5 years 7 months

Day 2038. While away, the kids had been going to bed late, but yesterday morning they had to get up early again. No problem for Sammy who is always early, but the other two were on either side of me and had a hard time getting up. After breakfast, Randy left with the two to take them to kindergarten, while Sammy stayed home with me. I was trying to get more sleep, but had to get up frequently to give him what he wanted. Especially when he had a big blowout that was so bad I had to put him into the bathtub. Sammy has been practicing going potty in kindergarten and at times, when he's home. Sometimes it works.

When Randy returned from taking the kids to kindergarten, he got Sammy ready and left with him to take him to horse therapy. I finally had some peace and quiet. Eventually I got up and went to the kitchen to cook lunch. When Randy and Sammy returned, they were able to eat right away. Randy had a little more time than usual as he took the 1 pm bus to go pick up the kids from kindergarten.

I had work to do and did it while also having fun with Sammy and helping him. I made sandwiches for dinner, and got ready for my 3 pm student. Randy and the kids returned some time before that. I then taught until 3:50 pm and left with Tammy and Emmy as quickly as possible.

Sammy had a package arriving for him, and he was talking about it all day, constantly asking when it'd arrive. Unfortunately packages sometimes arrive late, and that was the case today. He gave Randy a really hard time, while the two of them were home alone, as the package was all Sammy had a head for. He wouldn't even eat as he was waiting for it. And it only arrived around 7pm. Then he could finally eat in the bathtub.

Tammy, Emmy and I took two subways and walked to the Robbo-Club premises. We were a few minutes early. They on purpose did not sit next to each other in class. As for me, I pulled up a chair by the receptionist's desk and put my computer on it. Their class started at 4:30 pm, and I had a student at 5 pm. Not the one who always comes late, but I taught the full 50 minutes. Not French, but English. The receptionist was sitting right on the other side of my computer, and there was a Dad also sitting in the lobby. The receptionist left half-way through my class.

After I finished teaching, the kids' class was nearly over as well. I packed up, and five minutes before the end I went inside to see what they'd done. It was their second time working with the "adult" version of the Scratch software. I'm not sure how they can actually use it without being able to read. They had once again created a little video with moving backgrounds and figures.

We put our jackets on and left; they were eating their sandwiches on the way home. We got off the second subway early to make a bread pick-up, then continued on home, where we arrived at about 6:45 pm. I went straight to the kitchen to cut up fruit for the kids and gave it to them. Then they went into the bathtub, where they ate more - after Sammy's package had arrived. Back out, we got them ready for bed, and I took a few minutes to read them stories, then prayed for them. They went to bed, while I sat down at the computer to teach from 8:10 to 9 pm. After I was done, I got myself something to eat and took a break, then I got back on the computer to work and went to bed at 1 am - earlier than usual.

This morning was the only one of the week where I had no commitments. After Randy left with the kids to take them to kindergarten, I went back to bed and slept until 11 am. Then I got up and turned my computer on to work. Some time later I warmed up food from yesterday to have lunch as my first meal of the day.

I was just finishing eating, when Randy arrived with Sammy at 12:45 pm. He then left again to go pick up the other kids, while Sammy and I had fun at home. He was still excited about his new headset that had arrived yesterday, as well as the new cookies for it (chips with stories/songs to put in). And so he spent most of his time with the headset, also eating two bars and having me feed him a pudding. He eats lunch in kindergarten. At the same time, I continued doing the important office work I had started in the morning. 

I kept going and going and forgot that I was supposed to make sandwiches for the kids for dinner. When Randy and the kids got home just before 2:30 pm, I went downstairs with the kids for piano practice. Tammy has been going first recently. Even though she wasn't feeling very well with a cough and sore throat, she did well. Emmy went next, but he had a fit and quit. We went back upstairs. I told him I'd send the package with the books for them that was arriving today back if he didn't practice today. The talent show they're playing at is already the day after tomorrow after all! Eventually he went back downstairs with me and finished his piano practice. 

Just after 3 pm I left the house. Randy left with the kids at 4 pm and took them to their ball-playing class. Emmy had to miss his breakdance class today as Randy was not up to taking all three there before the second class. Even though Tammy wasn't feeling so well, she participated during most of the class, and Randy took a little video of her trying to finish a parcours against the clock. By 6:15 pm they were back home, and Randy had made sandwiches for them.

I took the 3:20 pm train to the other end of Vienna, then had a 20-minute walk uphill to go to the Austrian state TV station. I got to the entrance just after 4 pm. I walked through and stopped, as they were gathering everyone going to the taping of the TV show where I was going. I watch this show regularly and have always wanted to be in the audience. Now the day had come.

After a while, we all followed the guy up the hill and to an entrance of the building. We walked inside and handed in our jackets. Then I had to show my ticket and got a paper ticket in return. It was time to go up the stairs. I got to a waiting area with a little bar area and seats and tables. I bought a drink and sat down. It was still half an hour until they were going to let us go inside the TV studio. Most of the other people were retirees and couples. I felt like I was the only one who had come alone, and I felt young. I kept busy with my phone while waiting.

At 4:45 the crowd started moving; the taping was supposed to start at 5 pm. We followed someone to the TV studio where we were heading, and a guy checked our tickets on the way in. They had three rows along the walls/curtains, and we were simply sitting down in the order we were walking in. He asked for a single person, and I lifted up my hand. I was pointed to the end seat in the top row. A seat where it was garanteed I would not be seen on TV.

Soon everyone had taken their seats, and we all waited. Then the MC of the show arrived and greeted us all. He said a few things to us, then the five comedians who were part of the show this day arrived, waved to us and took their seats. The MC talked with all of them, and they all had fun, exactly the same way you see it on the show on TV. They gave us some rules and instructions, then the taping finally started.

They were doing exactly what you see on the show on TV. Only twice did the MC say he wanted to redo what he had just done. It flowed really well.

At 6:15 pm it was over. Everyone was getting up, and I saw people walk to the stars to take pictures with them. I didn't need any - I needed to get home. And so I left right away, walked back to pick up my coat and left the TV station. I walked back to the train station - this time downhill, thank God - and waited a few minutes for the 6:44 pm train. Then I got on and was home by 7:15 pm.

I had asked Randy on the phone to give the kids some banana and apples, so they had already eaten those. I then cut up some watermelon and cantaloupe for them and took the box to the bathtub, where they ate it. I still had to prepare for my 8:10 pm student and tried to do so. We got the kids ready for bed, and as they still wanted a story, reading one of the new books that had arrived today, I told my student I'd be 5 minutes late. That way I got the story in, prayed for them, and they went to bed, while I sat down to teach. However, there was a lot of drama for some reason, as I could hear two, at one point three kids crying. Today Randy has had to take care of the kids a lot, including while I was teaching. Thankfully they were soon all asleep.

Once I was all done at around 9:15 pm, I went to the kitchen to make some soup for dinner. I enjoyed eating it while watching a show, then started working on the pictures and writing my report. Now it's after 1 am, so it's going to be my regular bed time tonight, probably, even though it's an early morning and long day tomorrow.