5 years 2 months 13 days

Day 1900. Yesterday morning I had no commitments so I lay back down after having dressed the kids for kindergarten and after Randy had left with them. At 10:45 I was woken up by my phone ringing. It was the hospital. They'd told me that they'd call me on Tuesday to let me know whether they're doing the operation the way they'd explained to me or not, and then later this week to tell me the date. However, they never called on Tuesday. But now they were.

A young man told me on the phone that the operation was scheduled for Monday and that I had to be at the hospital on Sunday morning between 8 and 9 am. He said they'd fix the time of the operation on Friday. I was surprised that my operation was gonna be this soon after all, but was also glad about it. I'm just gonna miss Sammy's lantern festival at the kindergarten on Monday (Saint Martin) and possibly also Tammy's and Emmy's on Wednesday afternoon. I'm hoping for the best case scenario so that I don't have to stay in hospital for a whole week. Tammy is already crying every time I mention that I'm gonna be away for a few nights.

Well, with that phone call, I was awake. Suddenly it had all become real again, and now it was so close. I have to admit I was nervous and still am. Last night it took me a long time to fall asleep.

Randy left the house just after noon to pick up Sammy. I had already started writing the newsletter I had planned to write as soon as I'd know the date of the operation. They came home at 12:40, then Randy left again to go pick up the other two kids.

Sammy and I had a good time together, while I also tried to get work done. Randy and the other kids came home a little later than usual, only at 2:15 pm. There was no time to practice piano with the kids. I got them dressed for their exercise class and started teaching at 2:30 pm. Randy agreed to take Sammy with him to their class and then go shopping with him, while the other two were in class. That allowed me to keep working on the newsletter, when I was not teaching. I had another student at 4 pm, and my 5:30 pm student canceled.

Randy and the kids came home at 5:15 pm. I then made their dinner, and they ate. It was the beginning of our evening routine. After they were in bed, I got to eat myself, then I continued working on the newsletter and was able to get both the English and German version out before going to bed.

Tammy has a few spots on her torso that look like a fungus maybe, and then Emmy had the same type of spot on his arm. Given that I'm going into hospital on Sunday, Randy considered taking them to the pediatrician now to take care of it early. Then he thought he could take Sammy as well, as he has a rash on his neck, an allergic reaction to the cloths they put around his neck in kindergarten, or maybe the velcro. I had on my calendar that the lady from the department of education had come to his kindergarten yesterday to assess him, and wrote the kindergarten a message this morning that Sammy was not coming. A few minutes later the leader of his group called me to tell me the lady had not come yesterday but was coming today, so it was crucial for Sammy to be there. Okay. So Randy dropped Sammy off at kindergarten and then continued on with the other two to the pediatrician. The doctor then said that it was only dry skin, which is hard to believe. They were back before 11 am.

I lay back down after Randy and the kids had left, but was once again woken up b a phone call. This time it was the lady from the department of education herself. She asked me a few questions. Sammy is now gonna start school next year as well, as he has a certain spot in the school then but wouldn't two years from now. It just annoys me that I cannot be at two schools at the same time for their first day of school, so I'm either gonna miss Sammy's first day in school, or Tammy's and Emmy's. But I'm glad he gets to go to school where he goes to kindergarten now.

I was gonna lay back down, but there wasn't much time left until I had to get up anyway. I had a 11 am student and had to prepare for my lesson. Randy and the kids returned before I was done teaching.

Once I was done at noon, I went to the kitchen to make lunch, and Randy left to go pick up Sammy. They returned just as the food was ready, and even though Sammy had already eaten at kindergarten at 11: 30 am, he sat down with us and ate a second lunch, all five of us together. After lunch, I got very tired after a short, restless night and knew I had to take a nap before starting to teach. I was glad, when Randy took the kids downstairs, which gave me a chance to fall asleep. I would have liked to sleep longer than I did, but I got up, made bread with salami for Sammy to take with him, and sat down to get ready for my 3 pm student.

I then taught 3 hours in a row, until 6 pm. Randy and Sammy left the house before 4:30 pm to go to Sammy's wheelchair class, while the other kids were on their tablets while I was teaching. Once I was done, I went to the kitchen to make their dinner. When Sammy came home at 7 pm, he had an egg and fruit waiting for him. Then they all went into the bathtub, which started our evening routine.

Now it's after 1 am, and tomorrow I have to get up early.