Mostly Palm Sunday

I have been very remiss about posting. I have had much to post, but my camera has been broken for a month, and I dropped my phone (which has a camera) in a toilet! My husband let me use his phone this morning to snap a few pictures.

Tomorrow is Quinquagesima Sunday which is the last Sunday of Pre-Lent. I decided for Pre-Lent and Lent (until Passion and Palm Sundays) that I would alternate a Kingdom of Heaven Parable with a lesson about the Altar - reviewing geography as we have time. On Septuagesima we learned about the Good Shepherd and worked on identifying 4 bodies of water: The Dead Sea, The Jordan River, The Mediterranean Sea, and The Sea of Galilee on our Holy Land map. I did not get any pictures! I may see if my children will set up the Good Shepherd for me again. Last week for Sexagesima we began learning about the altar. Tomorrow we will learn about the Parable of the Mustard Seed. I am still finishing up my pieces for that.

I spent quite a bit of time this week preparing for Palm Sunday. When I was purchasing felt for the Mustard Tree, I spotted some gray textured felt that I thought would work well for the entry into Jerusalem.

I have been looking around for a donkey that my peg people could "ride." I took a donkey cookie cutter and cut out two sides which I then blanket stitched together. I stuffed the donkey with poly and left a hole in his back. Yes, just an unfinished place on his back that I can pop a peg person into. Then I realized....it only had 2 legs! I cut and stitched two more legs and then hot-glued them on. It actually stands upright!

I cut palm branches out of the various green felt I already had. Now I need to make cloaks; I just have not decided what shape to make them. My plan is to let the children scatter palm branches and cloaks on the path while singing the chorus "All Glory, Laud, and Honor." I hope to sing it until the littlest ones know it by the time we have our parish Palm Sunday procession.

I still need to create something to represent the walls of Jerusalem..still thinking about that.  At the end of the picture, there is a wooden structure that will double as a tomb and a Nativity cave. I thought $7 was a great price...until I was hit with the shipping!! Oh, well, it is exactly what I was looking for.

I will try harder to beg a camera for tomorrow's class, and be back with pictures!