Rolling Over

At 11 weeks old, Thatcher is rolling from his back to front crushing Samantha's roll-over milestone at 3 1/2 months. I am actually not surprised by this as Thatcher seemed to enter this world lifting weights or something. He is one strong and BIG kid. I hope I am not setting them up for some sort of sibling rivalry by comparing them, it is all in good fun :)

I do have to say that Samantha's form is much better with her fancy leg kick: Samantha rolling over

And I think both kids are equally good at dancing: Samantha Dancing

And after all that work, Thatcher fell asleep in the middle of playing. Which by the way, Thatcher is a much better sleeper than Sam. But really, it's not a competition ;)

A Visit from the Fam

During the last week of March, both my parents and sister's family came to visit us in Santa Barbara. I had put off posting about it because my SISTER was SUPPOSED to send me pictures but since it is going on 2 months since their visit and I have yet to receive pictures, I am posting what I have.....

Basically we hit up all the touristy and not-so touristy places to shop, eat and see in Santa Barbara: Paseo Nuevo, Los Gallos, Starbucks, The Sea Center, Pizza Mizza, La Cumbre Plaza, Shalhoobs, IHOP, The Skate Park, Chase Palm Park, The Carousel, Yogurtland, Taffy's, State St., Butterfly Beach, The Mission, The Rose Gardens, The Harbor, The Wharf, The Beach House, Channel Islands Surf Shop, Brophy Brothers and I am sure there was more but I can't remember now :)

Sea Center

Samantha meeting her boyfriend at the Volcom Store

Little Model Lauren

Cousin Dylan and Uncle Jeff at the Skate Park

Auntie Michele, Sam and Lauren laughing at Uncle Jeff on a skateboard

Papa Ron trying out the skateboard

Papa Ron thinking he is pretty good and Uncle Jeff, not so good....

Breakfast of Champions at IHOP



Thatcher never opened his eyes once while my family was here....

Best Seafood in SB - Brophys!

Vegetarian Taco Salad

This is a very simple recipe that would be easy to make for a large crowd. I used shredded cabbage rather than lettuce and used the frozen roasted corn kernals that you can get at Trader Joe's to give it more flavor. To keep it on the lighter side I used Baked Tortilla Chips.

Adapted from Eating Well Magazine

6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Ingredients
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1 large onion, chopped
•1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
•4 large tomatoes
•1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
•1 15-ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
•1 tablespoon chili powder
•1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•1/3 cup prepared salsa
•2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
•1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
•2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
•Lime wedges for garnish

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2.Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.

3.Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing lime wedges and the remaining fresh salsa at the table.

Officially a Big Girl

Potty Training Success, FINALLY!

Samantha took to potty training really well when we started and my goal was to have her out of diapers before the new baby came. Well, basically I replaced diapers for Pull-Ups and while she could pull them up and down and go when I asked her to go, she could and would just as easily go in her pants. There were days when she would stay dry all day and then days where I think I changed as many Pull-Ups as I would have if she were in diapers.

I was finally ready (yes, it was me) to ditch the Pull-Ups. I think potty training it 25% the child and 75% the parents. You have to be ready to deal with accidents and knowing where a bathroom is at all times. It is a big commitment and even more so when you are trying to take care of a newborn.

In retrospect, I should have stopped the use of Pull-Ups A LOT sooner and I would have saved a lot of time and money. There were several times we would be driving and she would tell me she had to "go" and I would completely confuse her by telling her to just go in her pants (Pull-Ups) so that I wouldn't have to take everyone out of the car. On top of that, she would take off her underwear and put on her own Pull-Up to do a #2 rather than use the potty!

So about a month ago I made the plunge, underwear only. Two things that worked for us, being naked at home (she had no choice but to put "it" somewhere and she quickly got the point after having a few accidents) and the potty watch (a watch that plays a song every half hour reminding you to "go" or at least try). Yes, we have had our fair share of accidents, most notably on our friend's brand new two-story play structure, sorry Dani, however in Samantha's defense, her potty watch did go off :)

We've been accident-free for over a week and she no longer needs the watch. She has had success with going #1's and #2's at friend's homes, in public restrooms and when I am not around. I have also stopped constantly asking her if she has to go because the more I ask her, the more frustrated she gets. I realize that accidents are bound to still happen but I think we made it through "training" completely.

To celebrate, I took her to her first movie. We saw Babies which is a really beautiful film, (it really isn't a kids movie but rather a short documentary that follows 4 babies from different parts of the world - Sam loves babies so I thought it would keep her attention). For the most part, she did really well. She had to take a potty break mid-way through and I think by the time the sugar high was in full effect from the gigantic ICEE and box of Whoppers, it was time to make our exit. So we missed the last 20 minute's of the film but the whole experience was so much fun.

