2025

-Largest snowfall in Houston

-AB continue teaching 6th graders at church

-I continued allergy shots (started Sept 2024)

-W continued in soccer shots (R)

-AB and I played church flag football -difficult juggling naps.

-W was featured on the Rockets jumbotron

-Seattle to visit family but also hike Mt. Rainier Sunrise side. Left kids with parents in Seattle and went to AT and L's wedding in San Francisco Bay Area. 

-South Carolina trip for AB's conference at the Montage at Palmetto Bluff (we learned where Justin Bieber got married)

-Cancun for ZJ and MW's wedding (beautiful, all inclusive resort), parents came too 

-Los Angeles for PL and JP's wedding (beautiful and funny) and visit friends

This year started off with a big bang aka, largest snowfall in Houston in years! W is having a blast in preK 4 with his best friend NM. W loves trains, boardgames, and asking why. He's learning how to read and do simple math. He still understands Chinese, but he only speaks English now (as expected). YW is working per diem 1-2 days a week, so getting to spend a lot of time with J. We have a nanny for days when YW is working (she is so helpful - cooking and cleaning when she is here!). J is saying a few words here and there, but primarily no no no. AB is going strong into 14th year at an insurance company. Trips this year: Mount Rainier hike, San Francisco/Fremont, South Carolina work conference at Palmetto Bluff, Cancun, Los Angeles

Goal for 2026: better listener... when listening to others, try to be more curious, ask if I got it correct how they are feeling. 

2025 Christmas Holidays

 At the beginning of the holidays, it felt daunting to be at home with the 2 kids for 17 days.  The kids get tired and hungry at different times, so we have to schedule naps and lunches separately.  And Jasper can not participate in many activities that are fun for Wesley.  Also the stress of finding Christmas gifts.

In the mornings, we did the zoo (2x), children's museum, natural science museum, tennis, arboretum, woodlands (4 days), hermann park carousel/playground, church (3x), home depot craft and bday parties.  After afternoon naps, we saw Christmas lights, rode bikes, did grocery shopping, baked a pie, went to parks, took baths, did mini golf, had friends visit and played board games (azul).  

The first week was tiring as we tried to find a good routine.  The Woodlands visit was a nice change of scenery (seeing AB brother's family, different playgrounds and playing disc golf).  But it was still difficult, as everyone was sleeping in different beds, and AB parents try to keep their house very clean.  AB parents were also tired from having so many kids there for many days.  The second week was smoother, as we found a good routine: J eating a packed lunch at 11AM during our morning activity, then all returning home together.  At noon, J would start nap, while everyone else would eat lunch.  Then Wes would nap from 1:30PM to 3PM.  With both napping, we would get a chance to recharge, prepare dinner or play a game (Skyteam or Dead Cells).  So by the end of the holidays, we felt OK.  Nice memories are: Wesley getting his first hole-in-one at mini golf, playing Azul together (listed as a game for 8 year olds), seeing Christmas lights (Jasper saying "wow" and learning other words), Jasper's belly laugh and happy personality.