 pm training session. We went into the locker room, Tammy took the clothes she had over her outfit on off, and the kids went into the gym. The coach allowed me to stay as it was their first time coming. I told her the kids had only just started with gymnastics this year.
She was quite a taskmasker which became apparent immediately. She expected the girls that had been in the group for a while to know what to do which was to set up all the equipment. With Tammy and Emmy she was a lot kinder when dealing with them directly. The children set up the equipment, and Tammy and Emmy helped with that. Then it was time for the warmup. Again, the coach expected the kids to know what to do. They ran down the airtrek and then back on the maps, doing different exercises every time. Tammy and Emmy copied what the others were doing as best they could. By the way, Emmy was the only boy there which didn't bother him. Some of the exercises were quite hard for them to get right. Tammy had found a friend among the girls and was quite successful hiding in the group and cutting her exercises short without being noticed. Emmy was not so lucky. At one point he was all alone on the mats, trying hard to do it right. The coach came up to him to show him, and I could hear Emmy's hard breathing all the way to where I was. He kept going and did it all the way to the end of the mat. I felt for him but was also proud of him for his perseverance. The coach then helped them both a couple of times when they didn't know how to do it.
The warm-up kept going and going. The whole training was 90 minutes long, but after an hour they were still doing warm-up. With 25 minutes to go, they finally split into groups to go to the different set-ups. Another coach had joined the main coach some time earlier. Our kids started at the airtrek. The coach went through a gymnastics routine with each kid, one by one. It was the routine they were to do at the competition in a few weeks. When it was our kids' turn, she gave them a simplified version of the same routine, without handstand, for example. They only did it once so they did not remember it.
They went on to the bar, then the balancing beam, and in the end the vaulting block. They had done pretty well, considering it was only their second gymnastics lesson ever. They have two more Friday trainings, and then the competition.
We put our shoes back on and walked back to the subway to ride it home. We were on the subway when we noticed the spectacular cloud formation in the sky. I later even googled it to find out more about it.
By 5:30 pm we were home. They had already eaten their sandwiches on the way home, but I went to the kitchen to cut up fruit plus they wanted more bread. Then I sat down at the computer and taught from 6 to 7 pm. We did piano practice, then I quickly prepared for my 8 pm student. It was bathtub time, I prayed for them, and they got ready for bed. Emmy ended up sleeping in my bed next to me while I was teaching. At 9 pm I was done and took him to his own bed. Then it was time to get myself something to eat. I ate, and then went back to work.
Saturday
Emmy's soccer practice was canceled, but Tammy's classical choir was on. At 9:45 am Tammy and I left the house while Randy and the boys stayed home. Randy was sick so he was glad to stay home. Tammy and I rode the subway and then a bus and got to the church just before it was time for the choir to start at 10:30 am. The choir teacher was a little late but the priest of the church let us into the building so we could go to the practice room in the basement. More people arrived, and then finally the choir leader. He brought his two young sons with him. As for the choir, there were only 5 girls (including Tammy) there.
Tammy had missed the first real practice last Saturday and had not learned any of the two songs yet so she was a little behind the others. I did print out the music and words for the two songs. First, they did some warm-up exercises, then they warmed up their voices. Some of it was not just new but hard for Tammy. Then the teacher first did the one song, and then the other. It was good to get to hear what it sounds like and get oriented on the music sheets. Now I know how to help her learn those songs. The teacher did one game with them, he sat down with them to review the music lines and notes, did an exercise to practice recognizing what note he was playing on the piano, and had them dance freely to two pieces of music he was playing on the piano. Tammy was actually enjoying herself this time and had fun - contrary to the first time when a substitute teacher had done it.
We were both happy when we left there at 11:30 am. We walked to the subway and rode it to the second subway, then got off where the McDonald's is we usually go to. We got there at noon. I called Randy and couldn't believe they were still at home, though about to leave. I ordered the food for us all, and Tammy and I started eating. At 12:15 the boys joined us. We had a great time eating together. Then I got a message that the birthday kid's parents could pick up Tammy and Emmy near our house instead of us having to go all the way to the edge of the city where they would pick them up. And so I left with Tammy and Emmy at 12:45 pm. Randy and Sammy also left but they took the subway going the opposite way. Sammy's music class was finally starting up again, and he was very excited to see his beloved teacher again. He still remembered all the songs and had fun singing and reviewing and learning new things.
The three of us went home, Emmy went to the bathroom, and a few minutes later we left and walked a little to where they had told us to meet with them. They picked them up at 1:15 pm, and I returned to our apartment.
I was pretty tired and closed my eyes for a short time. Then I taught from 3 to 4 pm; Randy and Sammy returned home at 3 pm. After that, I went to the kitchen to make my salad and make dinner for the kids. Sammy tried calling a few friends on the phone and finally reached one. He enjoyed the phone call. Just before 6 pm Randy went outside to pick up Tammy and Emmy at the same meeting point. Once home they actually all ate their bread and fruit. Then they did the second half of their piano practice as they had not finished it earlier in the day. Then it was bathtub and bedtime for them. I sat down at the computer to work.
Sunday
Finally a day to sleep in but there is no such thing when the kids are home. First Tammy wanted something from me, then Emmy came, and he came a few more times. I finally gave up and got up. I went downstairs and did piano practice with Emmy but Tammy didn't want to do it. I told her she had to do it to go to the birthday party.
At noon I warmed up our leftovers for us to eat. After lunch, I went downstairs again to do piano practice with Tammy. This time we got it done even though she was not putting an effort in.
At 2 pm Randy left with all three kids to take them to another birthday party. It was about 50 minutes to get there. Randy dropped off Tammy and Emmy at 3 pm, then went to a playground with Sammy. Tammy and Emmy did a chocolate-making workshop with the birthday kid. At 5 pm Sammy got to join them to eat birthday cake. At 6 pm the party was over, and by 6:45 pm they were back home.
I had enjoyed the quiet afternoon and had gotten some work done, though not as much as I had hoped. By the time they got home, I had their dinner ready for them. Tammy and Emmy weren't very hungry, but they all had some fruit. After the bathtub, we had story time, then I prayed for them all, and they went to bed. I then sat down to eat my salad before going back to work.