Hawaiian Turkey Burgers With Pineapple-Papaya Sauce

These are great for a summer BBQ. To mix it up a little, I grilled the pineapple slices and topped each burger with watercress. Basil would be good too.

Adapted from Health.com
Serves 4


Pineapple-Papaya Sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
3 tablespoons fresh papaya, finely diced
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce


Hawaiian Turkey Burgers

1 pound ground turkey breast
3 tablespoons unseasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 thin slices fresh pineapple (optional)
4 whole-grain hamburger rolls, toasted
4 lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices
4 thinly sliced red onion (optional)


Preparation

1. For sauce, combine all ingredients in saucepan. Cook, stirring over moderate heat until sauce boils; simmer 10 minutes.

2. Preheat grill.

3. For burgers, mix ground turkey, breadcrumbs, onion, cayenne, sugar, and 1/3 cup sauce in a bowl until just combined. Form into 4 (1-inch) patties.

4. Brush burgers with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat, turning once, about 6 minutes per side. Baste with sauce, and grill 2 minutes more; transfer to plate. If desired, grill pineapple slices 2 minutes per side; transfer to plate.

5. Place burgers on rolls, and spoon on remaining Pineapple-Papaya Sauce. Top with pineapple slice (if desired), lettuce, tomato, and onion slices (if desired).

Siblings

Holding Hands

Watching TV

Thatcher Pulls Sam's Hair

Sam Cries, Thatcher Wins

Kiss and Makeup

Thatcher at the Bar

Happiest Baby on the Block

Seared Beef Tenderloin Mini Sandwiches with Mustard-Horseradish Sauce

This recipe is meant to be an appetizer but I arranged them a little differently and we ate them as a main dish. I purposely overdid it on the horseradish when making the sauce and grated Asiago cheese over each sandwich. Not a crumb was left on anyone's plate (except for a few capers rolling around on Samantha's......she wasn't a fan of those).

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 (1 1/2-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups trimmed watercress (about 1 bunch)
1 (8-ounce) French bread baguette, cut diagonally into 16 slices
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Cover and chill.

Secure beef at 2-inch intervals with twine. Sprinkle beef with pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; cook 15 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning frequently. Let stand 15 minutes. Cut into 16 slices. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Arrange watercress evenly on bread slices. Place 1 beef slice and about 1 tablespoon chilled sauce over each bread slice. Arrange capers and cheese evenly over sauce.

Ballet

Samantha had her very first ballet lesson on Tuesday and it was ADORABLE! She had been wearing her ballet shoes all week in anticipation of the big day. I have been anticipating this day too since the day I found out I was pregnant with a girl.

It is a small class with just two other friends, Fallon and Sienna. They all did a pretty good job of following the instructor for the first half of class but towards the end the 2-year-old attention span (or lack there of) became apparent and they all seemed to be doing their own style of dance. I think all three girls could have been standing there doing nothing and us parents would have been impressed. We all snapped tons of pictures and were so proud of our little ballerina's.

Before

After!!!! My little Swan :)

Yo Gabba Gabba at the SB Zoo

On Friday we attended the Yo Gabba Gabba Dance Party at the SB Zoo. Samantha had been so excited for this event since we learned about it several months ago. She talked all about how she couldn't wait to meet the characters.

Waiting in line to meet Brobee and Plex wearing her DJ Lance glasses

I should have known that she was all talk when it came to actually meeting the characters (we haven't had much luck with the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus). When we got to the front of the line she freaked out and took off running.

She preferred the "backstage" view

Connor and Sam


The Dance Party was so much fun. The DJ played great music and Samantha danced the entire time only stopping to take a "break" to go jump in the bounce house. She basically danced and jumped for 3 hours.

Auntie La La (Laurie) showing off her excellent dancing skills

Connor and Samantha practicing what they learned from Auntie La La.....Although I think both kids got upstaged by the girl with the long red hair in jeans.

2 Month Check-Up

Thatcher had his 2 month check up on Friday and everything went great. He screamed his head off only when he got his shots which wasn't bad considering Samantha screams her head off during an entire pediatrician appointment without shots. All in all, it was a relaxing visit.

Thatcher's Stats:

Height: 23 1/2" 70%
Weight: 12.6 oz. 75%

Samantha's Stats at 2 months:

Height: 23 3/4" 90%
Weight: 11.4 oz 60%



What do you think, do they look alike?

A Date with Samantha

Last week Samantha and I had a fun date together.

We went to Color Me Mine where she got to paint a ceramic tile. Looks like she picked up some of the artistic genes from the Fallon side of the family.

The next stop was Pinkberry (she insisted on wearing her Yo Gabba Gabba DJ Lance glasses):

Then as we were making our way home we noticed that there was a dance exhibition going on at the mall. Samantha was mesmerized by the dancers and tried to join in on the routine. Samantha starts ballet tomorrow so this is a good sign that she is ready :)