Today started early with Hamer waking up and making a simple but satisfying breakfast for us. After breakfast, we exercised together, running and playing agility games until noon. On our way back, we bought ingredients for noodles, and Hamer proudly cooked her own lunch, enjoying every bite.

In the afternoon, Hamer resisted going to her dance class. After some persuasion—both gentle and stern—she reluctantly agreed. After her class, Xiaoyan picked her up, and we went to the mall as promised. There was a small argument over where to eat, but eventually, we settled on an American restaurant. The relaxed atmosphere, a good meal, and arcade games helped everyone recover their good spirits. Hamer declared, “Today was such a happy day!” which made all the small struggles worth it.

By evening, Hamer was exhausted, falling asleep in the scooter on the way home. I, too, felt tired, but as I recalled the day’s small yet warm moments, a sense of contentment filled me.

This morning, Hamer woke up early, climbed into my bed, and asked if she could start getting ready. I encouraged her to decide, and she got ready efficiently, finishing by 7:20. We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise on our way to school, arriving at 7:25, likely the earliest.

After dropping her off, I practiced English, focusing on connected speech. During my commute, I listened to Circle Around’s A World of Music podcast, which lifted my mood, and I even joined in making sounds along with the music.

Work was focused on the G feature playback. In the morning, I worked on reflecting recorded data accurately, and in the afternoon, tackled pause issues. We devised two solutions, including a simplified version of my initial idea, but by 9 PM, I still had unresolved issues and decided to continue next week.

At home, Hamer was calm and relaxed. She had experimented with flour and makeup, washed dishes, and used the gas stove. We trimmed her nails, shared a snack, and read until she fell asleep.

Xiaoyan has had early flights for three days in a row and will be back tomorrow. I hope she can rest well.

Xiaoyan woke up early, and I went back to sleep, not getting up until Siri reminded me at 7 AM. Xiaoyan had already left by then.

Hamer woke up later, worried about being late for school, but after a quick time check, she felt reassured and we arrived at 7:39.

After dropping Hamer off, I read a chapter of Positive Discipline and practiced English. Over breakfast, I listened to All Songs Considered’s Thanksgiving special, which set a warm mood all the way to work.

At home, I treated myself to a chicken leg as a Thanksgiving treat. Hamer had already eaten out with Grandma, so I made instant noodles and helped her with her homework.

I spent the day optimizing the G feature, addressing small issues with icons, crashes, and unit tests. A colleague and I resolved a serious playback issue and agreed to fix it before the final RC.

During lunch, I did a five-part workout: dumbbell incline press, incline curls, RFESS, pull-ups, and crunches with leg raises. I felt exhausted but refreshed afterward, ready for the afternoon.

In the morning, Hamer got ready mostly on her own, and we arrived at school before the gates opened. Her independence filled me with pride.

After breakfast, I resumed my English practice. On the way to work, I listened to two podcasts: one on parents’ emotions affecting kids, and another about a girl practicing violin, reminding me of Xiaoyan’s wish to learn it.

At work, I addressed issues with the G feature, adding a DispatcherTimer for smoother transitions and adjusting path recording. The results were good, but my time management needs work.

I got home late, and Hamer called about our shopping plans. She and Grandma argued about her riding her bike. I encouraged her to work it out, but she wanted me to help. When she saw Xiaoyan, she burst into tears, but was soon comforted.

On the way to Hema, Hamer was upset about not riding her bike, but Xiaoyan suggested a shared bike, which cheered her up. We took turns holding it steady as she pedaled.

At Hema, we stuck to our shopping rules: no chips and staying under 150 yuan. We ended up at 151 yuan, a small “splurge”, and went home happy.

Beijing has been freezing lately. Riding my scooter felt like the wind was slashing at my face. After badminton, the cold cut straight to the bone. I considered buying a helmet but couldn’t decide between a scooter helmet or a motorcycle one, so I chose to sleep on it. That night, the first snow of the season quietly fell over Beijing.

Work focused on code review and addressing feedback. The PM flagged some serious issues with a detailed video showing real-world scenarios. I spent the day reproducing and resolving the problems. Although time-consuming, the process was rewarding.

In the morning, Xiaoyan took Hamer to school—we’ve been alternating this task these two weeks. After getting up, I made breakfast, tidied up, and read a few pages of a book. Xiaoyan teased me, “Pretending to be literary?” We laughed as she did her makeup. When she heard a Korean song playing, she said, “We should visit Korea since you’re so into K-culture!” Later, she noticed Hamer’s dirty socks still lying on the mat. I had picked them up earlier but absent-mindedly put them back down. She stared at them, wide-eyed, then burst into laughter, saying, “So it’s true—when people are speechless, they really do laugh!”

