Once again this week history proved to be quite yummy. My daughter made a pumpkin pancake recipe from this era in history. It had cornmeal and flour in them and the result had a bit more texture than what we are used to with plain flour but they were very tasty. She also got the chance to do a little grinding of corn since since we were out of cornmeal (though we cheated and used an electric mill).  We even had a great conversation about how milling would have worked during that time and the fact that grains would have typically not been as finely milled as what we are used to eating today. All in all, they were tasty and nutritious (if a bit high in sugar).

We also really enjoyed our visit with a local Christian middle school to talk about historical games. The children demonstrated ‘Graces’, ‘Hoop and Stick’, ‘Jacob’s Ladder’, ‘Cup and Ball’ and a ‘Bilbo Catcher’. This was a great experience for everyone. My children practiced their public speaking skills, showed proficiency at history by teaching it, and had the chance to dress in costume which they always enjoy. The students were able to learn about the games and  take a turn practicing with them.  These games were played for many years by children of various ages and social class. If you want to know more about some of those games check out the Youtube video on colonial games the children did last year.

We did some read alouds, including several great stories from The American Story. I think the favorite story of the week was the one in that book about the portrait of George Washington that is now on the one dollar bill. It was a funny story about how much he did not like getting his portrait made.  We did our drawings about the bill of rights to reinforce last week’s lessons.

We skipped doing our history art lessons this week in favor of doing the free Thanksgiving lessons being offered by ChalkPastel.com. We really loved the Cranberry Thanksgiving ones because it is our family’s favorite Thanksgiving book. I read the book aloud this week and then the kids have been taking turns reading it on their own and reading it to the three year old. Since I was able to get fresh cranberries today at the store we are planning on making the recipe for cranberry bread that is in the book for breakfast one day this week.

We will have a shortened school week due to Thanksgiving but we plan on focusing on Native Americans. We are going to watch some of the live stream from our North Carolina History Museum of their Native American program from Friday. We are going to enjoy a Native American meal, do an art lesson, and enjoy some reading about various Native American tribes and traditions.

Make sure you check out our recent posts about Clutter Free Christmas and Homeschool in December. If you plan on doing any homeschool or children’s shopping stay tuned for our post on Wednesday all about great deals during this holiday weekend.  We pray you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Also check our free resource library for two new Christmas freebies, Christmas Traditions and a Christmas Bucket List.

When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library

This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Christmas can be overwhelming!  Selecting presents and the budgeting that goes along with that, family trips, social obligations, church functions, trips to see Santa, lights, decorating, not to mention the deeply spiritual aspects of the holiday.

I feel that and I want Christmas to be a joyful celebration with my family, but all the ‘hustle and bustle’ plus my daughter’s birthday the first week of January often leaves us frazzled and gasping for ‘white space.’

For some, it is not knowing what to buy, and for some of us, it is the overwhelming amount of stuff and clutter that tends to come into our homes during this time. I am so grateful that so many people love our children and wish to bless them.

However, we also only have so much space, and often when there are too many toys, they don’t get played with, and they become clutter and ultimately not appreciated. In addition to taking up space, it is also harder for children to clean up when there is so much stuff.

Choosing My Response

Rather than go crazy and throw everything out (don’t tell me it hasn’t crossed your mind once or twice) or tell everyone they can only buy socks and underwear (how do they disappear so quickly), I’ve put together a list of ideas that are fun, educational, and hopefully won’t become clutter.

There are books, CDs, art supplies, and creative kits. Another idea is to see if family members are willing to work together to buy something larger like a bicycle or if grandparents would buy a family gift like a basketball goal.

Some of them are not physical items, some get used up, and some are just items that really get used and played with in our homes.  I pray that this list can help give you ideas to lessen the overwhelming clutter of this time of year and help you regain the sense of joy and peace that we wish would fill our holidays.

Share your favorite gift ideas in the comments!

Kindle and Books:

Kindle

There are many great Kindle Books to go along with this, and they take up no extra space. You can even often find free ones. Here is a link to some Christmas ones that you could preload onto the Kindle. If you don’t want to get a Kindle but still like these books you can also use the free Kindle Reader App.

