New Job

As most of you already know, I was offered a job last week. I'll be working for NIC or National information consortium in the Kansas office (KIC). The company contracts with states to provide internet portals for things like paying taxes or state licensing. Their biggest portal for Kansas is the http://www.kansas.gov/ website.

I'm pretty excited because the Quality Assurance Analyst position is completely new for the company so I'll be creating the processes as I go. What we implement for the team here in KS will be used for other portal teams in the 29 other states as well. I will still have my flex time and the Topeka office is very small, only 23 employees. The company has a history of promoting primarily from within which I find promising.

I had to go through 3 interviews and the final interview was by the staff only no management was in the room. They are pretty adamant about making sure the work environment does not get hostile and that means the employees have a say in who is hired. One of the meeting rooms was turned into a Wii room, yes Wii. When things get tense, employees are encouraged to go play video games or pick up one of the nerf guns and play.

Sure didn't hurt the salary and benefits package were so much better than the state could or would ever offer! Rick is upset cause he would have probably brought home more than me for once this year, but I doubt it now. Poor guy! I keep telling him I'll make him a stay at home dad yet. I will be starting on 10/16 and my office will be in the Bank of America building downtown on the 12th floor. The parking garage is part of my benefits package.

I can honestly say the change is a little heartwrenching. I love my job where I am at, as frustrating as it is at times, but there is no room for advancement. The state tends to hire from outside and the lazy state employee really does exist. I will definitely miss the team I work with and it sucks leaving now when we are so shorthanded. There are only the two of us that are experienced so we were managing the brunt of the workload as well as training the new staff. This will unfortunately put them in a bind for the time being, but I can't pass up the opportunity I have been offered either.

Cider Days Pony Rides

The kids begged to ride the ponies at Cider Days this weekend. We got a few pics of them from my phone. I need to get my camera sent in to the manufacturer to get it fixed and then hopefully it will work again!

Rock Chalk Jayhawks!

My camera battery is dying within just a few minutes of me putting a new one in, so it is hard to catch them at this when they aren't aware. Phoenix wouldn't let me get the camera rolling before he started and Alex wanted to wait forever after I did! But you can get a little idea of what they are saying. They went to the game again on Saturday so Rick could take me out for my birthday. We had a blast at Bullfrogs Live comedy club and I got breakfast in bed on Sunday morning even!

I did manage to get a single shot of the kids together in their Jayhawk t-shirts before I took them to Grandma's. We also had to stop at PTs on the way for a cup of "coffee" and a brownie. I'm glad the Asst. Manager is a friend, otherwise I'd be real poor!

The puppy on Lily's lap is Sarah. They are both getting tall. Sarah is the lover and Bear mostly wants the kids to leave him alone. He's kind of a grump with them, but is a sweetheart with adults. Go figure.

Twins' first day of school

Pre-k already. Their last year of half days before they start going to school all day long! Phoenix really wanted to start school with his sisters, but we didn't budget for 3 kids to be in school. He would have been on the young side anyway and his daddy wasn't quite ready to give up his youngest to school just yet! We are working through his tantrums every day as he really wants to join his sisters.

GO KU

The kids and Rick managed to get tickets to the first KU game of the year. I wasn't invited so I had to stay home and clean instead. Rick doesn't do cameras and mine is having some issues anyway. But I did get the one picture from them. I'm afraid this may be the only game they make it to this year, which will just break Phoenix's heart. He is such a football fan. He came home that night and crawled into bed with me, woke me up and whispered Rock Chalk Jayhawk Mommy Love you, night.