Benya's update

Benya is doing well, dealing with the situation as well as can be expected.  Benya accepts that only one parent is around at a time these days and lets us switch out smoothly.  He certainly misses his mom, yet he gets along very well with all of the grandparents, especially grandma Lina who is heading back to Boston in the morning.  :-(  While saying good night tonight he said "Tell the lady (grandma's boss) that I am a good boy and come back soon!"

What is changing is his command of two languages.  He now switches between English and Russian quite smoothly.  Yesterday while riding in the van with my parents and speaking (constantly) in Russian, Benya noticed Shawna's car outside.  He got out of the van, ran up the front steps and yelled
"Shawna, open door!"

This morning Benya wanted to hang out with me for a few minutes by the giant stuffed bear (thank you, Usik, I think) while watching a cartoon on his iPad.  The cartoon was in English and involved a complicated plot of The Troublemakers (a gang of sharks) stealing a birthday present to ruin the birthday.  Kid noir action / crime thriller, as it were.  In English.  The part of my brain that was not asleep registered the content.  I noticed Benya watching intently and wondered how much he understands.  As if to answer my question Benya informed me in Russian:
"The sharks want to steal the birthday present!"

Clearly, Alla and I need a new kid-proof language.

On Sunday Benya got to hang out with his buddy Stasik.

Can you tell they are plotting and scheming?  9/7/14

A particular stage of a plan has been executed

Shkoda complete?

Drying off in the car, post-shkoda.

Secret after-action debrief