Audio CDs for the Family:

• Adventures in Odyssey
• Focus on the Family Radio Theater
• Audible (with an audible subscription, your family can choose titles that interest you, and it takes up no space).
• Maestro Classics (classical music with narration and story)

Art Supplies:

• Chalk pastels
• Finger paints
• Construction paper
• Pot Holder Loom
• Art Kit
• Mosaics
• Sketch pad
• Quilting Set
• Watercolor Pencils
• Drawing Set

Experiences:

• Museum Membership
• Aquarium or Zoo membership (ours actually includes all 3 of our state aquariums and the NC Zoo)
• Movie Tickets
• Ice Skating or Roller Skating
• A Play or Symphony (Our symphony even has special performances designed to engage children)
• A Camping Trip (if you already have the gear, this is a very inexpensive way to make some great family memories)
• A Gift Certificate to a Favorite Restaurant

Magazine and Show Subscriptions:

• World Kids
• ClubHouse Magazine
• Brio
• World Watch News (My children love watching this every morning)

Legos:

(So these toys could still become clutter in our house; however, they are prized possessions and used frequently. We feel that they can be contained, well used, and worth the extra bit of room they take up.)

Lego City  (This series has some great buildings, boats, etc.)

Friends (This series is more geared towards girls with more pink and purple blocks and other ‘girly’ aspects)

Lego Architecture (These are awesome for older children. They feature smaller, more intricate designs of famous buildings. )

Lego Classic  (These are assorted blocks that can be turned into many different creations, great for using your imagination.)

Lessons:

You Are an Artist Chalk Pastel Lessons

Practice Monkeys Music Lessons

Books:

Otis series (Great for Preschool Age Children)

Chronicles of Narnia ( A family favorite)

Mandie Series ( A mystery series featuring a young girl. )

Green Ember (A great story of good versus evil, does have some scary parts that might be a bit much for sensitive readers.)

Little House on the Prairie (great for the whole family)

Gifts for Outdoor Fun:

Basketball Hoop (makes a great family gift)

Hammock Seat

Swings

Sand Toys

Razor Scooters (My children love theirs and play with them several times a week and more in good weather. )

Bicycle and don’t forget the Helmet

Kits and Subscriptions

Panda Crate (0-24 months)

Koala (3-4 years)

Kiwi (5-8)

Doodle (9-16)

Tinker (9-16)

Eureka (14+)

Bookroo (Board and Picture Book Subscription Options geared towards birth to age 6, these are adorable books that come individually wrapped and are so much fun for them to unwrap.)

Fun Education Supplies:

Pattern Blocks

My First Science Kit

Big Bag of Science

Solar Rover

Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab

Snap Circuits

Lacing Cards

For Adults

If you happen to be looking for a few clutter-free ideas for the adults in your life, then check out these options.

Fit2B memberships or courses

Adore Your Wardrobe courses

HelloFresh (This is a meal delivery service. They deliver the ingredients and the instructions for a meal ready to cook in about 30-40 minutes. They are normally very yummy and healthy. If you use this link, you can even get $40 off your first box.)

Grove Collaborative (Cute natural cleaning sets, body products, etc., and you get $10 off your first purchase using this link. )

Amazon Prime Gift Subscription (You can give the gift of Amazon Prime for 3 months or a year, including free 2-day shipping, movies, music, and more. )

Twelve Adventures

In addition to these ideas, one year, we did what we called the Twelve Christmas Adventures. We devised twelve family adventures that we could do, one each month, and gave the children a list and information about each one at Christmas. This spread the fun (and expense) throughout the year, and they really loved it. I’ll do a more detailed post about those Christmas Adventures next week because it is a post all its own.

Also, check our free resource library for two new Christmas freebies, Christmas Traditions, and a Christmas Bucket List.

When you sign up for our free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library. We are adding new things to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you updated on what we have going on.

Resource Library

This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Friday Deals and Freebies

Amazon Prime 30 day FREE trial. If you do not yet have Amazon Prime, this is a great time to try it for free for 30 days! Get your Christmas shopping done with free shipping, enjoy Christmas music, and more.

The Green Ember is only $2.99 on Kindle or Free with a KindleUnlimited Trial

$10 Sign-Up Bonus for Ibotta, and they are offering some major savings and rebates starting today. Great way to save money on the things you are already buying.

