Day 1545. On Wednesday the schools in Vienna were closed, but not the kindergartens, and so Randy took Sammy there, just like on every other day of this past week. I taught from 9 to 10, then worked on the German translation of our newsletter before going to the kitchen to cook lunch. Randy had just left to go pick up Sammy, when he called me. He told me that there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky, and so we quickly put our shoes and coats on and went outside to look at it. It had rained all morning, but now the sun was out. The rainbow was really bright and a half-circle. The kids were amazed by it, as it was their very first real rainbow to look at in their lives. They loved it!
Now that we eat lunch late, around 12:45, when Sammy comes home, it's usually nap time by the time we're done eating. Besides today, it's the only day of this week that Sammy actually fell asleep, and so all three slept.
At 3 pm my Mom came to see her grandkids. Since returning from the US, she had only seen them briefly at the pediatrician's end of September, so it was high time for her visit. We enjoyed our two hours together. She read books to the kids and played with them a little, and I finally got to talk to my Mom for a little bit. But time flew by too quickly. I was glad my 4:30 student had moved our lesson to 8 pm, so that I had more time with my Mom.
And we showed her Max, the mascot of the kids' exercise class that goes home with a different kid each week. Tammy got it last week, and as there was no class this Wednesday, I passed it on to Emmy today for the second week. Max has a little journal in his backpack that the kids that have him put pictures and entries into. And so I took this picture of Max with Emmy playing the drums.
After she was gone, I got ready for 5:30 lesson, while the kids continued playing downstairs. After I was done, I started making the kids' dinner. They ate, went to the bathtub, then we got them ready for bed. I asked Randy to read a story to them, as there was not enough time for me to do it. I started teaching my lesson at 8:10, going until 9 pm. And then at 10 pm Randy and I had a zoom meeting with friends in the US. It was a long day.
On Thursdays only Sammy leaves the house. He has his weekly physiotherapy session in the afternoon. And I taught from 4 to 7 pm, then again at 9:30 pm.
On Friday I taught at 9 am again. After we were done eating lunch at 1:30 pm, there was no time for a nap, as we needed to take the 2:30 pm train. Tammy and Emmy had their dance class, and Sammy wanted to come along to go to the library. After dropping his siblings off at their class, we went to the library, where Sammy enjoyed pulling out books more than looking at them. Back home at 4:40 pm, I got ready for my 5 pm student.
This morning we finally had a chance to sleep longer, but Sammy was up at his regular time of 7:15, and it didn't take long for his siblings to be awake as well. At some point Randy got up and made breakfast for the four of them, and at 9:30 am I finally got out of bed as well to get ready and get them ready to leave the house at 10 am.
Sammy was hoping for a new train and was upset, when it was an old one. We got to the music school just in time for their 10:30 piano class. All five of us were going, because I wanted to see again, what they were learning, so we could practice at home during the week. And while Sammy stays home alone with me, he refuses to do so alone with Daddy. And so he sat in the back of the class with Randy and me. He was either with Randy, while I was helping the other two, sitting between them, or with me, when Randy went to the front with them to do a dance or the like there.
Tammy and Emmy were again reviewing where the Do is on the keyboard, and they learned that there are 5 lines, when writing music. They even got to use all five fingers playing the five keys from Do up. I was helping them a little. And Max from exercise class was also there, sitting by Emmy, so we took a picture for the journal.
Today Emmy really impressed me. Not only was he able to do everything, he participated willingly and did everything and couldn't have behaved any better. Wow! I told him how proud I was of him! Of course then the other sibling always asks whether I'm proud of him/her as well, the answer always being yes.
After the class was over, we walked back to the subway, and Sammy was overjoyed that it was a new one. Just after noon we were back home, and I went straight to the kitchen to get two pizzas ready and into the oven. It didn't take long until we were ready to eat. Once we were all done, it was already later than the 1:30, which is when it's nap time. I put them all to bed. I stayed with Sammy at first, to help him fall asleep, and in fact, he did fall asleep after days of not taking a nap. Then I went to the top to lie down next to Tammy who was cuddling with me. Emmy, however, could not lie still and was up and down and back and forth. Once Tammy was asleep and Emmy still active, I left, and Emmy went to the little bed on the bottom. Randy sat down in the chair, and soon he was asleep as well. As for me, I never got to take a nap.
At a late 3:15 Sammy woke up, which was enough to wake up Emmy. Soon Randy went downstairs with them, and Tammy followed a few minute later. I was getting ready for my 4 pm student. I taught until 5 pm, then continued working. Soon Randy and the kids came upstairs. At 6:30 I went to the kitchen to start making their dinner. They ate, then went into the bathtub, before we got them ready for bed.
After stories and prayer, and candy, we went to the kitchen to add all their stars of achievement to their board. We started this chore board just over a week ago, and it's working really well. It motivates them more to do what is on the board. It contains eating all their breakfast, flush and turn off the light in the bathroom, take a nap, throw away their little paper trash, put up the clothes they take off, tidy up upstairs before bed time, and brush their teeth. Then on Sunday before church they get their pocket money, the amount being determined by the number of stars. Last Sunday they got money for the first time, 10 cents per star. I put all the little coins on the counter, and made sure I had the 10% for God lying there, the exact amount. I explained to them that that was God's part but that really all we had came from him and belongs to him and that they can give Him more, if they want to. Both of them were VERY generous and joyfully gave much more to Jesus. Jesus then got his own jar to put the money for Him into.
After brushing their teeth, it was bedtime for them. As Sammy had had a nap, he was not asleep yet, and in fact, it took him really long to fall asleep, having slept so long at nap time. Randy sat with them, while I got myself to eat, and then went back to work. It's 1 am and time for bed for me.
