4 years 9 months 5 days

Day 1739. Today was a public holiday in Austria, and so all the kids were home. I still had a student at 10:30 am, then I cooked lunch. We all ate together, which isn't so often the case any more, then we all relaxed a little.

Since they didn't have their dance class today, and I had no student scheduled this afternoon, I decided to take them to a museum I've been wanting to take them to. And so we left the house just after 2 pm. We rode two subways and then walked to the museum. I've been there at least twice before, once when it first opened and once with Randy. We had tickets for 3 pm and needed to be there by 2:45 pm, which we were. Since the kids are not 5 yet, they went in for free. Once they turn 5, things like this will be too expensive to do.

It's a unique museum in that it is multi-media, as you are taken through it. There were mannequins set up everywhere in the entry area, and we took some pictures, while waiting for 3 pm. Then they let us in. We all gathered in the first room - a dark room with a projection of a bookcase. Tammy is easily scared and was fearful of what was to come. The tour guide then came in and asked if a kid wanted to pull the lever to get it all started. Even Tammy hasn't felt so well yesterday and today with first an earache and then a sore throat, he was the one to go to the guide. She lifted him up so he could pull the lever, and then the bookcase disappeared and we traveled in time on the projection screen. Then we walked into the 4D theater right there and sat down. We put on our 3D glasses, and the movie started. Again we traveled in time. I sat between Tammy and Emmy, and Sammy sat with Daddy. Tammy was a little fearful, but she snuggled up to me. Emmy thought it was all cool, and so did I.

After the movie we walked on, through several rooms. We saw and heard the famous emperors of Austria talk, and we had a VR glasses experience to do with the great Austrian composers and music. We also went to a room, where we were allowed pictures and took some with ourselves in them. Then we continued on. We walked all the way through recent history, stood in a bunker during WWII, and took a carriage ride with horses that started flying. Then we ended up in the souvenir shop and it was over. It had lasted an hour, and we had half an hour until the start of part two on the other side of the street. And so we walked through the souvenir shop and looked at all they had. The kids wanted us to buy some stuff, but we didn't.

We'd had to carry Sammy through the museum because of all the stairs, but now we could put him back into his wheelchair. We went outside and stayed there for some minutes, while the kids were having snacks. Then we crossed the street, and the kids were impatient to go into the Sisi museum. That one was still new, and so I had never been there before myself. It was small and not as impressive as the first museum. We were sitting in the small waiting room, the kids being very impatient for 4:30 to come around. But in the end it did. We went inside and had to wait again for everyone to come in. Then we walked into a small theater. We sat up front. Sammy wanted to be with me, so I took him after a few minutes. But he didn't care whatsoever about the informative movie telling about Sisi's life. He got more and more antsy until Randy went outside with him. The other two, especially Tammy, didn't care that much either, but they made it to the end.

We left the theater and had to get into the "boats" on the other side. And that was the whole museum and last part of the half-hour program. Tammy, Emmy and I sat in the first row, Randy and Sammy further back. However, Sammy wanted to be with me again, so Randy moved up closer to me. Half-way through the ride he finally put some goggles on Sammy, and he actually enjoyed the VR ride. Yes, we all put on goggles and took a boat ride through the Viennese canalisation system, then flew over the city of Vienna. There was one scary part, where I pulled Tammy's headset off of her and thought I'd also moved Emmy's who was sitting further away, but he said that he had seen it all and had not been scared.

After the ride the museum visit was over. We of course took pictures behind the emperor's and emperess' outfits that had openings for our heads. Then we left to walk back to the subway. It was raining, when we left the building, but not too bad. Emmy was whining a lot. He said he was tired and wanted me to carry him, but I'd had him on my shoulders various times and was tired too. In the end he got Randy to carry him, while I pushed the wheelchair. You could tell Emmy was not feeling well, and he looked tired as well.

We got home before 6 pm, and I went straight into the kitchen to make their dinner. Emmy said his throat was hurting too much to eat. Tonight they were all in bed rather early and still fell asleep quickly. It was unusual that Emmy climbed into bed with me, where I was working, at 11 pm. Now it's 12:30, and I have to clean up the kitchen, then carry Emmy to his bed so I can go to bed myself.