$40 off your first HelloFresh Box

Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial, and if you aren’t sure what to start with, I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.

FREE Fall in Love with Science e-book from Apologia

• 

Fondue Snack Meal (Low Prep Feasting)

” A wise discipler must make space for rest and beauty in the midst of life.”

 

There was a time in my life when I was so overwhelmed with all that had to be done that I basically ‘outlawed’ all of the beautiful things that add such depth and warmth to our lives. I said no to planting flowers, no to decorating for most holidays (except Christmas I never did give up Christmas), and no candles burning warmly. I was trying to find peace and calm in the midst of working, starting a home business, raising two children, helping with a church plant and more. Fast forward a few years and I’ve learned that while we do need to prioritize and sometimes simplify, we can have beauty without a lot of added stress.  Now we plant flower bulbs (work once and get years of enjoyment),  my daughter has made beautiful place mats that grace our table in different seasons but also wash easily and don’t add to my workload, and most days you will find flowers either in a pot on a vase on our table. That $3.99 on flowers every few weeks is well spent for all of the smiles and beauty they add to our house.  These things add beauty to our lives but don’t’ steal our peace.  (A post for another day but getting rid of things that you don’t need and don’t’ add beauty can add space and margin for those things that do add beauty.)

During that busy time when I outlawed all of those ‘extras’ I was living in survival mode. I really love Sally’s words about sustainability in the midst of life’s crazy times. What can we do in the midst of it all to bring peace and comfort to ourselves and our family? How can we live out our ideals in ways that work for the season that we are living in right now? Maybe this week that means that instead of feasting on a five course dinner you eat Chic-fil-a with a smile and a good conversation. Maybe it means that we make a large pot of soup and eat that for several meals this week. Or we utilize our crock pots to have dinner ready instead of cooking during the ‘witching’ hour. That can be particularly helpful if you have small children that tend to melt down during that time you would normally cook dinner. Spend a few minutes this week thinking of ways that you can make life sustainable for your family during this season.

The section on being prepared is a great one because it makes such an impact in our day to day lives. There was a time when I didn’t think I had time to be prepared and I was living day by day and hour by hour. However, I’ve found that a little time spent in preparation saves a lot of time later and adds a huge amount of peace and sustainability to our lives.  She used examples like keeping bread in the freezer and having cookie balls ready to be popped in the oven as needed.  She also talked about snack meals which were simple, low prep ways to feed your family on those crazy evenings when you are exhausted. It worked out well that on Friday we had our own version of a snack meal. My daughter loves fondue but my husband dislikes how long it takes to cook and eat it at home. So, we came up with a compromise that was so easy and so fun. We did cheese fondue with a tray of sliced cured meats (think don’t need to be cooked). It only took about 15 minutes of preparation and we had a tasty meal that delighted the children.

Sally talks towards the end of the chapter about “Living Well in the Midst of Life”. It is so important to remember that many seasons are going to be busy and each time brings its own challenges, whether it is the midnight feedings of a new born, the insatiable energy of a toddler, schooling and activities with an elementary school student, puberty, friends and emotions with pre-teens and teen. Each season of parenting has joys and challenges.  While it will look different in each season, we can’t wait to start living out our ideals until things slow down or things are easier. We are only promised today and we need to use the time we have to the best of our abilities. This doesn’t mean we beat ourselves up when things aren’t perfect or that we have to put five course meals on the table each night (or any night). We simply need to find and share beauty and peace in our day to day and make the most of whatever we have be that a piping hot homemade meal, chicken nuggets or trays of snacks.

“Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” Mark 6:31

I think it is comforting to remember that even Jesus and the apostles went through busy times when they felt like they didn’t have time to eat and that Jesus took them off to a quiet place to rest. We need to make our times in our homes that quiet in the midst of the busyness of life.  This week I’d like us to take these two action steps and share with us in the comments what you are trying:

• What single step can you take right now to reduce stress or make schedule more meaningful?
• Make a list of  simple ways you can create spaces of peace and beauty in your life.

