Day 1734. It was nearly 3 am before I made it to bed last night. This morning, the kids were up early and didn't let me sleep at first, but then finally stayed a way for a while. It was 9:45, when I was woken up and checked on them to see what they were wearing and change what was needed. They like to dress themselves, but it's not always a good choice. Just before 10 am Randy left with Tammy and Emmy to take them to their piano class. Sammy stayed home with me.
An hour later we also left the house together to meet up with the others after their class. We took the subway downtown and waited for them to arrive. Then we all took the tram to go to Town Hall Square, where there was a three-day "Vienna Festival" going on, the first one of its kind. We wanted to check it out and have lunch there. I was a little disappointed on the whole. There were a few food stands but with few choices. And there were other stands selling all kinds of stuff and showing off different crafts. There was no caroussel or any other things for kids. They did have wheels of fortune set up 5 times, always with difference prizes, and for signing up for the Vienna advantage cards, we got to spin the wheel. All the kids got to spin the wheels, and we won a few things, like a second ticket free or a free drink with a pizza.
We decided on getting a Schnitzel with potato salad for all of us, knowing that there was food at our next destination. We carried the plate to the many tables set up in front of the stage and sat down there to eat. The sun was still out and so it was hot and bright. An orchestra was playing Viennese music on the stage. After we were done eating, we found the restrooms, then we walked back to the subway.
The other event was only starting at 1 pm, which is why we couldn't go there right away. When we got off the subway and walked outside, it was raining. We were hoping it would pass quickly and stood against the wall under a small roof, waiting for it to stop. We hadn't brought any umbrellas. My phone had said "no rain" in the afternoon, after all. When it subsided a little, we continued on.
And we were already right there. It was a big, fun event put on by one of the healthcare organizations that has ambulances and does first aid and helping with soup kitchens. They had planned a jumping castle, singer, clown and different fun stations for kids, as well as Kasperl and face-painting. However, unfortunately the weather did not play along. We walked into the area where they had set up and found refuge under a tent, where all the rescue dogs were waiting to go on stage and show what they can do. The kids got to pet one dog there. Then we left to go find Kasperl, as the performance was soon to start. But first we stopped at some of their vehicles that were sitting there for people to see, and the kids got to sit on some. Then we walked on. The rain was getting stronger, so we were looking for refuge and found just the right tent. It was the crafts tent for kids. They sat down at the table and were given paper and crayons to draw. They also got a dog mask.
They had just started, when a lady came in shouting that we all had to leave immediately. There was a thunderstorm, and we were not safe in the tent. And so we left and followed her to the entrance of the amusement park, where lots of people were standing under the arch to find cover from the rain. We decided to go into the icecream shop right there, hoping to find a seat, and hoping the rain was going to be over by the time we were leaving again.
I was surprised that it was not full of people because of the rain. We sat down at a table and ordered icecream. It was our first time sitting in an icecream shop this summer. The boys shared a kids creation, while Tammy chose three flavors, and they all enjoyed their icecream.
When we left there, it was still raining. We still headed back to the event around the corner. There were no people there, except for one corner, so we walked that direction to see what was going on there. It was where they were handing out the food. They had a few dishes that you received for a donation. I didn't know where we'd be able to eat, but then I found a tent for that person. Randy had only had a few bites to eat here and there, so he got himself the main savory dish, and we also got two of the dessert dishes for the kids. We were lucky to get seats in the tent, as it was full after a short while.
After we were done eating, we left the tent. I was surprised to see how many people had returned, as it was still raining, constantly increasing or decreasing in intensity. The jumping castle had been taken down, as well as many other things, but we saw a lot of people in one spot and headed there. They had papers for the kids there with five stations on them that they had to accomplish to get a gift in the end. The first one was the skeleton there. Emmy put on a jacket and helmet of one of the rescue people, and Tammy also got a helmet, and they posed with the skeleton. Then it was Sammy's turne. Then we walked to the tent, where there were a lot of people.
They were showing kids how to do first aid there. We were watching others for a while, then it was our kids' turn. The guy showed them how to put pressure on the heart and then how to do mouth-to-mouth. Then they got a stamp. But there was more right there. A nice, older lady showed them some equipment, having them guess what it was, and put a measuring device for oxygen and heart rate on their fingers. She then gave Sammy a ball as a gift. Then the other two got to put their hands inside a box and had to guess what they were touching. However, they could see inside and were looking rather than touching and didn't know what it all was anyway. The fifth station was canceled because of the rain, so they got their gifts right there and then. It was a music CD.
We headed back into the rain, went to another tent, but were rudely told it was closed and to go away. We walked to another nearby station, which was the water rescue. They had a boat set up there and showed the different swimming exams you can do. Our kids already got the very first medal a year ago.
We didn't stay there long. Randy was cold and just wanted to go home. And so we walked in the direction of the exit. The dogs had just done their presentation, but it didn't look like the singer of kids' songs or the clown could do their shows. It was raining harder again, as we walked and ran back to the subway, and we all got wet. We got on the train and rode it home. When we got off the subway, it wasn't raining as hard any more. By 3:30 pm we were back home.
I was really tired, but had work to do. After some time Randy took the kids downstairs to play. I sat down at the computer to work upstairs, but was so tired that I ended up lying down and fell asleep. I woke up, when the kids came running to me because of some drama. I took care of it, then sat down by the computer again. But soon they came back upstairs, and at 6:15 pm I went to the kitchen to start making their dinner, which is the beginning of our evening routine. Now it's nearly 2 am, and I still have to take care of the kitchen.