At noon, I read Positive Discipline and reflected on its sections about “natural consequences” and “logical consequences.” It explained the value of letting children experience the outcomes of their actions or collaboratively developing solutions instead of using punishment. This gave me new insight into how I could guide Hamer more effectively. I had planned to read this section with her, but we both ended up busy.

This morning, Hamer snuggled into bed, and I enjoyed the peaceful warmth. After dropping her off, I felt calm, a feeling that lingered from finishing my journal last night.

Reflecting on how to guide Hamer, I picked up Positive Discipline. Xiaoyan and I had discussed her unkind behavior toward friends. I considered punishment but felt uneasy, so I decided on a positive conversation instead.

That evening, we talked. I shared my thoughts, and she listened. We agreed on key ideas: respect others, take space when needed, and repair relationships with actions like a note or hug. Afterwards, Hamer eagerly wrote an apology letter, decorated it, and seemed at ease.

Work was light today. I addressed feedback on the G feature and summarized key points on System.IO.Pipelines. Xiaoyan took the day off and picked up Hamer. I also decided to keep my journal concise for privacy and sustainability.

I woke up relatively early this morning, and Hamer and I headed to the small square, full of excitement to continue our training. The weather was noticeably cooler than yesterday, but our enthusiasm remained undiminished. We started with agility ladder drills, ran two laps, and played badminton for a while. Just then, Hamer’s classmate arrived. My original plan was to replicate yesterday’s activities: practicing the agility ladder, then playing tennis, and finishing with the ring toss game. However, Hamer seemed to lose interest in the agility ladder. She felt she had practiced enough and didn’t want to continue.

I insisted on sticking to the plan and tried to persuade her to join. At first, she resisted; then, she ignored me entirely, focusing instead on setting up the props for the ring toss game. While I was practicing with her classmate, I noticed Hamer arranging the materials for the ring toss. Deliberately, I told her, “Even if you get it ready, we’re not going to play it right now.” Hamer probably felt ignored, and her frustration boiled over—she burst into tears out of anger. My patience wasn’t great either. Instead of comforting her, I criticized her behavior. Hamer, now even angrier, directed her frustration at her classmate, saying some hurtful things. What had started as a cheerful morning ended in an unpleasant fallout. Frustrated, we hastily packed up and went home.

On the way back, I felt sorry for Hamer’s classmate and saddened by the conflict. Deep down, I realized the situation wasn’t entirely her fault; I bore some responsibility too. I had approached the activity as a structured training session, trying to recreate yesterday’s joy, while Hamer saw it as playtime. By forcing my plan on her, I had ignored her feelings.

When we got home, Xiaoyan was awake, and Hamer ran to her, tearfully recounting what had happened. This led to a family discussion. While we emphasized that it was wrong for Hamer to say hurtful things to her friend, I also admitted my fault in not planning the activity well or communicating my ideas with her beforehand.

After emotions had settled, Hamer turned to drawing. She made a card expressing her love for her mom and, close to noon, handed me a small piece of paper with a mini apology letter written on it. Reading her letter, I felt touched and reflective. I realized I had been too eager to replicate yesterday’s happiness and had unintentionally ruined the moment. Life often works that way—when we try too hard to force joy, we lose its essence. Sometimes, letting things unfold naturally yields better results.

For lunch, I planned to reheat the braised noodles with green beans from the night before but accidentally turned the heat too high, burning them. With the noodles ruined, Xiaoyan stepped in to save the day by quickly whipping up plain noodles. Hamer and I tried to help, but we only managed to create more chaos. Surprisingly, Xiaoyan’s noodles turned out delicious, and both Hamer and I devoured two big bowls. Grandma, however, found them a bit bland and ate only a small portion.

In the afternoon, our family visited the Beijing Science Center’s Children’s Playground for the first time. Hamer was thrilled and quickly captivated by the science-themed toys and exhibits. The center was enormous, with the children’s area spanning three floors. It was well-designed, catering to children’s interests while introducing scientific concepts in fun and interactive ways. We marveled at the place, remarking, “With a free facility like this, who needs amusement parks?” We stayed from 1:30 until the center closed at 4:20, leaving reluctantly. On the way home, Hamer kept saying how much she wanted to come back.

During the ride back, we debated whether to eat out or dine at home and eventually decided on Domino’s Pizza. After dinner, we returned home relatively early. After washing up, Hamer climbed into bed and fell asleep quickly, looking content and happy. We tidied up a bit and went to bed early as well, wrapping up an eventful yet fulfilling day.