I’d also like to leave you with a bit of practical help, if you are looking for recipes for cookies that can be frozen, ideas for meal planning, cake mixes you can make and keep in the pantry, or other ideas for your kitchen check out our Homeschool in the Kitchen page. We are adding links and ideas each week to make that a great resource for our kitchen.

Also check our free resource library for two new Christmas freebies, Christmas Traditions and a Christmas Bucket List. These are great ways to help plan and prepare for some simple holiday fun!

When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library

This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Schoolhouse Teachers has a great Flash Sale going on right now! This is HUGE.. This sale is a $139 BOGO! Buy one year, get one year free – so essentially, $69.50 per year! That is less than a $100 per year for curriculum for your whole household. This deal is only good through Nov. 17th so act fast!

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. * I know you are thinking that its only the beginning of November but if your house is anything like mine December will be here in the blink of an eye. A little forethought and planning now can make December a more peaceful and joyous month in your homeschool. Our first year homeschooling I had big plans for December. We were going to do all of our regular school plus tons of great holiday themed activities that I found to go along with the season. By the time Christmas arrived I was burned out, stressed out, and feeling way behind. It has taken several years to work out a plan that works for us, but one thing I learned quickly is that those holiday activities need to replace the other things rather than supplement. December is typically a busy time of year for families already and so adding even more to an already full plate is a recipe for problems. I started out with some of the easy subjects to switch out for holiday themes. First, we switch out our copywork and focus on Christmas and nativity themed verses or passages. Hymn study is another easy and powerful switch that can be made. There are so many great Christmas hymns. Not Consumed Hymn Studies is a great place to start if you are looking for easy to use ready made plans. She has some great plans Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as bundles including other hymn studies. They are very well done. Our read aloud and novel studies were another place where we could easily switch out ‘regular’ schoolwork for holiday themed work. There are so many good books. Some years I have a basketful and we just pick one when we are ready to read and some years I’ve wrapped them up and let them pick one and open it each day that we have time to read aloud. We have done novel studies independently and together as a family. I’ve included a list of books we have really enjoyed below to get you started on your basket. Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas was a book recommended to me by a friend of mine. She wrote this blog post that explains more about the book. We have used it as a part of our Bible and devotional time and found it to be simple but meaningful. Art is another one that can be an easy switch, many years I have found various Christmas crafts, made Christmas cards, and gifts during our art time. This year we are looking at using these Christmas Chalk Pastel Art Lessons to supplement our art since the children love the pastel lessons. If you have never tired these lessons be sure to check out the free Christmas Star lesson. I’m sure I’ll throw in a few crafts as well because we all enjoy spending that time together. This year we will continue with our normal math lessons for most of December since we are using a more formal curriculum. However when the children were younger and I was creating the curriculum I used December to review and brush up on skills using fun Christmas and winter themed activities. We also did fractions and other math in connection with our holiday baking. This was a great way to make math fun and memorable. I may still pull one or two fun Christmas themed math activities as a review, like this fun decimal freebie. Writing is another great area to bring in Christmas. Whether it is a natural assignment like writing Christmas cards or thank you letters or a fun printable like this Christmas story writing printable or Christmas memory journal prompts from Write Shop.  As part of the Lightem’ up activities that I talk about below we also often write letters of encouragement or appreciation to others during this time. If you are traveling during the holidays a travel journal can be a great way to save those memories and get in a little writing practice at the same time. Music is another great way to incorporate the holidays into your homeschool. We listen to a variety of music while we work and will be switching most of that over to Christmas music during December. We have a collection of CDs with Christmas music, you can also find music on Youtube or if you don’t like the ads on Youtube Amazon Prime Music Unlimited may be a good fit and they have a free 30 day trial. We also look at the composer that we are studying to see if they composed any Christmas music. For example, last year we were studying Handel so we naturally listened to and studied The Messiah. Another activity that ranks high on our list, Lightem’ Up, doesn’t actually take the place of anything but is something our whole family enjoys and that we make sure to work into our calendars ahead of time. Some of these activities can take hours and some just a few seconds as you go through your day. We pick out a list of those we want to try to do each year and get together any supplies in November so that implementing them in December is as simply as we can make it. This is a great list of ways that we can bring cheer and happiness to other people during this season. While certainly not an exhaustive list, it is a great resource for finding fun and easy ways our family can serve others. I can’t leave Legos off the list. My older two children love Legos and Proverbial Homemaker has these great challenges for them to do small Lego projects each day including a great Christmas Challenge. My three year old loves to ‘do school’ with us and needs plenty to keep his attention occupied when I’m working with the older two. I will of course be reading many good Christmas picture books, he loves singing with us, and anything crafty. However, for those times when I need him to play quietly I love the Little People Nativity. We have one at home and one in my preschool classroom at church. They are a great way for children to be able to play with the decorations without fear of breaking them and learn about the Jesus’s birth in a hands-on way. We also enjoy using pattern blocks to work on fine motor skills and these free Christmas templates are a great addition this time of year. No matter how much you want to switch out or what you want to accomplish I think it is important to have a plan. You can write it out on paper or print out one of the many free holiday planner’s available, like the one over at Proverbial Homemaker (in her freebie section). Whatever method works for your family, having that plan can take a lot of the stress out of this busy season. I also highly suggest talking as a family to work out at least part of the plan. Find out what is important to you children so that you incorporate at least some of what everyone is hoping to do and don’t spend time on things that no one thinks are important. In addition to switching things out so we are not overwhelmed I find it important to remember that it is good to take some time off and enjoy the holidays. We take several weeks off so that we can focus on Christ and on family and friends. The 12 days of Christmas used to be celebrated starting on December 25th. This means that when I get to Christmas and feel frustrated that we didn’t get a chance to make the gingerbread house or do some other fun activity we had planned, I still have almost two weeks to fit it in. I pray that you will find peace and joy in your life and your homeschool this year. I hope that these tips and resources can bless your family. If you have other ideas I’d love to have you share them in the comments.

