Did another year just fly by?

Paige turned nine this year and started fourth grade. She has grown into such a mature, responsible older sister. On the swim team, she continues to make big splashes, rarely missing any practice. While the sport has been very rewarding for her, she stays grounded, humble, and always keeps it fun with her friends. It has been a joy watching her dive headfirst into a sport she loves so much.

Preston started first grade, joined the swim team, completed his very first swim meet, and promptly retired from competitive swimming (impressively doing all of this within just a few months!). He didn't miss a beat and quickly swapped the pool for the badminton court, now training weekly at Bintang (future Cal Badminton star??). Off the court, his mind is just as active, with his passion for reading, building, and solving puzzles continuing to thrive.

We spent a few weeks in Taiwan this summer to immerse ourselves in the local culture and incredible food. Beyond enjoying quality family time, the kids gained a real appreciation for the need of learning Chinese. They also discovered rice noodles (麵線) are their absolute favorite street food.

Janice picked swimming back up to stay active and to share a fun common hobby with Paige. Meanwhile, Brian has been spending more time at home helping the kids through math, reading, and writing. It is equal parts hard work and hair-pulling, but at the end of the day, we feel deeply fortunate for all the quality time together and oppportunity to watch our kids grow.

這樣就又一年了？

沛言今年滿九歲，也升上了小學四年級。她是一位非常懂事、有責任感的大姊姊。在游泳隊裡，她繼續游出亮眼成績，幾乎從不缺席任何練習。這項運動帶給她滿滿的成就感，但她依然保持謙虛踏實，總是和朋友們一起享受當中的樂趣。看著她全心投入自己熱愛的運動，我們也替她感到無比快樂。

柏語升上了小學一年級、加入了游泳隊、參加了他的第一場游泳比賽，隨後迅速宣佈從競技游泳界「退休」（能在這麼短的時間內完成這一切，弟弟實在令人佩服！）。而且他完全沒停下腳步，很快就從泳池轉戰羽球場，現在每週都在 Bintang 接受訓練（難道我們家要出一個未來的 Cal 羽球巨星了？？）。球場之外，他的大腦也同樣高速運轉，對閱讀、組裝模型和解謎益智遊戲的熱情依然絲毫不減。

今年夏天，我們在台灣度過了幾個星期，沉浸在當地的文化與美味佳餚中。除了享受溫馨的家庭時光，孩子們也深刻體會到了學習中文的重要性。更重要的是，他們還發現了麵線是他們最愛的夜市小吃！

Janice 也重新開始游泳，既能保持運動，又能和沛言擁有共同的興趣。同時，Brian 投入更多時間在家輔導孩子們的數學、閱讀與寫作。雖然過程中有汗水也有淚水（還有抓狂的時刻），但每當一天結束，我們都為能有這些陪伴孩子成長的寶貴時光而感到非常幸運。