5 years 4 months 27 days

Day 1975. Yesterday was a crazy busy day for me, without any free time. Tammy and Emmy went back to kindergarten; Tammy was not very keen on going, but when they came back home, they said they'd had a great time. Sammy stayed home with me, which meant that I could not go back to sleep. At 10 am I started getting ready for my 10:30 student, while Randy left with Sammy to take him to horsetherapy. He's now going every Monday morning again.

I taught until 11:20 am, then I continued working on the computer. Randy and Sammy returned home before noon, and I went to the kitchen to make lunch for the three of us. Sammy must have had too many snacks as he didn't want to eat for the longest time. Randy left later than usual to go pick up Tammy and Emmy, just before 1 pm. 

I was trying to prepare for my students, while taking care of Sammy who constantly needs something. It can get pretty tiring and annoying at times. Randy and the siblings returned just before 2:30, which is when I started teaching. My next student was at 3:30 pm, but it was the one who is always late. That way I could help get Tammy ready  to leave the house with Daddy to go to ballet class. She didn't want to go, saying she wanted to stay with me and was crying, but in the end I was able to calm her down, and the two of them left. I had asked Emmy to help Sammy, when he needed it while I was teaching. That only worked partially, as Emmy was on his tablet. A few times I had to call him to go help Sammy.

I finished at 4:20 pm and prepared for my next student at 6 pm, an unusual time for me, but also agreed to play Fusball with Emmy. The little Fusball game was a Christmas present of theirs. We played two rounds, and of course I let him win again. Then I had to go back to work.

Randy and Tammy returned just before 6 pm, and Tammy had had a good time at ballet.

I had already prepared their sandwiches for dinner, so they could eat while I taught until just before 7 pm. That worked well. Then they went into the bathtub. We got them ready for bed, and I even read them a quick story. However, I had my fifth and last student of the day at 8:10 pm. This time it was Emmy who was upset about that and crying, when I started teaching. Randy then somehow got him to calm down. By the time I was done teaching at 9 pm, they were all fast asleep. I could finally get myself something to eat.

This morning I went back to sleep after Randy and the kids left for kindergarten. Sammy finally got to go back as well and was really excited to see everyone again. When Randy picked him up, the physiotherapist was working with him with her assistant, and Randy took a picture.

Just before 9 am I was woken up by a phone call - it was the cleaning lady who had run the bell but I had not heard it in my sleep. I let her in and lay back down to sleep. At 10:30 am I got up. I soon went to the kitchen to make lunch as it needed time in the oven. At 12:40 pm Randy and Sammy returned home. While Sammy talks about the cleaning lady a lot, he's scared of her, when she's in our house. I don't know why, maybe because of the vaccuum cleaner. When I got him out of the wheelchair, he was clinging to me out of fear.  He could hear the cleaning lady vaccuuming downstairs.

Randy left to pick up the other two kids, while Sammy went as far away from the staircase as possible, staying near me. I asked him whether he wanted to give her the money, and he said yes, together with me. I then had him in my arms, when he gave her the money, and she gave him a chocolate egg, like she always does. As soon as she was gone, Sammy was his loud self again.

He sat down with his headset and tablet near me and constantly wanted me to give him something else, while I tried to do office work. My 2 pm student had canceled which was nice. Randy onyl returned at 2:15 pm, so rather late. I went downstairs with Tammy to practice piano, then I got everything ready to leave the house with Emmy.

The two of us left just after 2:45 pm with our scooters. We took the subway, then the tram, then rode our scooters to the dance studio. Emmy fell on the way there, and then his teacher walked up from behind him and encouraged him to get up and calm down, as he was crying.

Emmy had lots of fun in his class, as you can see from the pictures. One of the boys had a birthday, and so everyone got candy at the end. Emmy then asked whether he could also have candy for his siblings, which was sweet of him. Tammy and Sammy were happy to receive it.

After the class was over, we got dressed and left to ride to the tram stop. We had to wait quite a while before it arrived. After 3 stops we got off and rode our scooters one bus stop to get to the school, where the next class was taking place.

Emmy got changed, and we went inside. I sat down along the wall where we usually sit. A few minutes later Tammy came running to me, then Randy and Sammy walked in and sat down with me. Another few minutes later Sammy's friend Michi finally arrived. Sammy had already asked where he was and was very happy to see him.

And he then played ball with Michi again, while Michi and I were talking, mainly about our ski week last week. Emmy came to me crying a few times during this class, either because he got hurt physically or his feelings got hurt. At one point he sat down with me and did not want to go back to the others. He even played ball with Sammy and Michi for a few minutes. Eventually he did go back to the others to play the next game with them.

After the class was over, we got changed and walked to the bus stop. We just missed the bus which was annoying, as it was quite a while until the next bus. Then we decided to go to the tram instead. It was one bus stop away. Tammy was annoyed that she did not have her own scooter with her. We got on the tram, and then the subway, then got off one stop before our stop for a pick up. I had just installed the app "Too Good To Go", where you pay a fraction of the normal price for a bag of food to save it, however, you don't know what you get. I had purchased my first surprise bag from the supermarket closest to us. As it was still a few minutes until pickup and I needed some other stuff, I first bought those items, then waited for my surprise bag. It was quite exciting, and we all checked out right away what was in it - pastries, salads and wheat milk. Some things were good, others I didn't want to eat. The kids were excited about the donuts and had some later tonight. Randy also ate two items in the bag for dinner, and I also had some of the food. We went back to the subway to ride the one stop home.

They had already eaten their sandwiches I had made earlier on the tram, so I went straight to the kitchen to cut up fruit for them that they then ate. Then they went into the bathtub, where they had some of the donuts. Emmy also had his bread with Nutella, as he's crazy about Nutella right now. After they came out of the bathtub, we got them ready for bed. I put Sammy to bed and prayed for him, then I read a story to the other two and prayed for them. They brushed their teeth and went to bed. I went to the kitchen to finish making my salad.

After having eaten, I started working on today's pictures. Now it's 12:30 am, and tomorrow I have another long day of teaching.