3 years 10 months 2 days

Day 1401. These past two days have been all about packing. Yesterday I still had 3 lessons to teach, today my only lesson got canceled.

I started packing yesterday morning, while Randy took the kids downstairs to play, which was way overdue with the way this past week has been, with Randy working on the bed all the time. In the afternoon, while I was teaching, Randy worked on getting the wall stickers off where their bedroom used to be, and then he put the whiteboard up. So now the most important stuff is done, and it's looking great. We now have plenty of light by the dining room table, as it's sitting right next to the floor to ceiling windows and door.

This day the morning started with a phone call - well, just for us adults, as Emmy was up early as usual, and then woke the others up. And Sammy fell out of bed, as he once again tried to get out head first instead of feet first, even though he should know better. The phone call was about Sammy's new shoes being ready to pick up, and so Randy left with him right after breakfast. Sammy was not happy at all about that and crying. Tammy and Emmy did a lot of playing and watching today, but also drawing. I continued packing, until I had to go to the kitchen to make lunch.

At about that time Randy and Sammy returned, and Sammy joined me in the kitchen. Just after noon we sat down at the table to eat. Then Randy and Sammy had to leave again, as he had an appointment at 1:30 to get his night braces, and it took nearly an hour to get there. This time he did not cry, though he wasn't too happy. He missed his nap time today.

Just after 1:15 I told the other two kids that it was time for their nap, and I put them to bed. I didn't stay long, which is the one of the best things about this new bed that the long sitting with them is over. I returned to my computer to work, until also lying down to get a little sleep. I knew it might already be too late to get some sleep, as Emmy is usuall up after about an hour.

And I was right. However, he lay down next to me, and we both fell asleep. Once again, not for long, as this time it was a phone call that woke us. It was Randy and Sammy. He told me that they had to wait another 90 minutes for his braces to be finalized and that there was a bed in the waiting room there, but he couldn't get Sammy to sleep. Sammy kept saying "Mommy", and so Randy called me - waking Emmy and me up. We talked to Sammy on video for a few minutes, but he still never went to sleep.

Emmy and I were up, and Tammy soon was as well. I continued packing and printing and whatever else needed to be done. At one point Emmy wanted me to put his name on his bed, so I did, and then Tammy wanted hers too. You can see their names on their entries to their respective beds.

It was about 5 pm before Randy and Sammy returned. You could tell Sammy was tired, and he fell asleep right away and much earlier than usual. But first Sammy joined me in the kitchen just after 6 pm, as he has been doing. I was making dinner for them, and took it to dining room table for Tammy and Emmy, while feeding Sammy right there next to me. Then they went into the bathtub, where they continued eating. After we got them out, we got them ready for bed, and I put Sammy straight to bed, even though it was only 7:30. Tammy and Emmy were playing or watching stuff on their tablets, while I sat by Sammy singing to him, like he always wants me to do. Soon he was asleep, and I left. The other two got to continue until 8:30, then it was time for bed for them as well. Once again Emmy slept on the bottom. Yesterday he did both for his nap and at night, today he had slept on the top for his nap. Both yesterday and today Tammy did not want to stay on the top all by herself, but she had to, as there was no more room on the bottom for her. And she's not scared of heights like her brother.

Randy and I continued packing, with Tammy watching whenever we came by, until she was asleep. Now it's nearly midnight, and we're about done. It's just some important office stuff that I did not get done, but I can do it anywhere, as it's done on the computer. I'll just have to do it in the US.

Please pray for our trip. Our friend who's taking us to the airport arrives at 7 am tomorrow morning. We're going from Vienna to Chicago, where we have an 8-hour layover, then we fly to Memphis followed by a 2-hour ride in the rental car. We need FAVOR throughtout our trip. We'll probably arrive in Randy's village at about 1 am local time, which is already Thursday morning in Vienna.