17 months 7 days

Last night I went to bed earlier than usual, but I couldn't tell the difference today. The little ones needed milk at 6 am - during Randy's time slot - and then already woke up at 7:30, half an hour earlier than usual. But we waited till 8 am to get up and get started. When I fed them, they hardly wanted to eat. What difference some milk two hours earlier makes! When Caritas helper Christine arrived just after 8:30, they had already stopped eating.

I went back to bed, and Christine took them downstairs to play. Having woken up earlier meant they were also tired earlier, and so Randy already put them to bed at 10 am, half an hour earlier.

I woke up at 11, when I heard Emmy crying hard, and I jumped out of bed to find out what was going on. He was alright.

I stayed up. Randy was downstairs with the little ones, while Christine went to the kitchen, cooked, and put the soup, our food, on the stove to heat it up. I lay down, for a few more minutes as I was exhausted, and jumping out of bed like that is not the best way to get up.

At noon we started feeding them, while eating ourselves. After lunch, I put Tammy to bed, and thankfully she falls asleep fast. I had Emmy on my arm to keep him from disturbing her, and then took him downstairs. Randy and Sammy came a little later. Christine stayed upstairs to clean up.

It was pretty warm downstairs, and so I tilted the door, which immediately got Emmy's interest. He wanted to look out, and he wanted to go outside. I was too tired for that, but of course I ended up doing it. Before having the babies, I thought I was gonna be the tough one and Randy the softie, and now it seems it's the other way around. I dressed Emmy, put my own shoes and coat on, and opened the door downstairs so we could go outside. I also got the tricycle out and started pushing him up and down the long stretch outside our appartment. I even went up the heal and down a path between the houses right next to us. And I ran a few times, so he could enjoy the speed. Finally we returned back inside. Christine had already had to leave.

I found out that the new animal books had arrived, and Emmy got to open the box and get them out. He loves packages! I turned them on, and we look at all four of them. Whenever you touch the fur on the animal, you hear what noise it makes. They all loved the books!

Sammy was getting tired first, and since the Mobile Therapy Support lady was coming at 3 pm, Randy put him to bed at 1:45 or so. Thankfully he didn't complain, and Tammy continued sleeping. I got Emmy's food out early, but he wouldn't eat, so Randy put him to bed without eating, and he fell asleep without complaining as well. Then Tammy woke up, and I fed her the jar her brother hadn't eaten. We went downstairs and started looking at all the animal books together which she greatly enjoyed. Sammy woke up just before 3 pm, and Randy was still feeding him, when the Therapy Support lady arrived. Then they came downstairs to play. For the next 90 minutes the lady was there, interacting with all the kids. Emmy also joined us after a while. Sammy also enjoyed the new books. Tammy and Emmy had fun climbing up and down the couch. The lady left at 4:30 pm, and Emmy was getting pretty tired and cranky. And before I left - a few minutes before 5 pm because of that - he fell off the couch once, and he fell one more time after I had left. That happens when he is tired. I also had to swing him around, which he always enjoys.

One time Tammy tried to climb out of their play area, as the little shelf was turned and she could get up a little higher. They always try to climb out of the bathtub, and it looks like it won't be long before they could actually fall out of it.

I had just started getting dinner ready, when Emmy fell the second time, and I ran downstairs to comfort him. As he didn't want me to leave, I decided to take him upstairs with me, as they always enjoy running around there. However, the girl wasn't gonna stay behind, so she came upstairs too, and then Randy and Sammy came to, so he could keep an eye on them. I finished getting everything ready, and it was about 5:30 pm, when we sat down to at. Tammy was tired too, and wanted out of the chair after a while and to sit on me. Then Emmy wanted out of the chair and run around. So I finalyl put them in the bathtub and continued feeding them there. Better than not get enough food!

When they went to bed, Sammy fell asleep without milk. Tammy and Emmy got some after a while, and just when I thought I could start eating, I had to return one more time and sit down by Tammy for a while, before I could walk away.

I haven't been very effective recently in getting work done, as I'm just tired and have a heart time getting myself motivated. I need to do the ministry's financial report for last year, which is a major job. At least the US tax-receipt letters are done and are going out shortly. I still have some time tonight, so I won't be able to sleep tomorrow morning, so I should probably go to bed earlier.