Day 1398. Yesterday was Day Four of Randy working on putting their bed together without a manual, and we were all fed up with the situation of the "construction site", the kids upstairs the whole time and on electronics most of the time, as I also had to teach. It was hard enough with them needing me at times, so that I had to briefly walk away from my lessons a few times. But, praise God, by the evening Randy had finished the bed, at least 98% of it. The kids were really excited and started climbing around on it. It also has a rope hanging down that they climb up or down on (once they know how to do so) or just swing on for now.
Tammy and Emmy each have a bed on top, and Sammy is on the bottom, under his sister. We went through our usual evening ritual, then it was time for bed. They were all excited. But after a few minutes Emmy said that he was scared to be so high up there. He's always been scared of heights. And so he chose to sleep in his former bed that was sitting underneath as a daybed for Sammy to stand in. He spent the night in that bed. Today, however, he not only slept during nap time on top, he's now also sleeping on top during the night. Tammy had no trouble sleeping on top, and she successfully came down the ladder in the middle of the night, when she came to sleep in our bed, which she has been doing a lot lately.
This morning we left the house at 10 am to take them to their last piano class of this semester. Thanks to some rain, it was so nice and cold after the heat of the last few days. Too cold for the kids who we put jackets on upon their request. After we got off the subway, we walked to their music school, with a short stop at the drugstore. We got to the school on time and went into a different classroom than usual. There were three other students there, all boys. We always sit in the back of the class because of Sammy.
The teacher started with the greeting song, then asked the kids to come to the front, where she did two action songs with them. Tammy sings along the loudest of all the kids. She likes singing.
Then the kids sat down by their pianos; I sat between Emmy and Tammy to help them. First they were supposed to play either low, middle or high tones according to what the teacher asked for, then a sequence. Tammy was not very motivated, but I had to help them both. Then she came and asked them where two black keys were, and they had to play those black keys. Then she asked them where three black keys were and gave them a green, yellow and red sticker each to put on those three keys. Then they had to play those keys.
Next they got their books out, where they put stickers on blank notes, green, yellow and red stickers, and they did that perfectly. Then it was time to close the books and go forward for a dance. I joined them in the dance, then left them in the front of the next activity. She gave them different instruments and then did a song/game with them. And then it was already time for the story she always does in the end, followed by the good-bye song. The kids came to get their sticker books for their final sticker of the semester.
But that was not the end of it yet. She then gave them their certificates, and I took a picture of them with it. What surprised me was, when they also got a report card with lots of writing on it. I haven't even read it yet.
We left the school, but did not head back to the subway. I had promised Tammy that her rabbit was finally getting her name embroidered on it, just in time for our trip. When they were first given those rabbits, when they were still very little, each one had their name on it. Tammy then lost her rabbit at the airport in Mexico a year ago and has had a new one without a name ever since. I had contacted the shop and they told me how much it was and that they were open on Saturdays, so we first walked a little and then took a little downtown bus and finally got to the little shop. I walked in and explained the situation and then found out that they don't do it right there but have to mail the rabbit in and it would not be back in time for our US trip. Tammy was really disappointed, but I promised her we'd do it once we're back in Vienna.
Now we were in a different part of town, and I had to figure out the best way to get back to our subway, so we could go eat at McDonald's on the way home. We walked to another bus that took us right back to where we initially got off the subway, then rode the subway for three stops and walked to McDonald's for our weekly visit. They had no toys, even though they weren't that exciting. We all had fun eating together, then left again to go home.
Just before 1:30 we were back home, so it was nap time right away, which they weren't very excited about at first. Emmy then said that he was going to sleep on his new bed for the first time, and he had no trouble doing so. All three were in fact tired and didn't need that long to fall asleep. And I was able to walk away before they were all sleeping, thanks to our new bed.
I was going to take a nap myself, but was then kept from doing so and Emmy was up and walked into the room before I had a chance to lie down. The other two were awake just moments later. It was time to get back to work! Randy still needed a little time to wake up; these past few days of working non-stop on the bed have worn it out. And after finishing it yesterday, he started on the shelves I had bought for the occasion to increase my pantry space, and he had done finished about 40% of those still last night. It was time to get the rest done. And so the kids started playing or watching, while Randy went to work on the shelves again. I was trying to do some office work, but Sammy needed me constantly, which made it hard to make any progress.
And then my friend wrote me that she was coming over with her daughters and some stuff for the kids. She arrived around 5 pm, which was a welcome change of routine, even though I didn't really have the time for this break. After showing them their new bed, we all went downstairs; the kids hadn't been there in days, so they were enjoying the change. And they were enjoying the company of the three girls to play with after days on electronics. They had brought some pastries with them that we all shared. I enjoyed my friend's company and talking to her, while the kids were having fun with each other. Randy continued working on the shelves upstairs. I just had to help Sammy from time to time. We played ball with him, and we put him into the rings to swing him for a little while. He also wanted to be a part of what the others were doing, so I put him with them, but the others soon left.
Before we knew it it was 6:30 pm and time for them to leave and for me to make their dinner. We all went upstairs, where they wanted to show off their bed one more time. Then it was time to say good-bye. The kids had had so much fun that they wanted them to come back to visit soon.
Tammy and Emmy sat down at the table and started watching something, while Sammy sat down in the kitchen with me. I started making their food and taking it to them, and putting it into Sammy's mouth. Then they went into the bathtub, where they continued eating, but didn't eat as much as usual (pastries?) and didn't stay as long as usual. We put their pj's on, then I let them watch some Christian shows until bedtime. Randy had completed mounting the shelves to each other and to the bed, so they were safe to use, and so I started putting stuff on them. At about 9 pm we sat down for a Bible story. We had just put the chair in the empty spot under the bed, and it was the perfect place for us to sit and read the Bible. Randy took a picture of us. Then I prayed for them and put them to bed. No more space to make them fly and then plop them into bed. I turned the nights off and their night light on, then stood by them and started singing to them. It was already way after 9 pm, so high time to sleep. After a few minutes I left them. Even though none of them was asleep, it was okay to leave. They are now closer to the kitchen and can probably see Daddy sitting there. It's a relief not to have to sit with them until they fall asleep. And it was already so late that it did not take them long to fall asleep.
I got myself something to eat, then went back to work. Randy was extremely tired and went to bed a little earlier than usual. Now it's 2 am, and I have to finish cleaning up the kitchen before going to bed myself.
