This was the cake I made for Caitlyn’s 10th birthday party. It was a rough day with tornado watches/warnings, lots of wind, and power outages. We needed a little something to brighten our day when the weather was so gloomy. Continue reading “Sunflower Pull-Apart Cake”
What is a Weenie Roast you may wonder? Well, a church that we went to in NC would have a Weenie Roast every Fall. They had a small fire and the men would go find some nice twigs for the kids to use to roast their hot dogs and marshmallows on. It was something we always looked forward to and we love the memories that we have from those times.
My older kids wanted to recreate those memories for the younger ones so we have a Weenie Roast set to repeat on the meal schedule. Of course we also include a Weenie Roast as a camping activity. If the weather is nice I may even let the kids camp in the back yard.
We just plan it like a cookout or BBQ. We will have hot dogs, chips, potato salad, and whatever sides anyone else wants to bring or make. It is not meant to be anything fancy, just a little break to sit and relax around a fire and to make memories. I love the way a wood fire smells and that alone can trigger some wonderful memories for myself.
Those are the kinds of memories that I want my kids to have and I find that I have to be intentional in my planning of some things. If not, life gets in the way and things get so busy and hectic that I don’t feel I have time. By having it on the calendar I can plan for it and be ready for some FUN!
Here are some ideas that I have found online that can help you to make your own Weenie Roast, if you like.
This is another favorite from the Real Mom Cookbook. I have included the link to the original recipe as well as we have changed the recipe a little bit.
My kids like this with Cheesey Potatoes, Cole Slaw, and some rolls. The leftovers are delicious when used for Sweet Pork Quesadillas. Continue reading “Laura’s Sweet Pork”
This is a great way to use up any frozen pumpkin you may have in the freezer. You don’t have frozen pumpkin? Am I the only one with an overabundance of frozen pumpkin? Don’t answer that, please. If you don’t have the frozen you can use canned pumpkin.
I have also added the instructions for a crumb topping which is optional. My kids love muffins, especially Cinnamon muffins, so I add this to them to keep them happy. Continue reading “Pumpkin Muffins”
I think everyone knows by now that I have a special needs child. He is 14 years old. Where has time gone? He can be the sweetest most loving child on most days. On other days he can be the most irritating and annoying child on the planet. He will test your patience to the limits and then some. So life can be a little crazy here especially when it comes to the toilet paper!
We quickly learned that routines were a must! He thrives on routines and schedules. He likes to know what is to be expected and when to expect it. He does not, I repeat DOES NOT, like changes. As we all know there are many changes in life and especially with this many people in our house things are constantly changing.
So what do we do? How do we handle the changes? How do we keep our sanity?
Well, we have our basic routines. We have routines for mornings, for afternoons, and for bedtimes. We also have our school routines and certain routines that we follow for extra activities. We try our best to stick to these as much as possible and give him something ‘constant’ that he can count on. By trying to keep things as normal as possible, even when we are away from the house, it helps him to stay balanced.
When there are changes we know to keep an extra eye out for him and they way he acts. He will usually give some kind of warning behaviors before he hits complete melt down stage. His older siblings have learned some of these signs are able to help me intercept when needed. We can redirect his attention and focus onto something that doesn’t upset him or we can try to explain what is going on to him depending on the situation.
There are times, like the holidays, when meltdowns are almost inevitable. We try to watch and listen for clues that one is approaching but sometimes a melt down will come out of nowhere. Once we get him through it then all is well again until the next time. The younger kids have learned that this just part of life. They know to give him space and to give him some quiet time so he can calm down and unwind. They have developed and understanding and show a lot of empathy towards him when he is struggling.
Some of the warning signs are in the picture above. I had not made it into the bathroom to do my morning Swish & Swipe and apparently the toilet paper was on the ‘wrong way’ and which was enough to send him over the edge a couple of days ago. He then proceeded to shred the toilet paper all over the bathroom, unfold all of the towels, and turn everything around backwards. Why? I don’t really understand why but I’m sure it made sense to him in some way.
After spending a few minutes in the bathroom he came out and went to his room and shut the door. This wasn’t normal and when I opened the door he was folding his socks and lining them up. He just kept saying something about ‘the wrong way’. It wasn’t long before someone found the mess in the bathroom.
After this event his older sister had me show her how to ‘properly’ fold the towels so that she can help to put them away right. She also had me show her a couple of other ‘tricks’ to cleaning and tidying up the bathroom to help keep it the ‘right way’. She is also displaying empathy towards him and towards me by trying to help with this.
Being a Momma of many can be tough. There are some days that are tougher than others. This day was no exception but I also know it could’ve been worse if we didn’t have our routines in place to help him. By helping him we are also helping each other. When one family member is struggling it causes the rest of us to struggle as well.
Something as little as the toilet paper roll can trigger a meltdown which can lead to a ‘bad day’. I know there are so many people who argue about what the right way is for the toilet paper. In our house it is the picture on the left, no exceptions!
I encourage you to look for things that you can do to help others in your house, no arguing about what is the right way or the wrong way, just do it.
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