Happy New Year 2018

2017 was filled with growth and adventures for our girls.   Lexi started Kindergarten and Isabel started 4th grade.  We were all anxious about Alexis starting K as she didn't like preschool as much as Isabel did.  In fact, she had episodes of anxiety for the entire two years she attended Russian Hills Academy.  She always loved it once she got there for the day, but the morning or the night before was always drama filled with questions like "Do I have to go?"  for two years!

When she started K, I braced myself for weekly calls from the school telling me Alexis want to be picked up early or lots of crying during drop off or night anxieties the night before.   To our surprise, none of it happened.  She told me on day 1, "I love Kindergarten ;-)."   I didn't immediately believe her and still

waited the other shoe to drop.  It's been 4 months now and I am happy to say, she really loves Kindergarten.  I think it's because of the stronger mental stimulation of all her classes.  She also has friends in all grades and she can name all her classmates by name and in order of their number.

She also loves her after school program.  She goes to the same one as Isabel called Jackson playground.  They have Christmas and end of the year shows, gymnastics and dance classes.  On top it of all, they just build a new sound studio for all the budding musicians.  Can you believe this is a public program by the city?

Outside of school, Alexis goes to gymnastics at Acrosport with Isabel and loves it.  She also started learning how to swim and ice skate.  It's a huge milestone for her to dip her head in the water. :-)  Once she decided to learn something, then she can do it quickly.  I think by next summer, she will be swimming on her own and ice skating by next winter.   Alexis loves speaking Mandarin with me. This has motivated Isabel to also speak more.  Now the 3 of us can speak behind daddy's back - hehee :-)

Isabel has become quite a little lady. Well not always.  She still loves burping at the dinner table to gross us out ;-) But for the most part, she has developed quite a calm, warm demeanor.  She loves playing soccer with all her girlfriends.  They are becoming quite a team.  Their games are so exciting we find ourselves at the edge of our seats pretty much for the whole game.

She also loves gymnastics.  She is now Level 2.  She is not doing it to be competitive, but more to learn all the cool moves.   It's awesome to see her passionate about gymnastics without feeling any pressure.  She also loves to read. She has gone through probably 60 Stilton books.  She has now broaden her reading to also non-fiction books like Big Book of Why.

Isabel's number 1 love however is still ART!  You can find her doing art whenever she has a free
moment - on weekend mornings, at the restaurant table, or whenever she is bored.  We are trying our best to help her develop this natural talent.  Regardless of whether she will be the next Monet, I just love the fact she has such passion for ART :-)  Here is one of my favorite pieces from her summer art camp in 2017.

As for Jaime and I, our weekends are filled with kids activities as you would expect.   Jaime also started boxing this year and went back to Jiujitsu.  I continue to run, do yoga and go out dancing whenever I can.    I also started doing Pop Star Booty Camp.  It's a dance program for anyone who loves to dance.  We learn a routine for 7 weeks and then perform it at a club.  I have done two this year and have already signed up for one in Jan. It is such silly fun. 

Jaime and I continue to travel a bit without the kids.  As we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this year, we did two long weekend trips - one to NY and one to San Diego.  We have never been to New York together. We loved it.  We will try to go back again in 2018.   Our life is full of love, laughter, adventure, and learning.  I am truly blessed to have found Jaime as my life partner, to grow together and have a blast along the way :-)

2018 promises to have new beginnings for Jaime and I especially in the career front.   We will share more once we solidify our plans.

Agnes continues to be the foundation of our happy family life.   Although Alexis is in school 5 days a week, Agnes is still super busy with prepping lunch for the kids, helping us with pick up, cooking dinners, etc...  On top of it all, she got into interior design and remodelled our entire second bedroom with new paint, furniture and lay out. We also took the opportunity to get whole new carpets for our apt and cleared out most of our storage closet.

Agnes also become quite a gourmet chef.  She can follow any recipe and then adapt it so we eat less salt and still have a great meal.  We are spoiled by her in so many ways.   Agnes has many interests from cooking and custom cake making to interior design and learning a new language.   We will support her in pursuing whatever dream she has.  :-)

We are grateful for our life and for continuing to evolve and grow as our kids get older.  We cannot believe they are already 6 and 9.   We wish you a joyful, adventurous, loving 2018.

hugs and kisses,
Lei, Jaime, Isabel, Alexis, Agnes