19 months 18 days

This morning when we woke up, we were surprised to see that it was already 8:30. And Emmy had had his pj's on in the morning for the past few days. We quickly got up and fed them. At 9 am the Mobile Therapy Support lady was coming to work with Sammy, after a three-week Easter break. I was just putting the last item of clothing on them, when she arrived, while Randy was finishing up with Sammy. I took the two downstairs, together with the lady, and opened up the blinds, which is usually Randy's job. Sammy came downstairs a few moments later, and I went upstairs to clean up and go back to bed. I didn't have much time to sleep, as it was late, and I had to get up earlier than usual to cook.

At 10:45 my alarm woke me, and I did not want to get up at all, but I did anyway. As a mother you don't get the luxury to just not do something. I made pork, sauerkraut and potatoes, and it was ready by 11:30. Sammy was already pretty cranky, as he's quite tired by that time. At first they were eating just fine. Emmy did not like the sauerkraut, even though he had last time, and he did not eat much of the pork either. And then they started throwing food. I took their plates away, but it already looked bad. I brought out the fruit, and that got thrown around as well. What a mess! I was annoyed. I need to find out how to keep them from throwing food.

Emmy went to the bathroom first, where I put him in the sink to get him clean again, and then the girl. I put Emmy to bed, and Randy took Tammy downstairs after having put Sammy to bed. But today of all days, when we needed to leave at a certain time, they would not sleep but had a party. Even Sammy, who had been so tired. He was laughing, while his brother entertained him. I kept going there, putting them back into sleeping position, but to no avail. I finally called Randy back upstairs, as I knew there was stuff he wanted to do, and put Tammy to bed, knowing she'd just join the party and not sleep. I don't know how many times I went there and tried to get them to sleep. At least Sammy fell asleep after a while. Emmy always throws his pacifier out, and can't sleep without it. And Tammy throws her rabbits out, and hugs them to sleep. So if I don't come back to return those items to them, there is no sleeping. FINALLY Emmy fell asleep, but not yet Tammy. It was already 1:30 pm and we needed to leave at 3 pm. It took some more time, but then she fell asleep too. Finally!

A little while later the doorbell rang - a delivery - and woke Emmy back up. I could not get him to go back to sleep, so Randy sat down with him, and soon they were both asleep. I continued working, cleaning everything up and getting things ready, and at 2:45 I woke them all up. We started dressing them, and left the house just after 3 pm.

It was supposed to be the last warm day before the arrival of the cold and rain that is supposed to last all week. Just before we left I already saw dark rain clouds moving in. When we left the building, it was really windy and not as warm as I had expected. And I had dressed them for warm weather!

We took the subway, and then had to walk a little bit. It was cold and the wind was strong. We arrived at the playground, where we were meeting with my friend who I had not seen in months. My Mom had wanted to visit us, and so she also met us there. I had googled the best playgrounds in Vienna, and that one had been on the list. However, it was so windy and cold, that it was not very inviting at all. I was surprised by the number of children there, but by the time we left, there was hardly any people left either.

Cold or not, we got them out of the strollers and went straight to the slide. It was not as big as the last one, but there was a way for them to walk up to it, which the last one had not had. So Emmy and Tammy started going up and sliding down. One time Tammy slid down on her belly again, feet first, and I actually captured it on camera. On the videos you can really hear the wind.

Randy left us to get a Covid test done for Sammy's hospital visit tomorrow (physiotherapy), so I was glad my Mom was there. The kids were cold, and so I was even more thankful that my friend had brought us some clothes that were too small for her son now, and she pulled some out that we put on our three.

From the slide we went to the see-saw; it was pretty big, but they did well. Then we moved to a four-way-spring thing. It was impressive how well Tammy and Emmy got it to move, even wild at times. I put Sammy on another one of the seats, and we got this cute picture taken with my friend and her son. You can tell how cold they were, not even smiling.

Last we went over to the big-kid swing, which Emmy enjoyed. Tammy was also on it briefly. Randy was coming back, and we knew it was time to leave, it was just too cold. So we already said our good-byes and walked back to the subway. The wind was so strong I really had to hold on to the stroller. Emmy was fussing the whole time. He was fussing so bad, I finally got him out as we reached the elevators, which he was excited about. Tammy not so much; she wanted out too. But Emmy never gets to see anything, sitting on the bottom behind his sister, so he greatly enjoyed the view on top. I put him on the stroller handle, once he got too heavy.

He enjoyed sitting on my lap and standing on the chair on the subway. He was looking at the stickers, and at his brother who was also right there. The man next to us did not appreciate it, when Emmy touched him.

We got off the subway, and still had to walk a little to get to our building. I decided to put Emmy into the stroller in a standing position. Many strollers are even made like that, for the bigger kid to stand behind the baby. Emmy just loved it! Once inside our building, he started messing with his sister, who turned around to him, and they had fun.

There was still a little time until 5 pm, and so they went downstairs after we had taken all the clothes off. By then they could really have stayed upstairs, and so it was only minutes later that they came back. They were cranky, probably mainly hungry. They had only had snacks as the afternoon meal, because of our quick departure. I put a plate with some leftover pork and potatoes out, and they were really going for it. Once I was done with most of the food, they sat down in their chairs to eat. I walked away to finish cutting the last fruit, and when I returned, there was food on the floor EVERYWHERE, and they were throwing it at each other! A food fight! What a disaster! This has not been a good day in terms of that! I took their plates away, and started feeding them their soup, and just pieces of what was on their plate, or what I had picked up. That's why I have to clean not just the chairs but also the floor every night. And I do it the Malian way, bowing down in a standing position and scrubbing the floor to really get it clean.

I put Emmy in the bathtub, and then his sister, and Emmy was back to being his old self in the bathtub. They both continued eating their food, and in the end, it was nearly all gone. Sammy pretty much finished his food in the bathtub, but he has less to start with. .I'm actually getting an appointment with a dietitian at the hospital, because he's not gaining enough weight.

After I put them to bed, it was party time again, as always. We had a Zoom meeting, so that made it a bit challenging. Emmy was really crying tonight, wanting me to be there. I left at first, and then Randy stayed with them, while I was at the meeting, but he's not used to doing this, as I'm the one putting them to bed and taking care of them until they sleep. After what he had done had not worked, I went to them, and by then they were tired enough, that I was able to get them to sleep.

After the meeting ended, it was time for us to get our food. Another day of eating later. Then I went to work on the computer, and at midnight upstairs to clean up and pick their food for tomorrow. Coming back down, I started my update. And now I have to get some more office work done.