Day 1896. It was a typical Sunday morning at first. Sammy was up early, then the other kids, then Randy got up to make breakfast, and the kids kept coming to me, especially Emmy, and not let me sleep. It was 9:30 am, when I looked at the clock, and immediately got up as time was short. The photographer was coming at 10 am for our yearly photoshoot around their due date, i.e. their biological birthday; this year their 5th birthday. I put their birthday shorts on the kids and short jeans, then put the same nice, white dress on I wore last year and most years. And then the photographer already rang the bell.
He's actually part of one of our two churches and did the pictures for the first time last year. I like that he comes to our house, so that we don't have to go anywhere, which is easier on the kids. We went downstairs and first did our family pictures with their birthday shirts. Then we did pictures of just the three kids by themselves. After we were done, we went upstairs to put our Christmas pj's on. This year they were white, black and green - no red. While we were changing, the photographer and his wife put up the Christmas backdrop and got ready for us.
Back downstairs, we first did all three kids together, then individual kid pictures, and then the five of us together. I think it was the best year in terms of getting Sammy to smile and look at the camera, and therefore I expect some good pictures. I used his buzz word "vaccuum cleaner" which worked well - at least when I was behind the photographer and not in the picture myself.
It had only taken us one hour to do the pictures. They left, and I went to the kitchen to make lunch, as the kids were already hungry. Then we sat down to eat. I had gone to bed late last night and was really tired and knew I needed to get some sleep to be able to go to church at night. Unfortunately it's hard to sleep with Randy and the kids upstairs, but I did get some sleep. And at some point Randy took the kids downstairs.
I got up earlier than necessary at about 2:30 pm and went downstairs to do piano practice with the kids. Back upstairs I started making their dinner-to-go to take with us. Then Randy came upstairs with the kids, and we dressed them for church. Just after 4 pm we left the house.
And today we got to church a good few minutes before the service started. We got our seats, and the kids went to the front to draw. Emmy came to me and wanted me to make him a paper plane that he then played with. Tammy only did one drawing today, with Sammy next to her. I had Sammy part of the time, then put him on the floor, and he took off. Randy went after him to bring him back. Tammy then played with him. Sammy was trying to take off again, and she tried to keep him from doing so, making her brother laugh.
And Sammy kept asking, when it was time to go to the kids' program. At 5:30, half an hour after the start, it was time, and it was my turn to go with them. I sat down on the floor with Sammy, and then the program already started with a song. I sat on the floor holding Sammy in a standing position, and he was clapping for much of the time. Tammy was trying hard to sing along with the song she didn't know.
Then it was teaching time. Sammy already wanted his food, so I gave it to him. The teacher had a paper plane, and the kids lined up to try to throw it so it would fall in a basket. Then we all sat down on the floor for the teaching. It was all about eagles, and each kid got a cut-out eagle with the famous verse about eagles in Isaiah 40 on it. They got to tape them on their shirts. Of course Sammy does not like that, and he ended up tearing his eagle apart. I was playing like the eagle was hurting, when he did that.
By that time all the kids had sat down at the table for crafts. They all made paper planes, and Tammy also drew on hers. Then they came to let them fly and had lots of fun. Emmy was playing with a boy for a long time, trying to throw their planes onto each other. Sammy had found the Duplo box and wanted to build. I helped him build a house, and at some point Tammy came as well and also wanted to build a house, and I helped her too. I run to the bathroom a lot because of the cyst, and one time when I returned, there was a lady, and then her husband, playing with Sammy.
And then it was time to clean up, and the teacher had all the kids recite some rhimes that our kids didn't know (at least I had never heard it before). Then the program was over; it was nearly 7 pm, which is when the service ends.
I put Sammy into the wheelchair, and the kids put their shoes back on. Sammy was ready to go see Anna. He had only once mentioned Daddy the whole time. It was remarkable how well he did today. When it's Daddy who's with him, it never works out for him to stay there.
We all went to the sanctuary, where the service was just ending. Sammy went straight to Anna. They were still having communion, so we went to the front for that, then I decided to stay up front to get prayed for. I had to wait a little, then it was my turn.
It was getting late, so we went to get our coats and left to go home. It was a long two subway rides to get home, where we arrived just after 8 pm. We got the kids ready for bed right away, I prayed for them, and they went to bed. Then I made my soup and sat down to eat. I knew I had lots of pictures, so I started working on them right away. Randy was so tired that he already went to bed at 10:30 pm, but I still had work today. But it's midnight now and I'm done with everything, so I should make it to bed soon.
