Papa Please Get The Moon For Me - Eric Carle

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...I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has love has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality.

Martin Luther King, Jr. 16 August 1967

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The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. Isaiah 9:2

Christmas Tangrams

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Here is a really fun idea at Almost Unschoolers suggested by my friend at E.W. Spider. A huge set of tangrams to tell the Christmas story. This could be a fun project for those days before Christmas that are all too short for mothers and long for children. Thanks Tanja!

O Antiphones

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Antiphons are sentences from scripture that are sung or recited.  Some sentences from scripture that have come to be known as the "O Antiphons" are part of the Catholic tradition.  These sentences are recited the seven days preceding Christmas Eve, Dec. 17-23.  What is special about these sentences is that each one is a title for the coming Messiah.  They are, O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel.  Each one is explained in depth on this site.

This year we will be spending some time during these seven days reflecting on these titles that appeared in the prophecy of Isaiah.  We might add some fun to it by having some O Antiphon coins that I linked to in my previous post.  We may also use this booklet.

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Perhaps you'd like to do the same or maybe you already do. There are also printable ornaments that are part of a Jesse Tree set here and more activities here.  You can hear them chanted in Latin here.  I'd love to hear about the traditions you use during this season to teach and remember.

Advent Week 1: HOPE

St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins

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This post on Catholic Cuisine has really got me excited.  The author provides downloads for artwork to make chocolate coins special for this season.  There is a set for St. Nicholas day, a set of Jesse Tree coins, a set of the O Antiphons and a few more.  They are as easy to make as print, cut and glue. 

First Sunday in Advent: Hope

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Polar Bear Cam

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I just heard about this and can't wait to watch polar bears live!  A web camera was set up on the edge of the Hudson Bay, close to the town of Churchhill, Manitoba.  The camera is in a spot where polar bears are waiting for the ice to form on the Hudson Bay so that they can travel further North to begin their seal hunt. The Polar Bear Cam delivers a live feed from 9 am - 5 pm central time and is being watched in schools all over Canada.  Perhaps you would like to watch too!