Here’s this week’s update from The Grace-Filled Life.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Mary-Ann

This Week on TGFL

• Spreading the Feast: Nourishing Your Homeschooler’s Body and Soul – In this article, I share all about our favourite Monday routine, one that gathers us together, sets the tone for the week, and helps my little ones learn.

This Week in the Outdoors

At the beginning of the week, temperatures soared to 15 degrees Celsius, a beautiful thaw. Two days later, schools and many workplaces were shut down and everything covered in ice. It has been a rollercoaster, but I’m always glad when we have a reprieve from the bitter cold.

This Week in Books

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Children’s Books

When the rain outside freezes on impact, coating everything with a treacherous layer of crystal, there is nothing cozier than grabbing a pile of thick blankets and settling in for a read-aloud. This week, we read:

• The Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum – We finished off this beautiful book about Holland during the Second World War.
• Twenty and Ten by Claire Hutchet Bishop – This is a fictional story about a school in France that hides ten Jewish children from the Nazis. It’s a shorter chapter book but absolutely wonderful.
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo – After reading several books about war, we needed something a little different, so we turned to our favourite author and she did not disappoint.

Adult Books

• Better Together by Pam Barnhill – I’m continuing to work my way through Pam Barnhill’s book on how to build family relationships through Morning Time.
• The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie – With practically every page I turn, my library hold list grows. Sarah MacKenzie does a wonderful job teaching parents the importance of connecting with children through read-alouds.
• SPQR by Mary Beard – My husband is reading this award-winning history of ancient Rome.

Homeschool Highlights

 

Although schools were closed for two days this week, we took advantage of the bad weather to get some extra work done. It’s one of the blessings of homeschooling. During the winter, we work a harder so that when it warms up we can take advantage of as many blossom-filled spring days as possible.

The girls learned their upper times tables in two half hour sessions with the DVD Times Tales. I couldn’t believe it! I do think this DVD is one of the best investments we’ve ever made.

We’ve added one really exciting subject into our homeschool, and the beautiful sweetness of this change is weaving its way into the fabric of our family culture. I’ll be sharing all about it on the blog later this week, so stay tuned!

Snippets from Around the Web

Looking for some extra inspiration? Here are some wonderful articles from around the web:

• When We Fail Our Children (and we will) (Not the Former Things) – If you ever wonder if God made a mistake when He made you a mother because you can’t help but make a million mistakes trying to be a mother, this article is for you.
• All I Hear is Boo (Proverbs 31 Ministries) – Every wife needs to read this article. It’s so thought-provoking!
• This is How Sand Looks Magnified Up to 300 Times (Educate, Inspire, Change) – For any other nature study/science enthusiasts out there, this is absolutely incredible!
• Why Studying Evidence of the Flood is Important in Your Homeschool (Grace Grow Edify) – A wonderful review of the book Do You See What I See? High Altitude Evidence of the Worldwide Flood.

Don’t forget to check out The Grace-Filled Life Facebook page. It’s your one-stop spot for encouragement, inspiration and laughs throughout the week. You can also find TGFL on Pinterest and Instagram.