I made it to bed at 3:30 yesterday. This morning we had to get up earlier than usual, and considering yesterday's time change, it was even earlier for our bodies, when we got up at 7:30. I made their breakfast, we fed them, then I cleaned them up and dressed them, and picked out clothes for Sammy. Randy finished feeding Sammy and dressed him. They needed to leave at 8:30. As last week was so tough on me when we were in the same situation, I had asked our helping angel Sonja if she could come for the time Randy is gone, and she agreed. She arrived just before Randy left and went downstairs with Tammy and Emmy. I cleaned up dining room and kitchen and made some tea for her, then went back to bed. It took me a while to fall asleep, which is usually the case, and I only had 2 hours to sleep to start with.
At 11 am my alarm woke me up again and I went straight to work in the kitchen, making lunch for us. I could hear Sonja and the kids all laugh downstairs. They were having fun! What a blessing she is!
Randy and Sammy already returned from his physiotherapy session at 11:15. I found out that Randy should have had a negative Covid test with him, when last week they told me we didn't need one. His session had gone well, but now he doesn't have one for two weeks.
With the boys back, Sonja said her good-byes, and I finished cooking lunch - pasta with meat sauce. It was about 11:45, when I called everyone upstairs to eat. I could tell they were hungry! I gave Tammy and Emmy their spoons and helped them get the food into their mouths, alternating between the two of them. There wasn't enough time for me to put a spoonful from my own plate into my mouth in between. Tammy is actually able to pick up food with her spoon and get it into her mouth all by herself! By the way, the other day with Sonja and today with me she correctly repeated the 3-syllable word "Erdbeere" back to me (strawberry). I asked Emmy to say it as well, but he wouldn't. I asked Tammy to say "Mama" and she said "Papa" back to me. 😄 Daddy loved that!
They finished the food on their plates, and then had watermelon, banana, cookies and yoghurt. Sammy was cranky again, not wanting to eat. He's not a big pasta fan, and he's pretty tired by lunch time, still adjusting to only one nap a day.
I gave Emmy a sink bath (as well as the other two), dressed him and put him to bed. Randy put Sammy to bed, and then took Tammy downstairs, while I started cleaning up. It was a huge mess, with letter pasta everywhere, plus watermelon juice etc. At first Emmy was talking, but it didn't take long for him to fall asleep, and so I went to get Tammy to put her to bed. It took her a little time and needing my help, but then she fell asleep pretty fast as well. All three were sleeping, and I could finish cleaning up, and then lay down for a little break. I never got to take another nap, even though that's what I really wanted.
Emmy woke up first, and today he did not go back to sleep. I took him downstairs, as well as Sammy who woke up right after him. Tammy still slept until nearly 3 pm. I had fun with the boys downstairs; they both went into the swing, enjoying it. After Tammy woke up, we went back upstairs for the afternoon meal. A jar of cereal with fruit, plus watermelon, of course, and banana and some other stuff. Then we decided on the spot to go to the playground, as it was sunny and warm and rather early. So I picked out clothes and we dressed them, and once we were all ready, which took a while, Sammy and Tammy went into the double stroller, and Emmy on the tricycle. But only after a fight between the two of them, both wanting to ride the tricycle. I had already promised Emmy he could ride it, so he did, and Tammy rode it on the way home.
It's a rather long walk, 15 minutes or so, to the playground. They especially enjoyed the dogs that would come by, and explored some flowers with a lot of interest. Once we reached the playground, it was the other children that were the most interesting to them. They were rather shy at first, just standing there and watching, not wanting to get on the slide, even though I tried. I even went down the slide together with Tammy one time, but they did not want to go down by themselves. They were busy taking it all in.
We then walked over to the bouncy giraffe. Tammy sat on it first, and then Emmy sat down on it as well, behind her, but I had to hold him to make sure he doesn't fall off. They were both watching intently a group of people celebrating a girl's birthday right there. Sammy went on it next, and he loved it. He's quite the "Draufgänger", loving action!
Next we went to the big net, and they all stood on it. Tammy and Emmy were watching the kids climbing and playing right in front of them. Sammy loved it again.
Then Emmy was all excited, when he found a ball, and he showed it off to us. Tammy came over and took the ball away from him, making Emmy cry. I took the ball from her and returned it to Emmy, telling her he had it first. In any case, it was not our ball. I took Tammy to another ride, but she wasn't too excited about it. And then I saw Emmy holding on to Daddy's leg and fussing, but we had no clue why. It was 4:45 pm, and time to go home! So Tammy went on the tricycle, and Emmy on the top of the double stroller, and off we went, taking a new route home.
Once home, I went straight to work, getting their food ready, while Randy took their clothes off. Sammy was all excited to be crawling on the floor, and Tammy once lay down next to him again and then starting crawling just like him. It was precious. They were also picking up brooms and sweeping the floor, and grabbing all kinds of stuff, from jars, to cookie boxes, and even opened one scattering the contents all over the floor. They were pretty obnoxious, and I couldn't get the food done fast enough!
Then they went into their chairs, and continued being obnoxious. I took their plates away, and put them into the bathtub, and continued feeding them, as well as Sammy. In the end they finished the leftover cereal with milk from breakfast. Then they all came out at once, and we got them ready for bed. At first all three were pretty active; probably the early for their body clocks, considering the time change. But still, it didn't take too long, and I didn't have to come back too often before they all fell asleep.
I got myself some food, ate, and went to work. Now it's 2:30, and I still need to clean the dining room and kitchen. No chance for an early night.
