Day 1844. After a very intense weekend I was glad that I was able to lie back down in bed on Monday morning, after Randy had left with the kids to take them to their kindergartens. I cooked lunch, and at 12:40 Randy returned home with Sammy and left right away to go get the other kids. They returned just after 2 pm. I gave Randy his food and then started getting ready for my 2:30 pm student. Instead of having any other students, I got ready to leave the house. They had a parent-teacher meeting at Tammy's and Emmy's kindergarten and since I had the time to go, I left Randy and the kids at home and made my way there.
I got there exactly on time. I went into the one room, only to find two parents there among many other chairs. They said that the meeting had been moved to 5 pm, which was annoying, as time is precious. So I sat there for 15 minutes, then got up to look at the announcement boards. I saw that another group had a meeting at 5 pm and wondered whether I was in the wrong room. I started walking towards the room, where Tammy and Emmy are this year and found the meeting in session. The room was full, but there was still a free chair that I sat down on. I was annoyed that I had not figured it out earlier.
The meeting went until 5:30 pm. I learned a few things I hadn't known, but nothing that was really important. At least I got added to a parent WhatsApp group that I wished I'd been a part of all along.
It was nearly 6:30 pm by the time I was back home. Randy had already given the kids some bread with salami and fruit.
On Tuesday I could not go back to bed after Randy and the kids had left. Instead I got ready to leave the house and made my way to a new doctor across town. It was a very positive experience, and I hope to see positive change as a result.
I got home at noon, which is when Randy leaves to pick up Sammy. I then had Sammy with me until just after 2 pm, when Randy returned with the other two kids. I had already started getting ready for my students, and I had more hours in a row than I'd had in a while - four. I taught from 2:30 until 6:30, then started making their food. I was feeling rather miserable and started realizing that I was actually getting sick. I had a rather rough night.
Wednesday was absolutely terrible. I could not fall back asleep after Randy and the kids had left, but felt so miserable that I could not work. I was really glad that my 10 am student had canceled. I was also glad that I did not have to cook as we still had leftovers. However, I had no desire to eat anything.
Randy dropped Sammy off at home at 12:40. I was still debating with myself whether I should cancel my afternoon students or not. I have to be really sick to do so, and I did cancel them all. Randy took the kids downstairs at some point, while I slept much of the afternoon. I forced myself up to make dinner for the kids, but their bath was canceled. I didn't read them a bedtime story either, but just prayed for them and sent them to bed. I hadn't eaten, but I was not hungry. Instead I stayed in bed and actually fell asleep. At 9 pm Randy woke me up, as he was getting ready for bed as well. In fact, Randy was nearly as sick as I was. That was unsual, as our worst days are not usually the same day. Randy went to bed, but I could not fall back asleep, so I finally got up and did some work before going back to bed at 11 pm, which was also a lot earlier than what I'm used to.
Thankfully I felt much better this morning, which was needed as I had a busy afternoon ahead. I got some work done in the morning and was able to cook lunch. Sammy came home at 12:35 pm - 5 minutes earlier than usual. He was playing for much of the time, while I was getting work done. Randy and the kids came home just after 2 pm. He was eating lunch, the kids were on their tablets, and I was getting ready for us to leave the house at 2:45 pm. It was time to go to another try-out class.
We left Randy and Sammy at home and made our way to the subway. Sammy was supposed to go to the first session of the wheelchair kids after the summer, while we were gone. After the subway, we took the tram for one stop and walked to the address we were giving. We were walking around trying to find the right entrance, but could not find it. I texted the teacher who then came outside and took us to the workout room.
There was already one mother with her son. The class was for 3 to 6-year-olds, but I looked like all 5 kids were about 5 years old. The one boy already there was too shy to participate and watched until the very end. Our kids were the opposite. It was still early, but they were running around, dancing and showing all their moves, while waiting for the class to start. Another boy came who was just as outgoing and immediately interacted with our kids. Emmy asked the boy why he had long hair. He definitely looked like a girl.
At 3:30 pm the class started. The teacher was a very nice, young man. And he was doing a great job. He showed them simple moves and tried to show them some "tricks", some acrobatics. Both kids clearly had lots of fun, and they did well. They have one more try-out class on Monday, then decisions have to be made.
They put their long pants and winter coats back on, and we left. Yes, you heard right. A few days ago we were suffering from the heat, today the extreme cold had arrived. And it was raining all day, and much more rain is to come in the next few days. Randy and Sammy had called a few times because Sammy was crying for me. I told Randy that they could come to where we were and then we'd switch, with me taking Sammy to his class and Randy taking the other two to their tennis make-up class. However, Randy left too late. I made a few other suggestions, but in the end they ran the subway for a while, then went home, then took the subway to meet up with us. Sammy never made it to his wheelchair class.
Tammy, Emmy and I got on the tram that took us to the subway. We took the subway to the end, then we still had to take a tram and then we had to walk. I had known in advance that they could not be there by 5 pm, but it was the only possibility for them to do this make-up class. We walked in the rain and finally got to the center at about 5:10 pm.
We went straight into the restaurant and the couch there and took their shoes and coats off right there. They put their sneakers on and went inside to the tennis courts. There was a different teacher there, but their teacher was in the back. He was teaching older kids and sent Tammy and Emmy to the first teacher who had their age-group.
I sat down by the window in the restaurant to watch them. There were 5 kids in the class with them. I thought the teacher did a great job with the kids. He gave them a chance to play back and forth with him.
At 5 pm the class was over. The kids did not even seem tired. They put their shoes and coats back on and we started the long walk to the train station. We sat on the train for 15 minutes, then walked to the subway. When we got off the elevator, Randy and Sammy were right there. Sammy was overjoyed. I held his hand, while Emmy tried to have brother-time with him. We rode the subway home together. It was 7 pm by the time we were home.
I had already made bread with meat for them that all three had eaten on the road. So I only got the cut-up fruit out, and they went straight into the bathtub, where they ate it. We continued our evening routine from there, and after two nights without a story, I read them a story tonight.
After they were in bed, I got myself something to eat, then started working on today's pictures. Now it's midnight and time to take care of the kitchen.
