Category: Parenting

Making Memories: An Afternoon Tea Time Menu Ideas

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

We want to create special memories, and my kids enjoy having tea time. Shyanne didn’t understand the concept of a make-believe tea time for a good while, but she likes having the real thing. We like to try out different teas, and we have been growing some of our own herbs for teas.

You can cut the regular sandwiches into small shapes for ‘finger sandwiches’ and make or buy a variety of cookies, cakes, and other treats. Check out our Hobbit-Inspired Menu for some ideas.

The conversation should be positive and productive, and it can help teach proper social interactions. Set the table with some pretty dishes and cups… maybe even buy some that are special for this event.

Getting ready for the event shouldn’t be complicated, and everything doesn’t need to be homemade… if you make it too hard, you won’t enjoy it, and you will be less likely to repeat it.

Let the kids help plan the menu and themes, and have them help prepare the treats. HAVE FUN!

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Special Needs Resources: Cerebral Palsy Toolkit

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Recently, I came across a glitch on the blog that had caused the requests put through on my ‘Contact’ form to not be delivered to my email anymore. I found several questions and requests. I have made a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page to hopefully answer some of those. One of the requests was to post this special resource.

Finding out that you are expecting can be one of the most exciting times of your life, but it can also be very scary. We know from experience that things can be downright terrifying, especially when faced with the knowledge that your child may have special needs.

Our youngest daughter, Shyanne, was born with multiple diagnoses and health conditions. Before she was even born, the odds were stacked against her. The doctors never expected us to make it through the pregnancy, and things got very scary towards the end when both of our lives were at risk.

It felt like someone had taken our life and made a HUGE jigsaw puzzle out of it, then added some extra pieces in there that had to fit. Every time we thought we were making progress, someone would come along and mix it all up again or ‘find’ a couple more pieces that needed to go in. Her story was complicated, and no one knew what the big picture would even look like… but God did!

He helped us through that very emotional time, and even though we couldn’t figure out how we were going to make it all work, HE gave us a sense of peace. We had to hand it over to HIM and HE put the pieces in place… one at a time, to create a BEAUTIFUL masterpiece that we could have never imagined.

HE made a way when we couldn’t see one, and we have witnessed miracle after miracle in our daily lives… That is why we created her blog:

Sweet Shyanne: The little girl who could

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Comfort Foods for Cold Weather Cravings

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I don’t know what it is about the cooler weather that makes me want a bowl of something hot, but I sure have been wanting some here lately… I usually have my cup of coffee in the morning, and then the weather warms up through the day, so my craving fades.

I wanted to gather our favorites here in one post so I can find them a little easier and share them with you… just in case you have those same cravings! These are also the perfect ‘comfort foods’ for sick days or times when you just feel a little down. There are a lot of chicken recipes, but that’s probably because our bodies crave the healing properties that come from broths, which we use a lot in different recipes.

Beverages

Dandy Morning Coffee

Ms. Shirley’s Hot Apple Cider

The Best Hot Cocoa

Susie’s Sweet Tea – we like to drink it warm in the winter, or we will make single-serve cups of herbal teas!

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A Hobbit Day Celebration with Pictures

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Our first Hobbit Day went well even though we had to postpone it once. We had planned to start with Breakfast at 7:00 on Saturday but we had overnight guests and a late night so it ended up being more like 7:45ish.

“Good morning! I’m not quite sure what you mean,” said Bilbo, “but my meaning was that I wish you a good morning, or rather, that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?” – Bilbo Baggins

Mr. Awesome got up early and put some meat on the smoker. He put a couple of lamb quarters on too as those would be used for the pot roast later on.

Hobbit Day Menu Plan

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5th Saturday Weenie Roast: A Memorable Family Tradition

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

Some of our favorite memories from North Carolina were from the 5th Saturday Weenie Roasts that our church would have. It was so much fun to gather ’round an open fire and roast hot dogs (and marshmallows). The kids all played until they couldn’t play anymore, and everyone feasted on the potluck dishes that were brought. It was definitely a time of fellowship that we will cherish forever in our hearts.

We haven’t found anything similar to that here, but I was determined to keep that tradition alive so we would have our own version of 5th Saturdays at home. Sometimes friends and family will join in, but sometimes it is just us, and that’s ok.

An added benefit is that you and your kiddos will get comfortable cooking on an open fire, and that could come in handy during an emergency or power outage!

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