Today, I traveled from Beijing to Yueyang to pick up Hamer, and together we continued to Yingtan. The journey home was smooth yet eventful, with Hamer impressing me by carrying her own luggage the entire way and saying heartfelt goodbyes to her playmates before she left Yueyang.

At home, we were warmly welcomed by my family, and Dad jokingly expressed surprise that Xiaoyan wasn’t with us. In the evening, Hamer happily reconnected with her cousin Coco, and the two played together until late at night.

Today was a lucky day filled with good news. I received recognition for my 230 Tips project, and my visa interview was unexpectedly approved. Back in Beijing, I found out my promotion to Senior SDE was confirmed, bringing immense joy. My colleagues’ efforts to secure my presentation slot at the developer conference also moved me greatly.

In the evening, Xiaoyan and I enjoyed a delightful vegetarian dinner. Tomorrow, I’ll travel to Hunan to bring Hamer to my hometown. Despite a busy day, I feel energized and grateful.

Our company’s year-end party on Monday and Tuesday was packed with performances, games, and activities, but the dinner felt rather dull.

The next day, we visited Longqing Gorge to see the ice lanterns, where the frozen gorge turned out to be the highlight of the day. Later, two colleagues and I traveled to Shenyang for a visa appointment.

Today was calm and uneventful. I started the morning late, tidied up the living room. Xiaoyan got up and practiced piano, where she showed noticeable improvement.

Xiaoyan spent the afternoon watching Normal People, while I napped and bought fruit and dumplings.

In the evening, I practiced driving S-curves and felt much more confident compared to before.

Today started early as I tidied up the house and moved out the sofa. I received disappointing news that the conference schedule was refused, but my lead actively followed up.

My colleague’s gifted piano was delivered, and Xiaoyan even played a few simple tunes.

In the afternoon, Xiaoyan got a flu shot while I organized the house before joining her at our classmate’s place. We enjoyed the movie Her Story and a delicious homemade feast.

Today brought a sense of relief as everything I had worried about was finally resolved. I successfully rescheduled my visa interview and completed all the required documents.

Our show rehearsals went well, and I finished the last video, which turned out great. Unfortunately, one of my colleagues caught the flu and can’t attend the annual meeting.

In the evening, Xiaoyan and I enjoyed Luosifen at Guilin Restaurant. It had been a while, and I especially loved their crispy and flavorful Guo Shao. These past few days, Hamer has been having so much fun at hometown that we’ve had little chance to sit down and chat with her.

Today was filled with ups and downs. After preparing visa documents and adjusting my resume, I discovered a past visa denial, forcing me to redo the DS-160 form and postpone my interview by a day.

During rehearsal, a small incident occurred because of props. Later, I practiced another dance routine and struggled with reversing during driving practice, which left me feeling frustrated.

Today was mostly dedicated to handling my U.S. visa application after receiving the invitation letter. I spent the afternoon taking a visa photo, completing the DS-160 form, and scheduling an appointment for the visa interview with collegues.

In the morning, I joined our team meeting on AI topics and later brainstormed presentation ideas with the PEs. After the meeting, I rushed to meet a friend for a final frisbee game before the new year.

Today mirrored yesterday—busy but still leaving important tasks unfinished.

I spent much time rehearsing, especially improving the dance routine.

At lunch, Hamer video-called me in tears because her homework got wet, and she blamed Grandma. I comforted her and helped calm her down.

In the evening, I played men’s doubles with a colleague, and we had great teamwork with many exciting rallies—the best match so far. Xiaoyan unexpectedly came home early and went straight to bed, which surprised me.

Today was stressful due to unfinished tasks, especially the uncertainty around my presentation content. After discussing the AI transformation video with a colleague, she kindly took over the task. I unexpectedly spent much of the afternoon selecting photos and planning the presentation.

In the evening, Xiaoyan and I had a quick meal and practiced a challenging dance routine for over an hour.

Surprisingly, Xiaoyan’s company granted two extra days of annual leave starting on the 25th, so I quickly booked her ticket home.

