right around the corner...

Wednesday is the last day of school for the girls

part of me says

"uh oh!"

but mostly I'm getting excited

I have to be more creative with my girls with getting work things done

but after the first week of them home

I'll get a schedule down

and it is always great!

Bobby has a little surprise for the girls on their last day of school

I am so excited he made it happen

and can't wait to see their cute little faces with the excitement

Today was water day for Madison at school

so they had to wear their swim suit under their clothes

she was so excited because everytime we pass the pool on my run in the neighborhood...

she asks me

"Is it summer yet?"
"The pool is still empty!"

"Not quite sweetie..."

but she was just thrilled today to put on that swim suit the first time this season

granted Daddy is already having heart attacks that she is in a two-piece

if you recall

Madison did not have a two-piece until her Auntie Monica purchased one for her

last summer

it was so very fun to play a joke on Daddy with it

because he freaks out about the two-piece issue already

so he said he was not spending money on a two-piece

 Monica gave him a good laugh

at the big family "C" weekend at the lake that is every summer

Aunt Monica gifted Madison with one cute two-piece

and once you give a little girl {or any child for that matter} a gift...

there is no taking it back

I knew it was happening and was so excited about it

because we all couldn't wait for Bobby to get a bit in a hussie
because he is being silly about such a little thing

this morning...

I e-mailed Bobby a quick picture of Madison in her swim suit this morning

{he obviously didn't know it was water day at school}

I got the "ummm....Martha"

"that's cute and all but why is she in it...?"

It made him laugh in the end because he knows it is not something to seriously get bent out of shape about...

I think it is hard for him to have little girls because he doesn't like to think about all that comes with them getting older

I very calmy told him

"a 4 year-old in a two-piece...that's nothin' honey to what is ahead of us!"

he knows that

He always ends up laughing about it

and I surely laugh at him getting his feathers a little russled.

the picture of Madison was so darn cute!

she was so excited

Summer here we come
{or so I say now}

I'm hoping it will be a bit easier to take the girls to the pool this year

with Hayley a bit older

I really and seriously want to freeze time with them and always keep them this age

actually...with a bit of honesty

I'll wait to freeze Hayley until she is out of the "No" stage...

or out of the

"I'm not going to bed with a dirty look towards us" stage...

I'm looking forward to some water fun

picnic lunches at the pool

Daddy's BBQ with his two little helpers

and a yard full of flowers {hopefully} and fun!

thank you all for the love you give to me:)

Oh and we made one of our favorites over the weekend...

super yummy recipe I thought I would share:)

It's one of Bobby's favorites

Morrocan Chili and 10,000 Grains of Sand

recipe by Rachel Ray

{I always wonder if pictures that show meat actually gross people out...you just never know}

Ingredients

{yes there are a lot...but once you make it once...you have all the staple spices for next time}

2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds of lean ground beef  {I buy the 96/4}

{the recipe actually says to use lamb...but we choose not to eat lamb...and yes to answer some questions...one of the few times I eat ground beef}

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 bay leaf

1 large onion chopped {I prefer white...it's just what I buy}

1 green bell pepper chopped {and seeded}

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 lemon zested and juiced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 14 ounze can of tomato sauce {we used a 15 ounze can...hubby likes is saucier:)

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups chicken stock {I use water}

handful of golden raisins...yes golden!!

4 apricots chopped

1 1/2 cups couscous

3 to 4 Tablespoons pine nuts {we often omit this because we forget}

a handful of fresh parsley leaves

a handful of fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons of chopped chives

8 pita breads, cut into wedges for scooping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the skillet with the EVOO, add meat and brown. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika. Add the bay leaf, onion, and bell pepper, and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft ~ around 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and zest, worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce. Stir and reduce heat to simmer.

Bring butter and water or the chicken stock to a boil. Add the dried raisins, apricots, and couscous. Stir and then turn off heat and set lid in place. Let stand for five minutes and add the herbs and nuts if you prefer.

Toast pita wedges in hot oven or under broiler. Pile chili in bowls and top with "sand" and serve with pita wedges...Bobby actually likes the sand underneath the chili so he can mix it!

A Little Side:

And as a side for veggies we sauteed some cucumbers in olive oil....
add some salt and pepper
Cover for 5 minutes...take off the lid and flip and cook for another 5 minutes...
Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese...the recipe we got from our parents on the veggie said 2 to 4 tablespoons but we add a bit extra:)

it seriously feels like a Thursday to me...
but obviously not...I think I just need this rain to go away!