4 years 6 months 16 days

Day 1660. It's been such a long day! After a short night, I had to get up early, at 7:45, to get the kids and myself ready to leave the house at 8:15. Randy and Sammy always leave the house at that time, as Randy was taking him to kindergarten - today it was the first time in over a week. They left just before us, but we all walked to the subway. They got onto the train into the opposite direction from the one we got onto. We rode it for two stops, then got onto the tram that we also rode for two stops. Then we had to walk in the rain a little bit, as it was a rainy, windy, cold day.

We reached Sammy's therapy center just after 8:30, checked in, and then waited for his physiotherapist to show up. She then took us to a room in the back. Originally the appointment had been last week, when my Mom could have stayed with the kids at home, but today that was not possible. The therapist gave the kids some huge blocks to build with, but that only interested them for a short time. Then I gave them their tablets which kept them busy.

It was our last conversation with the therapist before her retiring, and so she wanted to meet with both Randy and me to talk about Sammy. After a few minutes Randy also arrived and joined us. We talked until about 9:30. She told us what she'd observed and what she recommended. Then we said our good-byes and left.

In the cold and rain we walked all the way back to the subway, then Randy got onto the train in one direction, and we on the one in the other direction, the direction home. Randy had to run to the post office and grocery store before going home. Once I got home with Tammy and Emmy, they got on their tablets, while I got ready for my 10:30 student. It was only after I was done teaching that Randy took them downstairs to play, while I went to the kitchen to make chicken soup for lunch. Once they returned upstairs, they got on their school tablets to have fun while learning. At noon Randy left to go pick up Sammy. Once they returned 45 minutes later, we all sat down to eat lunch.

But I had little time, as I needed to prepare for my 2 pm student. I then taught non-stop from 2 to 6:20 pm, which was long, especially given our morning. After I was done, I had to start making dinner for the kids, which is the beginning of our evening routine.

Once they were asleep, I got myself something to eat, and then went to work preparing for our trip tomorrow. We're driving two hours west for the biggest missions conference in Austria, where we have an info table every year. Now it's nearly 1 am, and we haven't even started packing! The attack in Mali kept me busy for a while, as I asked as many people as possible to pray for this crisis situation.