When I woke up this morning, I felt refreshed and energized—it had been an especially good night’s sleep. Around 8:30, I started packing up to take Hamer to meet her classmate for some exercise. Hamer was particularly excited about the agility ladder and rings that had arrived just the day before. She’d seen others playing with them and thought they looked like a lot of fun.
When we got to the venue, we began by following video tutorials to learn footwork drills using the agility ladder. Hamer and her classmate jumped around, laughing and having a blast. Afterward, we switched to playing badminton. Hamer struggled to hit the shuttlecock and became a bit frustrated, so she set down her racket and grabbed a tennis ball instead. We decided to toss the ball to each other, trying to keep it from touching the ground. Our initial goal was 10 passes, but it proved so difficult that we lowered it to 5. When we finally achieved it, we all cheered.
Next, we experimented with catching the ball using rackets and played agility ring games, like throwing a ring and jumping to it. We took turns twice, then tried forward, backward, and side jumps. Anyone who made a mistake had to run a lap as a penalty. I ended up running twice, which had Hamer and her classmate laughing uncontrollably.
While running, I suggested a relay race, and they were thrilled. We ran three laps around the field, working well together. Despite being sweaty and exhausted, the laughter never stopped. The final game was their favorite—ring toss. Using leaves as “money” to buy rings, the two kids had a blast, laughing and jumping around. Before we knew it, it was noon, and we packed up to head home. On the way, Hamer jokingly pretended to cry, saying, “I don’t want to leave my classmate!”
After lunch, we relaxed in the living room for a while. Seeing it was nearly time for dance practice, Hamer and I began to get ready. Before leaving, I told her, “While you’re dancing, I’ll write in my journal, okay?” She found the idea novel and agreed. At the dance studio, I dropped her off and went to a nearby community study room to write. As I typed, memories of the joyful morning filled my mind, and an hour and a half flew by.
After picking up Hamer, we stopped to buy some cake. On the way, she suddenly asked, “What’s a journal?” After I explained, she said, “I want to write one too!” We agreed that next Saturday, after dance practice, we’d bring our supplies to the study room and write journals together.
When we got home, Xiaoyan was napping, so I helped Hamer with her homework. There wasn’t much to do, so she finished quickly, eating a few small cakes in the process and even taking some with her when we went out again. She wanted to join me at the hair salon, so we went together. Along the way, she chattered excitedly, saying, “I love playing with my classmate’s dad; he’s so much fun!” At the salon, I got a haircut while she had her hair washed, thoroughly enjoying the experience.
On our way back, we hurried to buy groceries. My task for the evening was to make braised noodles with green beans since I’d lost a bet with Xiaoyan over who would cook dinner on Saturday. The green beans cost 10 yuan, and the noodles 5 yuan. When Hamer heard the total price, she laughed and said, “So cheap!” I took the opportunity to explain, “That’s one of the benefits of eating at home.”
At home, Hamer spent a long time chatting on the phone with her classmate while I got busy in the kitchen. Xiaoyan stood nearby with chestnuts, occasionally feeding me bites as I worked. It had been a while since I last cooked, so I carefully followed the recipe step by step, washing, chopping, and cooking the ingredients. Though busy, I found it enjoyable. When Hamer finished her call, she came into the kitchen wanting to help, but by then I was nearly done. She stayed anyway, pretending to arrange dishes and playing the role of a restaurant server.
After an hour, the braised noodles were finally ready. Both Xiaoyan and Hamer loved them, showering me with compliments. That long-lost sense of accomplishment filled me with satisfaction.
In the evening, we lounged on cushions and the sofa in the living room, watching Klaus together while relaxing. During this time, Hamer wrote her Christmas wish list for Santa, ready for him to “collect” it. It wasn’t until 10:30 that we slowly got up to wash up and end the day.
