Day 1353. Yesterday we all stayed home. The kids got to go outside in the afternoon to run their scooters etc., while I was teaching.
This morning Emmy was up super early again, soon his siblings were too. Tammy had slept in our bed the second half of the night. Eventually Randy got up, and when I looked at the clock because the kids were done eating and wanted me to dress them, it was 8:45, so there was still time until 9 am. I still got up and dressed them, and then the doorbell already rang. It was the Mobile Support lady coming for her weekly visit to play with the kids, especially Sammy. We talked for a few minutes, then she went downstairs with the kids, while I sat down by the computer to work.
She left at 10:30, and at 11:15 I went to the kitchen to start cooking for lunch. It wasn't much later that Randy and the kids already came upstairs. Tammy and Emmy got the tablet and were watching and playing, while Sammy likes his children's songs. At noon we sat down to eat. We had cremed spinach with potatoes and sunny-side up eggs, and Tammy did not only eat what was on her plate, but also finished her brothers' plates. She lists spinach as one of her favorite foods.
After lunch, they started watching or playing or listening to songs, while Randy left on a grocery store run, and I sat down by the computer to work. At 1:15 I told them it was time to lie down for a nap. They still went to the bathroom, so it was closer to 1:30 before they were all in bed. After a few minutes I was able to leave them, before Tammy was asleep.
I was preparing my afternoon lesson at first, then I finally also closed my eyes to get some sleep. I got close to sleeping, but had a lot on my mind, and then I could already hear Sammy. Not much later the other two were up too, and Emmy was the first one to walk into my room. We did some cuddling, then we all got up. Randy gave them some snacks and went downstairs with them, while I was getting ready for my 3:30 pm lesson. And I still made sandwiches and cut apples to take with us to their class. Then I taught until 4:20. After I was done, I immediately turned my computer off, put my shoes on, and off went to the train station.
The train was scheduled to leave at 4:32 pm, so we had to hurry, and the kids had fun running and having both Mommy and Daddy run as well. After we got off the train, we still had to take the subway for one stop, much to Sammy's delight. Then we walked the rest of the way to the school. We first returned the DVD's and book to the library, then we took the elevator upstairs to the school. I went to the bathroom with the kids, who now go everywhere without diapers, then we walked to the classroom, where we were the first ones there.
We walked inside, took our shoes off, then the kids spotted the piano and started playing it, with the teacher's permission. They were really enjoying it. Then the class started. The kids all took instruments to play, and the teacher passed around the two sound bars for each child to play. She did some songs with actions, but especially Emmy was not very motivated to participate.
The teacher handed out two pieces of fabric to each child, and everyone danced to the music. Then we did a song, where the child in the middle picks one other child to dance with. Emmy got picked once, and then Emmy chose Tammy. Sammy danced with Tammy. In the end the six kids present all danced in pairs of two. It was really cute to watch.
Then all the kids got to choose an instrument that they then played, but only when it was their turn, which was when they had the fabric over their head. Then she did a good-bye song, and the class was over. I'd had Sammy for much of the time, and he was hungry at one point and eating, so his siblings ate as well. She then asked us not to let them eat, or everyone would want to. Randy then took Sammy to the corner to give him another squeezie; otherwise he would have just been cranky and not participating.
The kids got their papers for the stamp and got to put the stamp on themselves today - and also got stamped on their skin. Sammy crawled over to the teacher to get his stamp. Then we put their shoes back on and left.
We went back downstairs and into the library. The kids picked out four DVD's again as well as one book that we then checked out with the machine. Then we left to go back home. We rode the subway for one stop, then had a few minutes to wait for the trian, which was not bad. The kids were eating their sandwiches and apples. We got on the 6:31 train and rode it home. They did not get to watch anything, much to their dismay.
By about 6:45 we were back home. I cut up some more food and let them go straight into the bathtub, where they ate it - and all of it. I was playing a game with them to encourage them to eat, and it worked. Then we got them out and ready for bed. I read them a Bible story, then I prayed for them and flew them into bed. It was already approaching 8:30 pm. I sat by them for some time, and after some time of them talking it finally got quiet. Emmy had looked pretty tired tonight. When they'd been quiet for some time, I walked away. I thought maybe that was it, but then Tammy was calling for Randy to come, so he sat with them. I got myself something to eat, then went back to work. Now it's 1 am and time to finish in the kitchen and go to bed.
