Michelle Smiles

Teaching my children to question authority, except mine.

Happy 4th!

July4

We are about 1/2 through summer vacation here. I’m ready to start counting the days until school starts. I’m having fun with the girls but their constant bickering is driving me crazy. They talk constantly. I answer 1,343,564 questions a day. And the eating. Holy cow, the eating! Where to they put it all? They are constantly saying “I’m still hungry!” I’ve tried discussing the difference between hungry and not being stuffed or being bored but they just look at me blankly and say “We are still hungry.” So, I got a brilliant idea from a friend. Snack baskets. I put all of the food (outside of reasonably sized breakfast and lunch and dinner) that they can have in the day in a basket in the frig. They may eat what they want, when they want. But when it is gone, it is gone.

IMG_0260

 

A couple of types of fruit, some nuts, yogurt, hard boiled egg, and a granola bar. I vary it every day. I try to do some veggies but no one is ever hungry enough to eat them. Sometimes, they spend all morning just eating it all and then have nothing for the afternoon but they’ve learned there are no refills. They seem to like the control it gives them. I like forbidding the phrase “I’m still hungry” from being uttered in my house.

Sabrina spent a week at day camp. That was a great break for all of us from the bickering. But can I just say she looks way too old/big in this photo from the last day? The growing up needs to stop now.

IMG_0282

 

Otherwise, we’ve had a low key summer. It has been unusually cool and rainy here in TN so very little pool time. They took some swim lessons at our local rec center but they were pretty worthless and the girls didn’t really learn much. We have made it to the zoo twice which is surprising because it is usually way too hot for zoo trips in July. The girls are excited beyond belief about our annual family beach vacation which is coming up later this month. We’ve been counting down the days.

Last year, the fourth festivities were cancelled due to dry conditions – the cities around us banned fireworks because of fire concerns. This year it has been raining for over 24 hours. But at least the rain let up a little to let us have a little low key fun with sparklers and smoke bombs. The girls declared it the best ever.

IMG_0310

 

IMG_0322

 

IMG_0328

 

Seriously – look how green that grass is. It is usually brown and crunchy this time of year. But it has been so moderate and so rainy that we could mow every 4 or 5 days.

posted under family
5 Comments to

“Happy 4th!”

  1. On July 8th, 2013 at 5:50 pm Julie P Says:

    That snack basket is more food than Ally eats in a whole day! Seems like a great idea.
    Hope you gave a great time in NC.

  2. On August 28th, 2013 at 7:52 pm Tonja Says:

    Your basket of food for the day? Genius. I love it.

  3. On April 29th, 2014 at 10:43 pm best hcg drops Says:

    Individuals seeking permanent weight loss should look for a holistic approach that involves eating
    nutritious whole foods, regular moderate exercise, unprocessed
    foods in their most natural state, and foods free of
    chemicals and foods high in GMOs. Please visit for more information and
    to get started. Yipiz offers a money-back guarantee for HCG Slim users if users aren’t able to lose 1-2 pounds
    a day. There are three different types of fat found in the body.
    t sufficient as you need to follow it strictly to get the
    desired result.

    My weblog … best hcg drops

  4. On May 15th, 2014 at 4:05 am Boca Raton CPA Supplies Plus Says:

    This will make your details simple and easy so that employer can go through
    it at first instance. In a photography business in particular, here are a number of items that are assets to be
    listed for your business. As an Accountant with an MBA Degree in you will be able to use your skills to analyze a company.

    My web site: Boca Raton CPA Supplies Plus

  5. On May 17th, 2014 at 2:08 pm copper repipe Pompano beach Fl Says:

    Bowser’s World really kicks my butt every time I play it.

    If a warranty is available, understand what is covered, whether it is transferable
    and how it is to be kept in force. This is one of the professional
    training courses that attract people from all journeys regardless of any background.
    In the same way, wall paper also attracts humidity and it is better not to wallpaper walls to prevent mold and mildews.
    To become a professional trainer you need to undergo a proper training.
    Even this further gets subdivided into plumbers who provide these services in commercial and then residential buildings accordingly.
    It is important to note that advertising carries specific rules.
    Their expertise keeps them in demand and you may find that
    they are not easy to hire straight away. Aggregation of the
    required information to assemble the tax return will assist the year end preparation work.
    In fact, most of us especially the housewives are helpless when it comes to repairing even just the simplest of plumbing fixtures such as a dripping faucet.

    Feel free to surf to my web page copper repipe Pompano beach Fl