Alexis won this on Monday

She got this In front of the whole school. She is one of two in her class.

Alexis art project on legacy

She thought to create footsteps as symbols of legacy. Pretty creative.

Alexis Christmas poem

She literally just wrote it in the last 30 min. I am biased I know but I am amazed.

Plank trick alexis and mommy

While waiting for Thanksgiving dinner at home, Alexis has time to get creative for me to help her be supergirl 🤭🥰🤗

Lei

Happy Thanksgiving

Two days of feasting starting with hot pot in our backyards with friends yesterday to today Dimsum in Chinatown and grilled branzino and jerk chicken for dinner tonight

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Smarter pants Alexis

Alexis just took the standardized test on sixth grade and she is im the top 5% for math with proficient for 9th grade math right now. Go girl. Her reading is good at sixth grade level which is also good. 🥰. She loves her new school. We are so happy for her

Alexis eating her first salmon avocado sushi

Alexis loves the avocado only sushi so far and told me she was curious to try the one with salmon and avocado. I gave her some and she loved it.

First day of sixth grade for Alexis

Today is august 23, 2023 and Alexis first day of sixth grade at Saint peter and Paul in north beach. She is a middle schooler. Yay. Growing up so fast.

Lei
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Isabel’s amazing dance performance

Isabel attended a summer dance workshop for the last 9 weeks and just had two performances this weekend.  She did such a good job.  We are so proud and happy for her.  See for yourself. ❤️🥰🤗

Isabel dance performance - Aug 2023 youtu.be

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SeaWorld 2023

We are on the first trip together with my parent post COVID in San Diego. We spent 6 hours at sea world from 10-3:30pm

Highlights are
- whale show
- dolphin show
- sea otter and sea lion show
- manta ride. Isabel and I went twice in a row
- turkey leg for $18 fed 3 -4 of us. Stuff pretzels $8 $ regular hotdog $11 and it wasn't big. Churro $11. Small dipping dots $11. I guess we are helping SeaWorld with their rescue fund.
- Alexis and I fed the sea lions as well $8 for 4 fishes and a bird stole one of the fishes from Alexis hand.
- one otter beanie for Alexis and one baseball cap for mom. smiles on their faces were priceless 🥰

Also went and had encounters with cleaner fish that nibbles on your hand and touched small sharks with two figures. All in all a very nice day 65 degrees

Tips
- they don't really check your backpack as long as it pretty small so could bring snacks and food in like a sandwich or something even though they say no outside food or drink
- going on a Monday has shorter hours but less people for rides. No need for reserved seating of front of the line pass
- buy lunch right before noon and eat it at the orca whale show as the lines are short. All visitors are already sitting at the show by 11:50am. 😬
- we bought tickets via city pass so it's $162 per adult for SeaWorld and 3 other attractions in one week.

Isabel just made this spread

For a day time movie hangout with the family. Watching wakanda forever! 😬

Isabel’s homecoming video

We made a whole afternoon of isabel homecoming dance since it's her first one in high school.  We started with a updo by Jonathan and then makeup by Tracy.  I never had this when I was a kid but I knew she would want to try it.    We also had a chance to grab pizza in between. It was really fun to help her get ready.   In exchange let me do a photo shoot of her in our courtyard. 🥰

 Even Alexis had fun as we had a chance to go to Ross while we waited and I helped her study for her Chinese test.  

Of course, being Chinese, I made sure Isabel knew how much everything cost so she doesn't take it for granted.   😂. After the dance she actually said "mom, next time I think I want to try doing my own hair and make up. It's time I know how to tie my hair in a bun and stuff! ". 🤗

Here is the video of our afternoon and her dance at the end.  Pictures with her friends are all at the end of the video. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/Fio1kpJCMIw

Lei

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Isabel 9th grade homecoming

Isabel went to her first homecoming dance at sacred heart. She said she had a great time. They had free dipping dots, donuts, caricature artists, phone booth and of course dj. All for $20 a ticket.

She went with her best Zoe who goes to a different school. They had fun. It was from 7-10pm at her school. Very tight security especially around liquids which was great.

Isabel is 14 and 5'6" already. She looked fabulous. Many thanks to agnes who lend her this very stylish dress.

My Europe Trip Experience

I just got back from Europe and am happy to report that the trip was an amazing experience! 

In Denmark, my team won the b-bracket cup and it was a great warm-up tournament for our bigger competition in Sweden. Compared to Cup No.1 in Denmark, the Gothia cup in Sweden was ten times larger with 59 countries participating.

There, we played 7 teams and fought hard to make it to the quarter-finals. We lost narrowly to the best team in Norway in the quarter-finals (0-1). It was a tough loss but we gave it our best and learned to compete at the highest level.

Overall, this experience has taught me how to be independent, how to be a better defender on the field, and how to be a better team player.

Thank you all for supporting me in my unforgettable journey!

We have the Vacation blues :-(

 We came back on Friday night.  Jet lag hasn't been too bad and it was awesome to hug the kids and sleep in our own bed again.   We did however came back to a very grey SF weather.  It's been cloudy since we returned and much reflect our mood.  As much as we liked to come home, Portugal was just beautiful, relaxing, with amazing food, friendly people, and everything is so much cheaper.  We miss all of it. 

It makes us really rethink about our long term future as life in Europe just seems less crazy especially in the summer.  

• We met our friends who are retired at the age of 48 and happy.  
• We met Luisa  who switched from being a lawyer to being the person who works at the guest house we stayed at.   She is making almost the same but is 100 times happier.  
• We met Tim who is a Texan but left the US six years ago and now owns a Texas bar in Porto and couldn't be happier
• We saw people young and old just hanging out with each other during the day and at night enjoying life and the beautiful weather. 

It makes coming back to the rat race of American corporate that much harder.  It makes us think differently about retirement as well. 

• How can we work on our terms until maybe we are 85 but start enjoying life more now?
• How can we perhaps live a bit more in Europe, especially Portugal in addition to the States, while our kids are still home?
• How can we rethink how much money we really need to live well?
• How can we remake our work situations now so we can better enjoy life while we are still young, healthy?
• How can I work maybe 9 months out of the years instead?

I don't want to retire at the age of 65.  That seems like an idea that is no longer as relevant for our generation.  Instead I want to work and still use my brain until I die but at the same time, spend more time with family, friends, and imagine different ways to enjoy life.   Our trip to Europe filled us with excitement for the future and many new questions of whatifs.  I guess I have to be patient and let them marinate a little so we can experiment with what could be slowly over the next 10 years. 

I miss the sun and the energy of Portugal.   I guess it will pass as times goes on.  In 2 weeks, kids are back at school and we will have a very hectic schedule again of drop off and pick up plus both kids in competitive soccer practice and games.  Will keep us busy...

For now, I guess I should be grateful for two healthy, imaginative kids, a loving husband, my own health and for our parents being relatively healthy and independent still.   Grateful also for my job to allow me a 3 month sabbatical.   I have 4 weeks left before I go back to work.  not ready yet... 

The blues will pass.  I guess I will just have to wait.  at least in the meantime kids and I have gotten ourselves into binge watching K-drama. First one - business proposal - so silly and romantic.  next is a C drama - legend of the white snake.  Will be cool to see how much the kids can understand the mandarin.   Until then, just taking some deep breath and enjoying the comfort of our bed - none of the hotel beds compared.  It's still always good to be home again