Who is the Baby?

If I would have known that Thatcher's baby toys would be such a hit with Samantha, I would have brought them out sooner.

Lollipop just wants to be saved from both kids.

Filet Mignon with Port and Mustard Sauce

This sauce is delicious and very easy to make. It was a perfect combination of sweet and tangy. The recipe calls for Port (I didn't have any) so I used a Red Zinfandel. I think next time I will add mushrooms too. Served with a side of horseradish and a green salad, perfect for entertaining guests.

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) filet mignon steaks, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup port or other sweet red wine
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Add steaks to pan; cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan; cover and keep warm.

2. Add port and shallots to pan. Cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in broth; cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 1 minute). Remove from heat; stir in mustard. Serve steaks with sauce.

5 Year Anniversary

Todd and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary over the weekend and took a getaway to Palm Springs.

The hottest it got while we were there was 115 degrees. Honestly, we couldn't tell the difference between 90 degrees and 115, it is definitely hot, but nothing we couldn't handle (especially since we rarely left the pool). I also found it to be a welcome change from the COLD, GLOOMY weather we have had this summer in Santa Barbara.


We stayed at the Ingleside Inn, a small boutique hotel right near everything. It was clean, quiet, charming and the service was excellent.

Taking a break from reading "People" Magazine to peruse the lunch menu.

It is the off-season in Palm Springs and only 3 other rooms in the 3o room hotel were booked. We had the entire pool area to ourselves the first day.

We found a baby at the pool.

Oh wait, that is Thatcher. He couldn't stand to be without us ;) Samantha got to stay with Grandma and Poppy Robinson (Thanks Mom and Dad)!

Passed out after a long (and HOT) day at the pool

Dinner at Las Casuelas Terraza

Sony Bono and I

Getting ready for Day 2 at the pool

Thatcher had his first taste of food, honeydew!

Dinner at Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro

Thatcher anticipating a bite of pizza. Honeydew yes, Pizza not yet...

Window shopping for some Palm Springs fashions

The Piano Bar at Melvyn's where the average age was probably 95, maybe older.

Thatcher couldn't keep up with any of the senior citizens

We had a lot of laughs, relaxed and can't wait to go back. Thatcher was an excellent tag-a-long and Samantha was spoiled rotten by the grandparents. It's a win for everyone!

The Worm

Thatcher isn't crawling yet but he is doing whatever he can to get around.

I sped up this video (it actually took him 2 minutes to get the toy) because he took several breaks to examine (eat) the carpet.

More Ballet

I enrolled Samantha in the summer dance program at Gustafson Dance. It is a little more structured/strict than the last program (dress code requirement of pink leotard, pink tights and hair pulled back) and parents are only allowed to observe the first and last class. Samantha did really well and loved having her friends Fallon, Isabella and Reese in her class.

Boris

My family thinks Thatcher looks like a little Russian Baby. They kept calling him "Boris". I sound ridiculous in this video but apparently speaking Russian makes Thatcher laugh. And the only Russian I know is my Russian friend Anya Chernyshova's name, which probably doesn't technically count as speaking Russian....

Summer Trip to Colorado

The kids and I took a trip to Lone Tree, Colorado (which is about 20 miles south of downtown Denver) to see my sister and her family while Todd stayed behind to work on our kitchen remodel (yes, we STILL haven't' finished our house). I was happy to leave the June Gloom in Santa Barbara that spilled over into July and be in the fresh air of the Rockies and warm, sunny weather. We spent most of our time outdoors at the pool, parks, tennis courts, bbq'ing and riding around the neighborhood in their golf cart.

Flying with a baby and toddler is easy when....

Your parents are on the same flight. Thanks Mom and Dad for the trip! :)

Samantha had a blast with her cousins, Lauren and Dylan.

My dad (Sam calls him Poppy)

Gambling Grandma with Thatcher (surprise surprise, Grandma hit up a casino in Colorado while we were there and won)

Off to the pool

Our chauffeur for the week

Thatcher was an excellent traveler and took a lot of naps on the go

Max

High School Musical 3 has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen