Susie is a slightly crazy, homeschooling, gardening, square dancing Momma with a houseful of babies (10 to be exact), and a whole lot of Jesus. She gave birth to seven of those babies (and she has the stretch marks and scars to prove it) and then God chose her to be Momma to three more who she refers to as her 'Unexpected Blessings'. Having a large family means she has heard just about all of the large family jokes... you know like 'You know how that happens, right', or 'Don't you have a TV?'. Many people believe that she must be related to Mother Teresa but she insists she isn't anywhere close to a Saint although she does appreciate as many prayers as she can get sent her way. Even though four of her babies have flown the coop, her life stays really busy. Most days start out early with a cup of her favorite Dandy Morning Coffee and a quick Trim Healthy Mama breakfast before the kids get up and the crazy starts. She looks at every day as an adventure where the unexpected keeps her on her toes. In the rare moment that she finds a little quiet time, you can usually find her snuggled up with a good book, browsing a thrift store, sewing a new outfit, piddling in the greenhouse or garden, or getting a little 'Pin Happy' with To-Do projects on Pinterest. She is extremely passionate about her family, cooking, being a keeper of the home, gardening, and square dancing. She is also on a mission to help others to make healthier changes in their lives, one family at a time. She strives to live by the Proverbs 31 model but she also acknowledges that she is not perfect and is just a sinner saved by grace. Pollywog’s Place Blog began as a way to share her family's journey with family and friends as they've gone through so many life changes. After getting so many questions about parenting, homeschooling, gardening, and recipe requests she realized that she could really use her blog as a way to help others out there who may be struggling with their roles as a mother, especially the single mothers who may feel like they are all alone on their journey. This blog has become a journal of sorts and a way for her to help inspire and provide encouragement to others. She enjoys looking back over old posts to see how far they have come and to motivate her when times seem tough. On Pollywog’s Place Blog, she talks about their life's journey through the adoption process, how their faith in God got them through some difficult and challenging times, as well as the many ups and downs they have faced with a large family and special needs (ADHD, ODD, and Down's Syndrome to name a few). Susie also shares the products that they use in their home as well as tips and tricks that she uses to keep her family running as smoothly and efficiently as possible with some gardening and video tours sprinkled in. Do you ever feel like your juggling so many things that you can't think straight? She has often felt the same way but has come up with some simple routines and schedules that help everyone to stay on track and I think they just might help you too! Under the 'Keeper of the Home' tab, you can find various tips, tricks, and hints to get your house up and running on autopilot. That's not been such an easy task for them since they downsized to a 600 ft square cabin but somehow they make it work and she loves sharing some of the helpful tips and tricks that they've learned along the way. One question they get a lot is about how they feed this army. It's not always an easy task and trying to eat healthily can get quite expensive so she is always looking for ways to save money and stick to their grocery budget. Under the 'Mama’s Recipe Box' section they have a ton of their favorite recipes like Daddy Can't Wait Casserole, Hoe Cakes (one of the most viewed posts on the blog), freezer cooking, and meal plans along with their family's 'Trim Healthy Mama' plan ideas and successes. If you haven't heard of the 'Trim Healthy Mama' plan you should definitely check it out today! Sometimes eating healthy does mean she spends a little extra on groceries so she finds other areas to cut expenses. One way they have found is with their cleaning supplies and health products. She has always been concerned about the chemicals (Did you know that the average household contains about 62 toxic chemicals?) and toxins that are in many household cleaners so she tries to use more natural and cost effective ways to clean. Susie has been homeschooling for several years now and although she does not consider herself to be an expert but she has found a variety of products and services that have helped to make their homeschooling journey a unique experience. You can find links to these products under the 'Homeschool' tab. Susie and her kids have had a ton of fun reading through the Little House on the Prairie series and she has posted some of the unit studies that they have put together for the different books. The family has been trying to incorporate some of the old fashioned morals and values into their everyday lives. As if juggling kids, home, and a home business weren't enough, the family also enjoys square dancing twice a week or more. Mr. Awesome and his dad happen to be the only father/son caller duo in Florida and are pretty well known in these parts. She also manages a couple of other facebook and blog pages for a couple of the local square dance clubs. The 'Kirby's Korner' tab is where they post links to their square dancing activities which is one of the things they do as a family. Susie loves to dress up in her fancy dance outfits and thinks the fluffier the petticoat the better. She also loves to take selfies of her various square dance outfits and share them with others. Did I mention that she met Mr. Awesome through square dancing? You'll have to poke around the blog to see if you can find that story somewhere. If you just want to find a list of the affiliate/referral programs that the family works with you can click on the 'Affiliate Links' tab. These links help to support their blog, their family, and their homeschooling mission at no extra cost to you. If you like to chuckle about the crazy things kids do or the crazy things they do on a daily basis then you really should follow their blog. They also have accounts on Facebook (@kirbyskabinblog and @susieschemfreezone) as well as on Instagram (@kirbyzkorner and @susieschemfreezone). They have been posting to YouTube as well so be sure to check that out. In July of 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Susie and Shane welcomed their youngest daughter, Shyanne, into the family. Shyanne has a dual diagnosis of Down Syndrome and Dandy-Walker Malformation w/hydrocephalus. She has gained many followers and supporters from around the world who have joined together to be prayer warriors for this special little girl. You can read more about her under ‘Sweet Shyanne’.
This time of year seems to be a little busier for us, so I thought it might be helpful if I just got all my special meals and recipes gathered for the month. I checked the menu plan and have made a list of the holidays that we want to celebrate.
If you haven’t seen our Perpetual Meal Plans yet, then you really need to check them out, as they have all kinds of special and unique holidays listed. Now is the time to start making your bucket list for Fall things, if you haven’t already.
If you homeschool more than one child, you know that teaching the lessons is only part of the job. There are also grades to record, attendance to track, lessons to organize, records to keep…and somehow we’re supposed to remember where we put all of it.
I can see all my students at a glance! I can also see any assignments that are overdue or need to be graded!
With five children homeschooling, I’ve learned that having a good system behind the scenes makes such a difference. One of the tools I use to keep everything organized is Homeschool Manager. I still keep my notebook too, but it may become a thing of the past with the new upgrades they have made to the program!
Drag & Drop tasks make it easy to adjust our schedule at a moment’s notice.
I can keep track of our lessons, grades, volunteer hours, book lists, and attendance all in one place instead of trying to piece everything together from notebooks, planners, and spreadsheets. And as my children get older, I especially appreciate being able to create report cards and transcripts from the records I’m already keeping. Your kiddos can even check off tasks independently, if that is something you want them to do!
I can generate reports with just a click of a button– no STRESS!
That means I’m not sitting down years later trying to remember what we did, when we did it, or what grade someone earned. I’m also not keeping piles of paperwork to collect dust. I also use the app to keep a note of upcoming appointments and events that we may need to adjust our schedule for… so nice to have everything in one spot!
Homeschool Manager has also recently made some upgrades, and I’ve really enjoyed how much more efficient and user-friendly it has become. When you’re managing several children at different ages and grade levels, anything that simplifies the administrative side of homeschooling gives you more time for what actually matters—teaching your children and enjoying the life you’re building together.
I love the freedom and flexibility of homeschooling, but I also want to know that I’m keeping good records along the way. Having one place where I can organize the practical side of our homeschool gives me a little more peace of mind and a lot less paper clutter.
Over 12 years of records in one spot!
If you’re homeschooling multiple children—or you have a child approaching the high school years and you’re starting to think, “Wait…how am I going to make a transcript out of all of this?”—this may be a tool worth looking into.
Transcripts are so easy! I’ve graduated two homeschooled kiddos and used these … the colleges loved them!
Because our homeschool days may be full of books, projects, garden lessons, field trips, life skills, and plenty of beautiful chaos…but our records don’t have to be.
Homeschooling is about so much more than checking boxes—but having the boxes organized sure does help.
I pray that this helps someone else on their homeschool journey.
There are some things we can fix with our own hands.
We can mend a broken fence, replenish tired soil, prune an overgrown plant, and tend a struggling garden back to health.
But we cannot force another person’s heart to change.
Estrangement from a child, parent, sibling, other family member, or dear friend carries a unique kind of grief. We may long for another conversation, another chance to listen, an opportunity to apologize, or simply an open door where there has been silence.
Sometimes, after we have done all we know to do, the only thing left is to place that person into God’s hands.
That is why I created 31 Days of Prayer for Estranged Family & Friends: A Journey of Surrender, Healing, Forgiveness & Restoration.
Pip: Welcome back to Pollywog’s Place, where the questions are personal, the faith is real, and the waiting rooms of the heart are fully furnished.
Mara: Susie at Pollywog’s Place Blog has been sitting with the book of Ruth — and what comes out of that is a meditation on faith, longing, and the kind of character that actually holds up over time. Let’s start with what she’s really asking when she asks where her Boaz is.
Would The Real Boaz Please Stand Up?
Pip: The book of Ruth is a love story, but this post uses it as a lens for something more immediate — what does it actually look like to wait for a partner with integrity, and what does that waiting cost you in the meantime?
Mara: The post grounds that question in something concrete. Writing about the man she hopes to find, she says: “He would want to guard my heart and wipe my tears, not be the cause for them.”
Pip: That line earns its weight. It comes after a pattern of meeting men who seemed to carry those qualities and then didn’t — the false front drops, trust gets broken, and old wounds resurface. The standard isn’t wealth or status; it’s whether a person’s character holds when no one’s performing.
Mara: Right, and she’s explicit that she’s not asking about occupation or income. The traits she names — integrity, genuine kindness, giving without expectation, the willingness to lead — map directly onto how Boaz behaves in the text. He notices Ruth, protects her, and acts without being asked.
Pip: What makes the post land, though, is that she turns the same scrutiny on herself. The prayer list isn’t just for him — it’s equally long for her own becoming.
Mara: She puts it plainly: “I also try to pray that God will shape me and mold me into the person that my Boaz will need me to be.” That symmetry matters. She’s not waiting passively; she’s actively trying to become someone ready for what she’s asking for.
Pip: And she’s not searching, either — not in the conventional sense. The posture is trust that placement is God’s work, not hers. Which takes a particular kind of patience when rejection has already done its damage.
Mara: She names that directly — feelings of rejection creeping in from past hurts, the difficulty of trusting after someone has used her vulnerabilities against her. The faith isn’t naive; it’s chosen in full view of the cost.
Pip: Waiting with eyes open. That’s the harder version.
Mara: And the one she’s committed to.
Pip: Faith as an active posture, not a passive one — that’s the thread running through all of this.
Mara: It’s a distinction worth sitting with. More from Pollywog’s Place next time.
I’ve already found my ‘Boaz’, but I hope this encourages you, if you are still looking!
Pip: Welcome back to Pollywog’s Place — where the school year starts before the garden does, and the curriculum list is longer than most grocery runs.
Mara: Susie at Pollywog’s Place Blog has been putting together a full 2026-2027 homeschool plan — curriculum, daily schedule, free resources, and a daily routine that runs from morning chores straight through to bedtime.
Pip: Let’s start with how that plan actually comes together.
Our 2026-2027 Homeschool Curriculum, Schedule, and Daily Routine
Mara: The post opens with a real tension that a lot of homeschool families face — the pull to take a full summer break versus the cost of losing momentum. The question is how you plan a year that’s flexible enough to breathe but structured enough to stick.
Pip: And the answer here involves keeping the calendar moving even when the garden and life are calling. The post is direct about why: “I know from past experience that this doesn’t go well and that it takes FOREVER to get a couple of the kids back into the school routine.”
Mara: That’s the practical upshot — a lighter daily structure year-round buys more flexibility at holidays, around new grandbabies, and during the stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas, without the restart penalty.
Pip: The philosophical backbone is Charlotte Mason, which shapes how subjects are approached — narration, copywork, dictation, living books rather than textbooks. Math remains the outlier; the post notes a couple of kids still resist it, and progress there is slower.
Mara: Free resources are woven throughout. Under the Home Homeschool provides reading and language arts lessons. Old Fashioned Education and Plain and Not So Plain both offer free printable lesson plans across grade levels. The post names all three as starting points before any paid materials come up.
Pip: There’s also a youngest student here — Shyanne, who has Down Syndrome and Dandy Walker Malformation and is doing Kindergarten and first-grade level work with a Montessori curriculum alongside the family’s group lessons. The post notes she has already completed Easy Peasy All-in-One Preschool and jumped into McGuffey Readers ahead of schedule, which the post describes as “miraculous.”
Mara: The daily schedule itself runs from 7:30 in the morning through a 9 p.m. bedtime, with school anchored between 8:30 and noon. Morning circle covers the pledge, prayers, memory work, current events, and music before formal subjects begin. Fridays shift entirely to life skills — cooking, animal care, gardening, or job shadowing.
Pip: Subjects rotate on a loop schedule so nothing falls permanently behind during a busy week — odd days and even days each carry a different subject set, and whatever gets skipped moves to the top of the next matching day.
Mara: The post also covers the practical infrastructure: a portfolio notebook replacing the old binder system, backpacks for each child to keep materials off the dining table, and an all-in-one printer for reusing books across multiple kids to keep costs down. The Homeschool Manager app handles record-keeping and grade tracking.
Pip: For families who need financial help with materials, the post points to state scholarship programs — including a special needs scholarship Shyanne was approved for — and reminds readers that libraries, thrift books, and local buy-sell groups can fill most gaps before any purchase is necessary.
Mara: It’s a genuinely comprehensive plan, and the through-line is that structure and flexibility aren’t opposites here — the loop schedule and the life-skills day are both built into the same routine.
Pip: The real thread across all of this is that a working homeschool year isn’t built once — it’s rebuilt every summer, adjusted every day.
Mara: And next time, more from Pollywog’s Place on what that looks like as the year actually unfolds.
Pollywog's Place Blog 