This weekend, I felt quite tired after waking up early to send Hamer and Grandma off to Hunan. Xiaoyan and I dined at the uniquely decorated Don Quixote restaurant in Guomao but found the service lacking despite the great ambiance.

I spent Sunday binge-watching Speedsters and practiced narrow-lane driving in the evening. Though my AI video for the annual meeting didn’t turn out as planned, it might bring some laughs.

I’m very grateful that my colleague offered to give me a piano and a friend’s help in organizing our insurance policies.

Today was packed with tasks. After dropping Hamer off at school for her half-day session with awards and homework, I shared Retro content at work and joined a two-hour meeting.

At noon, we rehearsed twice and spotted areas for improvement. In the afternoon, I took Hamer for a dental sealant redo, as some molars hadn’t come in yet. I also bought a Daoxiangcun gift box for Xiaoyan’s uncles.

Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to get a train ticket home, leaving me a bit stressed.

Today, I worked on my presentation but felt stuck, shifting focus to data-sharing between mobile and desktop in the afternoon.

A gym session at noon helped clear my mind. In the evening, I shopped with Hamer and enjoyed a simple dinner.

Family updates included my uncle’s scooter accident, requiring surgery and rest, and my cousin’s wedding plans being canceled, which left everyone disappointed.

Hamer has been thoroughly enjoying playing the role of our barista these past mornings, taking our coffee orders with enthusiasm.

Frozen, 2013

As kids, Elas and Anna sneak into the Great Hall to play in the winter wonderland that Elas creates. Frozen filmmakers help a “Sister Summit” in which women from across the stuido were invited to share stories of their own sisterly bonds. Their stories helped inspired Elsa and Anna’s.

Today was dedicated to product work, starting with a kick-off meeting focused on managing a tight schedule before Spring Festival. Discussions continued around the feasibility of an “S” feature, concluding it could reference previous designs.

I explored Field Maps, Survey123, and QuickCapture, gaining insights on drawing tools, GPS integration, and barcode scanning.

Xiaoyan had a reassuring hospital visit, spent the afternoon with Hamer at shopping center (Pop Land was closed).

Cars, 2006

Doc Hudson is Radiator Springs’ doctor and town judge. Doc was voiced by actor Paul Newman, a film legend who was also a race car driver.

Today began with Xiaoyan feeling unwell due to possible allergies and poor sleep.

At work, I coordinated presentation details with colleagues and participated in planning a team stage play, which brought a sense of progress despite pending refinements.

In the afternoon, I refined the desktop app’s web-to-app linking feature and submitted a PR.

The day ended on a warm note as Hamer and I practiced my dance performance together, with her keen eye helping me improve.

Beauty and the Beast, 1991

Belle refuses Gaston’s offer of marriage. She’s not in love with him, but Gaston loves Gaston enough for two. The great hunter can’t resist admiring his reflection at every opportunity. He’s a catch-he’ll be the first one to tell you!

Today, we all enjoyed sleeping in today, especially Hamer, who didn’t have to wake up early for school. After getting up, we began with a cozy family breakfast as Hamer prepared her own meal.

During a morning meeting, I stumbled through a Pipelines presentation, realizing I need to improve my speaking skills.

The afternoon was dedicated to editing and refining the year-end parth show script. Hamer spent quality time with Grandma at the park, sharing heartfelt moments.

In the evening, I explored AI video tools while Hamer and Xiaoyan filled the house with music and laughter.

Steamboat Willie, 1928

While piloting a stramboat, Mickey Mouse whistles a happy tune, amazing audiences when the cartoon permiered in 1928. For the first time, an animated character’s actions were perfectly synced to the film’s soundtrack. Mickey’s whistle made movie history.

<img src=“https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/27301/2025/img-7104.jpeg" width=“600” height=“450” alt=“Hamer included “Americano” in her drawing last night, which truly amazed me.">

Today began with a cozy breakfast made by Hamer and me. The morning was filled with quiet productivity—Hamer painted while I worked on a show script.

In the afternoon, I practiced driving but had a nerve-wracking moment narrowly avoiding a collision.