Book List:

The Very First Christmas Legend of the Candy Cane Little Drummer Boy One Baby Jesus (Board Book) One Wintry Night Night of Las Posadas Legend of the Poinsettia Christmas Carols The Night Before Christmas ( My husband reads this aloud to our children each year.) The Best Christmas Pagent Ever The Jolly Christmas Postman An Otis Christmas ( I have not read this one, but my son loves the other books in this series and I’m purchasing it for this year. ) Tale of Three Trees (the story from Christmas to Easter)

Kindle Books (free or cheap):

If you do not have a kindle you can download the app for free and read the books on your computer or other device. A Christmas Carol Berenstain Bears Very First Christmas Twas the Night Before Christmas Itsy Bitsy Christmas ( I haven’t read this one yet but I love Max Lucado’s other books and its a great price. I think I”m going to add it to our list this year. )

Hymn Study Resources:

Not Consumed Hymn Studies (You can purchase a set with several holidays or the Christmas one.) Christmas Carol and Hymn Study Hymn Studies for Each Month (December has some great Christmas ones)

Copywork:

Winter and Christmas Copywork Christmas Scripture Copywork Christmas Carol Copywork Christmas Quotes for Copywork Christmas Carol and Hymn Copywork

Math Ideas:

Free Christmas Math Worksheets Christmas Math Games with Dice Christmas Cut and Paste Math Christmas Math Word Problems Christmas Advent Math Problems Grades 6-12 Advent Math (Primary)

Extras:

Christmas Science Ideas Cultures and Geography Christmas History

Audio Books or Stories:

Cinnamon Bear (These have become a favorite in our house and we listen to at least some of them every year. You can purchase them, use an Audible Credit, or if you are not a member click here first and get a free one month trial which will include 2 free audio books. ) Familyman Christmas Treasury The Friendly Beast March Sister Christmas (excerpts from Little Women) Best Christmas Pagent Ever

Movies:

Charlie Brown’s Christmas If You Give A Mouse A Christmas Cookie (free with Amazon Prime, if you don’t have Amazon Prime you can get a free trial here and enjoy lots of free movies and the free shipping during this busy season.

Also check our free resource library for two new Christmas freebies, Christmas Traditions and a Christmas Bucket List. These are great ways to help plan and prepare for some simple holiday fun!

