Monday Mornings...

So after my husband gave me crap about how boring my blog is…with just random sparse updates…so I have decided to try to step it up a notch.  I have recently started reading two other blogs that make me crack up (Baby Rabies and HowToBeADad.com).  Some people do a great job of highlighting the hilarious parts of everyday life, and these two blogs definitely make the list.  Hopefully I can at least come close. 

Today at work, the speech writer that everyone despises is finally moving downstairs to another office…thank god.  This means we are moving…ugh.  I will now be the person in the front…as if I have nothing to do and can just sit around and entertain people.  And it means Corinna gets the actual office…which I knew would happen, but I am still completely jealous.  In any case, life at the zoo continues.

On another note, Tristan has decided that she no longer wants to spend weekends with us because she wants to spend more time with her mom.  Which works for us, it’s what we wanted anyway, but I have to say that it definitely hurt a little bit since we have done so much for her over the last year.  I guess this season has come to an end and it’s time to focus on Hailey and Parker. 

Speaking of the little man…yesterday was Parker’s first sick day and boy was it awesome.  I know that sounds really bad, but it was great to just cuddle all day – after I cleaned up the puke in my bed.  He was feeling a lot better by the evening, and by bath time he was splashing around like crazy…back to his usual self.  The girls and Mike were playing in the front yard and I came out with Parker so that Mike could hold him for a bit.  As I walked away he started screaming and regardless of what Mike says, I am convinced he said ‘mama.’  It was awesome.  We think he might be teething…which is not so awesome. 

And now it’s back to Monday morning…

1 week down...

Happy Halloween…but first…

Its been a full week back to work…I survived.  It was a very bittersweet return, as it was really nice to be productive and busy all day, but I sure did miss my boys.  It would really hit me when I would get home and a get to play with Parker how much I truly missed him all day.  Pumping has been successful so far, and I am hoping to keep it up until he hits at least 6 months. 

Last night we carved pumpkins.  It was great, Mike and I were of course ridiculously competitive, but in the end my pumpkin won unanimously.  [pictures to come].  We also got our new golden retriever puppy, which we have lovingly named Rose, because she really was the best Golden Girl.  We picked her up Saturday night and let her get used to the house and Chocolate and Parker.  Then when the girls came over on Sunday for pumpkin carving, we had a scavenger hunt throughout the house set up to find her.  The girls loved the hunt and loved the puppy even more.  When Hailey finally realized it was a puppy, it was so cute.  She ran screaming across the front yard, “it’s a puppy!! It’s a puppy!!”  So that was their first (and very early) Christmas present. 

Tonight we are going over to Dennis and Gloria’s for trick or treating and to meet Catherine’s new boyfriend.  Hailey is going to be a spa princess, Tristan a ballerina and Parker a little baby skeleton.  Super cute…

I will post pictures of everything tomorrow.

Solvang and my return to work

So last weekend we went to Solvang with my parents and had a great time. It was fun and relaxing to walk around the small city window shopping; we went on a great hike up to a beautiful waterfall and we went to Ostrich Land and fed some huge birds :) it was so much fun and a nice retreat before my return to work.

That being said, today I went back to work for the first time since July. I was really anxious this morning about going back and how things would be and how bad I would miss mike and Parker. But overall things went well. I'm definitely going to be busy.

Here's some pictures from Solvang:

Parkers 1st pictures

So we got parker's first pictures taken on Tuesday at Picture People, and boy do they have a racket going. It's highway robbery if you want the high-res digital images, but of course as it was his first time we bought them. So cute!! He wasn't the most cooperative he's ever been but it wasn't too bad. Here's a few of the best ones and a link to them all:

P90X

So I have started working out again, P90X, and have actually stuck with it so far (5 days, which may not seem like much, but it's better than nothing). My body is so sore but overall I feel really good. I am excited to get fit and healthy again.

Back again

So once again I am going to try out this whole blogging thing. It's been over a year since I really put any effort into it, and even then I really didn't try that hard.

So a quick snapshot of the last year:
• we got pregnant and Parker James Cates was born on August 23, 2011 at 12:19am weighing 7lbs 10ozs and measuring 19.5in long.
• when once we had five dogs (dozer, tank, chocolate, buddy and maddy) we are now down to one (chocolate) and life is all the more relaxing for it
• the girls are now attending public school and in GATE classes
• we now have Tristan 50% time
• Mike has started a pool business and will no longer be with Pacific Monarch come mid October; I am still at UCR
• I went back to (almost) black

That pretty much sums up the major points of the last year. The last month (yes Parker turned 1 month yesterday) has been a very exciting adventure with Baby Cates. I can't believe how time flies. He is doing very well; he sleeps like a pro, eats like a hippo and smiles like an angel. What more could a mommy ask for?

The girls are adjusting well to their new school. Hailey is back on meds (we had some issues before, but things are back to normal now); the specialist switched her from vyvance to aderol and she has made the transition without any problems. It has been amazing and saddening to see the differences between riverside Christian day school and her public school: rcds has obviously not updated their curriculum to reflect California state standards in at least 20 years.

We have been working to remodel the back room and trying to get a renter - preferably a student that goes to RCC - to have a little extra income. We will see how that goes.

So here's a few pictures