Foster2Forever

Archives for December 2015

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Sweet As Pie Adoption Party

I love celebrating adoption! It’s a time to celebrate finally becoming a forever family!  I’m not adopting this year, but here is an idea for a “Sweet as Pie” adoption party.

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I’ve only had the excitement of adopting boys, so,  I like to dream up ideas for adoption parties for sweet baby girls. (If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that we have a baby girl and her mommy with us now – so I’m getting my baby girl fix.)

Sweet as Pie Adoption Party

First and foremost, a sweet as pie party theme, must be all about the pie.  These small individual mini pies by Mr Kipling stay looking great on display and are easy to serve for any shower, party or celebration.

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To decorate the refreshment table for your Sweet as Pie adoption party, begin with cute baby clothes, baby toys, and/or baby supplies. For an easy but cute DIY fruit centerpiece to go with your pies, write individual letters to the word “SWEET” on apples by pushing whole cloves into the apples into the shape of the letters.

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And of course, serve pie!

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You can get these premium, quality pies from Mr Kipling for a short time at Texas Walmarts.   Mr Kipling makes their fruit pies (apple, cherry, fruit) with real fruit pieces, and all Mr Kipling pies contain no trans fat.

And don’t worry, chocoholics, Mr Kipling makes this incredible Mississippi Mud pie and “exceedingly good” as it states on the box is an understatement. So delicious! 

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Mr Kipling pies will be available in Walmart stores in Texas only for a limited about of time – once they are sold out, they are all gone!

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But even though Mr Kipling pies won’t be around long, FAMILY IS FOREVER! Congratulations to all the forever families created this year through the miracle of adoption!

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.
All opinions are mine alone. #TryThePie #CollectiveBias

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My Weekend of Parenting a Traumatized Child

Weekends are the worst! That’s when my traumatized child acts out the most. My guess is that it’s the lack of structure on the weekends that causes the meltdowns.  Predictability (as in schedules and routines) helps a child feel safe in the world.  And weekends aren’t always the same and can be quite unpredictable.

Adoption Trauma

Parenting a traumatized child isn’t easy. It’s parenting turned inside out. As a “trauma mama,” I parent a lot differently than I ever thought parents should.  Because my traumatized child needs to know that I will meet his needs (which are “wants” many times),  I say “yes” to my child as much as possible.  It’s about building trust – a trust he didn’t experience in his early life.  This helpless baby never knew when he was going to be fed, and he needs to learn that he can trust his parents to meet his needs.

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But like anything in parenting, I don’t know if I’m doing this trauma parenting right.  I feel I’m walking this fine-line tightrope trying to balance meeting the needs of my traumatized child so that he knows he can fully rely on me and trust me. But contrasting that trust, is that I worry that I am being too permissive as a parent so that my child won’t have boundaries in his relationships and will constantly push others to meet his “needs/wants” and become “entitled”.

Because of the high potential for meltdowns on the weekends, I can be quite permissive and allow my child to get away with so much more — just to reduce the stress of meltdowns in our home.

But then Monday comes, and I wonder “Was I a good parent this weekend?” “Did I give in too much?” “Am I spoiling my child?” On Monday, I’m full of self-doubt in my parenting abilities. But I’ve got to stop judging myself against the impossible standard of being the “perfect” parent.

I’m happy to be partnering with Similac to end judgment (even against ourselves) and unite to support other parents.  Especially on Monday, after a weekend of loosening the rules to just make it through. I can’t be the only parent…am I?

tantrums-#unitemonday“So, I let him cry it out. For 15 minutes. In the middle of the playground. Don’t judge me. (And I won’t judge…”   Posted on Similac US Facebook page 

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How to Have Date Night with Kids

One of the most frustrating parts of being foster parents is that we rarely get to have a date night.  With all the stress that comes with parenting traumatized children, we NEED time together.   But due to regulations for foster homes and our child’s sometimes behavior issues, we can’t just leave our kids with anyone.

So we have to think outside the box.  We can have “date nights” at lunch while the kids are in school.

But now we can bring the kids along on “date night.”

How to have Date Night with Kids

Our kids love going to Austin’s Park & Pizza — they can play video arcade games, laser tag, putt-putt, or ride go-carts and rides.  And hubby and I can visit without constantly nagging our rambunctious boys to sit down. 

#familyfun @austinsparkandpizza!!! #fun4feedback @ausparknpizza A photo posted by Penelope Webster (@foster2forever) on

First #rollercoaster ride!!! @austinsparkandpizza #fun4feedback @ausparknpizza

A video posted by Penelope Webster (@foster2forever) on


We like Austin’s Park & Pizza because it’s free for our family to enter!  With al a carte pricing, we only have to pay for what we want to do or eat.  We usually just purchase full-park passes for the kids and then just the pizza buffet for us.

But now with a new renovation,  Austin’s Park & Pizza has opened a full-service bar & grill (called Austin’s Bar & Grill) and new bowling lanes.  So now there’s something for everyone – including couples, like us, looking for a unique date night experience, even with the kids.  Perfect for a family like ours that struggles to find child care.

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My child has the “W-sit”

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The boys can play in the arcade while we eat a nice dinner. Win win!

Austin’s Bar & Grill has a new grill menu by including gluten free, organic and fresh local farm-to-market items. Check out this Organic Chicken, Kale & Spinach Salad I ordered.

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How’s that for thinking outside the box for date night ideas? What date night ideas work for your family? Let me know on Facebook!

Disclosure: I was provided full-park passes to Austin’s Park & Pizza for me and the kids. (My hubby had to go out of town for a family emergency.)  But we love to come here regardless. My son insists on coming here for his birthday each year.

 

 

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