18 months 14 days

After going to bed late as always, I didn't even hear the kids crying this morning until Randy woke me up. It was already 8:20, so later than usual. We got up, fed them, and then I took them downstairs myself, which I hadn't done in a long time. I played with them until Randy came with his breakfast and I could go back upstairs and to bed. There was only about 90 minutes left to sleep.

When my alarm woke me at 11 am, I looked at their beds and saw that Emmy was sleeping as well. I guess he was too tired again to make it until after lunch. So I lay back down for another half hour. When I got up, Sonja rang the door bell and the boys were up. Their food was ready - baby jar day - and so I called Randy to come up with Tammy. They sat down to eat, while I still put the adults' food into the oven. I had warmed up a cheese pasta jar, and added some of the leftover chicken from yesterday for them to eat. Then I got out some banana, watermelon and yoghurt. Tammy still loves her watermelon and can't get enough of it.

I put Tammy to bed for her nap, Sonja took Emmy downstairs, and I put our food on the plates. Sonja ate downstairs with the boys, while Randy ate in the kitchen and I in bed. It's so nice to have that actual break, eating in peace and reading the paper.

After I was done, I cleaned up and then went downstairs. It was time to get the slide out that Randy had bought second-hand yesterday.

So Emmy got to try it out first and really enjoyed it. I showed him how to climb up the steps. The hard part was sitting down on top, and he was still too fearful to slide down by himself. He impressed me, when after little time, he succeeded in climbing up all by himself, and then slid down by himself - on his belly, feet first. I wanted to film him, but he never did it again.

Sammy also got to slide, but he wasn't even smiling. However, when you put him into the swing, he doesn't just smile but loves out loud - the wilder he swings, the more he laughs.

When I heard Tammy wake up, I went to get her, as well as their afternoon food, even though it was only 2 pm, so still a little early. We still fed the two. When Randy returned from the grocery store a little later, he fed Sammy at the proper time and then put him to bed for his afternoon nap. By then Emmy was already in bed sleeping. I fed them early because he was so tired, and put him to bed before Sammy had started eating.

So now it was Tammy's turn to discover the slide, all by herself, with the boys asleep. She's fearless and had no problem sliding down. She still has to learn to climb up. When the boys were back, it was funny to watch how one would come up in the back, and another in the front.

As Sonja was playing with Tammy, I sat down at the computer and started doing some work that really needed to get done. Even after the boys woke up at just the right time, at 4 pm, and came downstairs, I stayed at my desk that is right next to their play area. As Emmy was especially cranky, but Tammy a little as well, I stayed available to them while working, and had them on my lap many times. Of course it's not that easy to work that way, but I did get some work done. At first, Tammy was scared of my printer, as she had probably never heard it print before, but it passed quickly.

With them being so cranky - probably also hungry - I went upstairs earlier. Emmy was crying so hard that I took him with me. I then encouraged the others to come up as well. And so they were running around, while I was getting their food ready - and coming to me, whenever they needed another piece of bread.

We ended up feeding them half an hour earlier than usual, but they ate as well as any other day. Part of it in their seats, and the rest in the bathtub. Randy had to leave to pick up a travel cot, and so it was Sonja and me who got them out of the bathtub and ready for bed. I always pray for them before I put them to bed.

Sonja left, and I started doing dishes. Sammy was crying, and so I got him out and held him for a little while. I put him back to bed, and he was fine. Tammy was still fussing, but she let me walk away and never needed me to come back. Progress!

I made my food and started eating. Randy returned at 7:30 and got his dinner. After eating, I started working, and I actually fell asleep with my head on the desk, or made myself get up just before I actually did. I was so tired. Thankfully I wake up as the night goes on.

Now it's after midnight, and while I got my daily update done, I still have to clean up the kitchen and the dining room, and then go back to office work. Thankfully Caritas worker Christine is coming back tomorrow. But because of the false positive Covid test, we now have to wear masks while she's with us. Just great.