When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on. Resource Library This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

 Deals and Freebies

Need a good way to organize all of these great printables and have access to them when you need them? Try a free Dropbox Plan. Amazon Prime 30 day FREE trial. If you do not yet have Amazon Prime this is a great time to try it for free for 30 days! Get your Christmas shopping done with free shipping, enjoy Christmas music and more. The Green Ember is only $2.99 on Kindle or Free with a KindleUnlimited Trial $10 Sign-Up Bonus for Ibotta and they are doing some major savings and rebates starting today. Great way to save money on the things you are already buying. Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial and if you aren’t sure what to start with I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.

One of my favorite Amazon sales, just in time for Christmas shopping! Buy 2 Get 1 Free Books!

Tuttle Twins has a great Veteran’s Day sale happening now! Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot. Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle) Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle) Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

Fun and Feasting!

³³ They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? ³⁵ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”  Luke 5:33-35 New International Version

While I think it is important for us to live life with eternity in mind, I love this reminder that part of glorifying God is enjoying those pleasures that he created for us. God created beauty and fun, food and drink, and all of life’s pleasures for us to enjoy with-in the boundaries that he set forth. I know people on both ends of the spectrum, those that seem to never enjoy anything and are always serious and somber and those that live ‘in the moment’ to such an extent that they neglect many important things in life. I think what Sally is expressing in this chapter is neither of those things but a balance of recognizing that part of life is fun and enjoyment. We can laugh and have fun while still glorifying God.

” Discipleship happens through relationships that are cultivated by listening to the needs of the moment and moving to meet those needs—even when those needs involve laughing and having fun. ” (pg. 107)

In years of serving God in a variety of roles both here and in Mexico, I found that before we could effectively minister to people we had to build some kind of relationship or meet their other needs. Sometimes that meant holding medical clinics and caring for the sick, but other times it meant bringing a soccer ball and playing with children or making crafts with them. I can tell with my own children that they are more receptive to the bigger ideals and goals when I’m also meeting their need for activity and fun or time alone with me. I have to study my children and know what they need so that I can fill their cups. Once we have that, then they are more open to the deeper things. For my daughter this means baking cookies, having tea or going out and doing a little ‘window shopping’. These things help meet her needs and leave her open to deeper conversations. My son would rather play Legos, ride bikes, or spend time playing outside. Those times aren’t wasted time, they are precious valuable times of relationship building.

 

” When you have toddlers, five minutes at the dinner table without someone drooping food or wailing over the fact they don’t like peas is a sought-after dream. A discipleship that cannot make room for the ordinary is unrealistic. ” (109)

This quote so describes some of our days. Now that two of my children are older it is better but I still have a 3 year old and a baby on the way so some days I’m still in the thick of this. I think it is important that we keep trying because little by little they start to learn. As we try, we can’t beat ourselves up when things don’t look perfect. Toddlers (at least all the ones I know) aren’t going to sit quiet and still at the table for a long theological discussion. However, we keep working and training and having family conversations so that they begin to understand what our family table looks like. For some of you right now getting in a prayer before meal time and not having any melt downs at the table is an accomplishment and that is ok. You are still loving and teaching and growing your children. As my children grow older, even though some days I’m still in the thick of it all, I can see the growth and how those times of training are paying off in relationships and table talk. Now we can often have long conversations about school or life or discipleship with the older two asking questions while we eat and fellowship (especially if I excuse the three year old once he is done eating to play quietly with a toy or make a point to let him talk about something he wants to say even if it doesn’t relate to the topic at hand.) So if you are in the period of younger children or other challenges, don’t give up. It really will pay off and be worth it in the end.

I hope that you take time this week to try Sally’s suggestion of taking 15 minutes to do something you enjoy and stop the cycle of busyness. It is so easy to feel compelled to do more and more (and sometimes those things are necessary) but even a small break can be refreshing. Tell me in the comments what you can do this week for just 15 minutes to enjoy that time and break the cycle.

I’m also looking forward to trying the Clarkson Snowballs (Russian Tea Cakes) recipe at the end of that chapter. They look easy and tasty. I think it will be fun to make them with my daughter. I just have to remember to get some pecans so that we have all the ingredients.

Also check our free resource library for two new Christmas freebies, Christmas Traditions and a Christmas Bucket List.

When you sign up for our free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library

This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.