The evening brought cheerful moments as Xiaoyan and Hamer exercised together, and Hamer planned her upcoming tasks: taking Grandma on walks, studying Starfall, and completing her English exercises.

Today started with a heartfelt chat with Hamer, who decided to pause her dance lessons until after the Spring Festival.

In the morning, we watched Ratatouille at home. After lunch, we went to the cinema to see Big World. Before the movie, Hamer felt torn—she wanted to be with us but was afraid it might scare her. After the movie, we enjoyed time at the ice rink, despite a minor fall. Later in the afternoon, we got new hairstyles, and the evening brought two pieces of great news from Dad.

We ended the day with Luca playing in the background, feeling grateful yet slightly anxious about the busy weeks ahead.

Luca, 2021

Sea monsters Luca and Alberto have never eaten pasta before. They are astonished. It is delicious!

Today was Xiaoyan’s birthday, and after dinner, we celebrated with cake and a surprise violin gift. Despite some initial struggles with the new bow, we finally got it to produce sound after carefully applying rosin.

Hamer managed everything on her own, including preparing her breakfast. She only had a half-day at school today and will be on vacation. I kept up with my gym habit, albeit with a lighter routine.

Encanto, 2021

Mirable has been trying to avoid telling the village children that, unlike everyone else in her family, she does not possess a magical power, But the flower-delivery guy reveals her truth. “Gift or not gift,” Mirabel declares, “I am just as special as the rest of my family.”

Today started with a cozy family breakfast after an amusing alarm mishap. Xiaoyan continued her vegetarian plan, backed by vitamin supplements.

I spent the morning rethinking my Earth 230 Tips strategy, focusing on quality over quantity. In the afternoon, I gathered materials for the year-end party show, deciding to blend existing content instead of creating everything from scratch.

Ratatouille, 2007

Remy can’t talk to human, so Linguini can’t understand Remy’s cooking instructions. But Remy discovers that pulling on Linguini’s hair gives the rat control of Linguini’s arms. Here they are practicing their technique, and then the two get the same far-fetched idea at once: Remy will guide Linguini via his hair. This will take some practice!

Happy New Year! 🎉

I slept until noon after staying up late watching Hot Stove League. After a delicious lunch, we accompanied Xiaoyan for a facial, and I later took Hamer to the park. We chatted about our New Year plans and enjoyed rides like Extreme Transformer and Happy Swing. On the way home, I bought rice noodle rolls for dinner.

Cinderalla, 1950

As the clock strikes midnight, Cinderella runs from the palace and, in her haste, leaves behind a single glass slipper. Walt Disney was very fond of the film and its title character. “She’s a girl with a lot of spunk and imagination,” he said.

Today, I focused on drafting the Earth 230 tips but felt unsatisfied, realizing patience is key to improvement.

In the morning, Hamer independently prepared her breakfast, which made me proud. Her school held a charity sale, and though she didn’t sell anything, she happily bought items worth 70 yuan.

In the evening, our family enjoyed a delicious dinner at a Southeast Asian restaurant, ending the day on a warm and joyful note.

This morning, Hamer felt anxious about being late for school, even trembling and crying despite doing everything well. I tried to comfort her but fell short. Xiaoyan later suggested I use gentler reminders without specifying exact times. The emotional weight stayed with me throughout the day.

In the evening, I hugged Hamer, shared my reflections, and felt grateful as she listened calmly.

Today was spent entirely at home. After a late brunch and a family movie, Hamer went to Pop Mart with Xiaoyan and Dada, while I dove into The Glory and couldn’t stop watching until late night. The intense revenge theme reminded me of My Mister, leaving me deeply engrossed. I’m still surprised it took me two years to discover such a gripping series!

Today, our family visited Universal Studios. While the park had a charming atmosphere and beautiful architecture, we didn’t experience many attractions, and the early 7:30 PM closure left the day feeling incomplete. Compared to Disneyland’s magical “wow” factor, Universal fell short.

On the way home, despite the exhaustion, Xiaoyan, Dada, and Jialing’s laughter, singing, and dancing turned the journey into a delightful memory—truly a performance of “three women on one stage”!