Quarterly Update?

I guess it's time for an update. I guess.

Except there isn't much to report.

The kids are all well. They are all doing well in school. Asya likes K.G. Maeser and the other two like N.W.A.. Even Misha from time to time reports, "I like Mrs. Smith." Misha is doing well in his class and is the delight of his teachers. Mrs. Smith reported that he gets the giggles about a word or phrase or sound in class a lot like he does at home.

I redid Misha and Kiril's room which is now Misha and Nikolai's room. The only problem is getting those two to stay in bed when you put them down.

Irks is enjoying school. She is a star student despite all her worries about math...of course I don't see her much. If she isn't at school she is studying...or at art night...or at art night again...or studying.

Me...I just work. That's all I really do. Although I did go on the Klondike with Kiril and only got slightly popsicleized.

It's been a lot of fun watching Misha these past few months and his social abilities develop. He is expressing his wants really well. He is really good at expressing his dislikes as well. He has even picked up "I don't love you" from Boba. Baba Liza brought over from her last trip a computer animated cartoon series from Russia which is much better quality than they have had in the past. Misha loves it and asks to watch it almost every day. And he sits there and laughs hysterically at it every time. He also lets you know when he is "very, very tired." I think that phrase comes from Mom.

He transitioned to the district autism program. They changed his initial diagnosis from developmentally delayed to autism spectrum so he would qualify for the services (according to the district psychiatrist, he tests within the spectrum). This is good because the autism programs tend to have a really well-structured program that helps a lot with Misha's attention span. His canned response on what he did in school today is expanding too. He will mention some things he did instead of the traditional "I played." or "Fun" responses.

With Boba transitioning into Primary from Nursery, we figured it was time to move Misha out too. It will be interesting to see how he does this year. I know he can handle it as he goes to school full day, but will he enjoy it...or will he benefit from it. We'll see.

Haven't had much to say, that's why.

Yah, I know. I haven't blogged much. Been busy. Summer time...you know. Ira was taking ESL classes this summer, so I played Mr. Mom whilst she conjugated verbs and played around with past perfective participles or whatever they are. We've been camping a couple of times, been to Ira's friend's cabin a couple of times, but not much else.

When I started my job in March, I knew that it was going to be tough to meet my financial goals...or even keep at the level we were are when we were laid off mainly cause I had taken a 5-6% hit. We managed to bank most of my severance and also the consulting I did. But it wasn't enough. My goals are simple really: Pay the bills, pay the mortgage, pay tithing, put money away, take the wife to dinner. Not big goals. It wasn't long til I came to the understanding that something was going to have to change. So I started interviewing again. If someone wanted to torture me, all they would have to do is make me do interviews. We hates them, we does.

So about 6 weeks ago, I interviewed at a well known place in the valley. My immediate feedback from the interview was really positive. I was quite hopeful of getting an offer...and I waited. Waited. Waited. Finally my source there told me that the senior management had decided to go with the "other guy". I was disappointed but that's life. I know I do not interview well.

So time passed...so did some more interviews. A couple of weeks ago Friday, my source chatted me and told me I should be expecting some good news. And good news it was. I got an offer which was beyond my expectations and I decided to go with it. What I found was that my old work didn't want to let me go. But I kept with my decision after some internal wrestling. So off I go.

Update

So, after a couple of long months being unemployed, I finally landed. It's a well established company that has been around since the 50s. Here's a hint. It has something to do with cows. Yes, I said cows. Also banking. But not banking cows...as far as I know. I also am busy in the evenings doing contract work for one of my old company's clients that was left unhappy with the previous contractors.

Ira is as busy as ever and finally decided that home schooling was more work than she wanted to deal with, which interestingly enough coincided with me going back to work and the end of her vacation from it all. It's about time.

Misha is talking up a storm. He is learning to speak sentences instead of phrases and at school they are working on him saying things in 1st person, not 3rd person.

Boba has finally stopped getting up before 6:30, but that doesn't matter cause I get up before then anyway. While I was on a call the other day, Boba babysat Misha cause Ira had to run the kids and baba around.

Other than that life is calm. Very, very calm. And that is good.

I take the challenge!

I dunno. The hair really isn't me. To see the original: http://fourboysonegirl.blogspot.com/2011/02/you-can-be-as-pretty-as-me-challenge.html

Winter

Me in Sydney. Spent 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and 2 after consulting onsite at a client.
Me at the Opera House right outside the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Palm and Christmas trees side by side....it ain't right.

This is much better. A 3 story tree in a department store.
Went to the zoo one weekend. We thought these were fake until I saw one move.
A view of my work and hotel from the Sydney Tower. I worked in the building second from the right. I stayed in the Marriott 6th from the right, bordering Hyde Park.
A view from work out upon Sydney Central over Hyde Park. The opera house is the two white triangles poking out left of middle.
The deadliest snakes on Earth.
And Dory, maybe. But I can't remember.
I came home to cold, snow, layoffs, Christmas and the inevitable Russian New Year's Party.
Dasha lying around on the job instead of sledding.
Ira and Misha sure had fun.

Long overdue update

Since it seems I will be having a load of free time on my hands in the near future, and considering I have been remiss in blogging the last while, it seems like a good time catch up. So what's been happening you ask? Well:

Asya turned 11. People in our new ward call her "Lee" (that's what she told them her name was when we moved in. It catches me off guard every time.

Ira and I went camping by ourselves and Ira made me go "plain air" painting. I won't show you my painting. I am hoping it was destroyed.
We had our 3rd(?) annual Harding Family Reunion at Heber Valley. Ira had the kids doing all sorts of projects like sculpting and boat making.

Good thing the boys were around to save us all from the big, ole' scary...

...chipmunk.

We also had several picnics, hikes, etc...

Misha turned 5 and really likes riding his new bike. See how he smiles?!?

Blowing out his cake.
And our annual trek to the zoo
And our annual Turkey Trot to Thanksgiving Rock in Dry Canyon...
And I spent a month in Sydney. I'll try to find the pictures (I took two different camera's on the trips so the SD cards are in different places.)