New home

We've moved. From Pasadena to north Glendale, so not far, but a move nonetheless. Lots of boxes. More stuff than we thought we had.
The highlights of the new place are this: it's a HOUSE and it has a YARD! We've already suppliied the patio with a new grill and patio furniture (happy birthday to Ryan). And this past week we've eaten more meals outside on the patio than inside in our diningroom, so it's clear we are enjoying being outside as a family.
I'm working hard to adjust as quickly as possible. As my mother in law has reminded me, "a family is as happy and content as the mom is". Very, very true.
The other fun detail about this new place is that despite being considered a three bedroom (because even a sliver of a closet makes a room a bedroom apparently), the kids are still going to share a room and we are using the extra room as a playroom/office. The windows look out to the backyard, so I can pay bills, catch up on emails, and even peek around the corner from the kitchen if the kids are playing outside in the yard (which is newly fenced-in). I'm enjoying this too because Dylan needs a LOT of outside time everyday and now I can continue to get things done in the house and keep track of him during Addie's naps. Win-win.
Pictures haven't gotten put up on the walls and there are a few nagging boxes of stuff that shouldn't be tossed into the garage but has no real place inside yet. We are still working on those, but overall it's beginning to feel more like home. And that is what is important.

The Good, Bad and Ugly

The Good:
My son is amazing. He sat still (and I mean STILL) for about 10 minutes during a belt ceremony today at Taekwondo, earning himself a sticker from Master Johnny and some praise words to "look at Dylan - do you see how still he's sitting! He hasn't even moved!"
My jaw dropped. How could it be that MY son, the ever-moving, ever-active boy was the one who sat the most still in TKD sitting, earning the praise of his teacher. I'm so proud. I'm beaming. Beaming.
And now the cat is out of the bag; I KNOW what he's capable of.

The Bad and Ugly:
After class, on our way home, I got a call from Ryan asking me to come straight home. He said that our neighbor was hijacked at gunpoint right out of her garage just two doors down from our unit and the police had just arrived to take statements. Forensics arrived to collect a screwdriver that was found outside on our front porch which probably wasn't related, but collected just to be sure. The victim got home right after I left with the kids for Dylan's class. It was a woman. It could easily have been any of us.
Certainly it shook us up and now we are thinking a few things over...

Now for a little video showing Dylan's progress with his Taekwondo class to cheer us all up:

Hardwood Floors

The floors have been installed. And while this meant a lot of extra work for us to clean up the dusty mess covering the entire downstairs, we are VERY excited. And today I bought myself the Swivel Sweeper to celebrate (and clean, of course). Dylan brought out his toy mower and helped me clean the floors, copying my every move around the living room.

Still Here

Yes, we are still here. Just a busy week (hardwood flooring getting installed and Ryan working like a mad-scientist with long hours each day). Hopefully things will slow down soon and we'll be able to produce a proper post again.
Ryan had his 29th birthday on Wednesday and we celebrated with his favorite meal and cake (Dylan helped and even added the sprinkles at the end!) and a few small gifts (wrapped in Thomas the Tank Engine wrapping paper - as it was all I had besides Christmas paper and Dylan was pretty excited about that!)
The flooring will be done today sometime and I'll get to clean off the 1/4 inch thick dust that currently lives on everything downstairs including my napkins, salt and pepper shakers, phone, stove, and bananas. I'm sure to be busy tonight and most of the weekend (neat-freak emerges).
The latest obsession of mine has been what to use to clean the new hardwood flooring. That, and how I'll get the smell of body odor out of my downstairs once the guys leave today! (any suggestions?)
My dear friend Rochelle (who started up the Stroller Strides in our area) is moving away next week and I'm fighting thinking about that, so being busy helps.
And I promise to post new pictures soon.