light the candle...
Rise up O Flame, by thy light shining, bring to us beauty, vision, and joy! (sung as we rise, from curled on the floor to standing, arms stretched up and out, then crossed on chest, then hands over eyes, then stretched back up and out)
There's the firm earth under me, the blue skies over me. So I stride, so I stand, And I see you too
With the blue sky over you, The firm earth under you. (marching in place, hands down, then to the sky. Standing still, hands to eyes then out to our brothers, then up, then marching in place again)
Smile awhile and give your face a rest, stretch awhile, and ease your manly chest,
Reach your fingers to the sky, while you watch them with your eye,
Jump awhile, shake a leg there sir, Now step forward, backward, as you were,
Then reach out to someone near, Shake his hand and smile. (sung cheerfully!)
When I was a young man, a young man, a young man,
When I was a young man a young man was I.
And I walked this way and that way and this way, and that way.
When I was a young man, a young man was I.
(sung several times, as different characters and animals "when I was a rabbit" etc. and always ending with "when I was a student I sat very still, and everyone sitting down in circle)
~Teach us O Lord, To serve as you deserve, To give and not to count the cost, To fight and not to heed the wounds, To toil and not to seek for rest, To labour and not to ask for any reward, Save that of knowing that we do your will~ (prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola)
One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more. Eight potato, nine potato, ten potato, hot! (standing, tossing a ball or beanbag to self, then quickly to a friend at hot!)
We're following the leader, the leader, the leader. We're following the leader, wherever he may go. (following the leader, along a rope on the floor, walking different ways- heels, toes, etc.)
Jack be nimble, jack be quick, jack jump over the candlestick. (our rope on the floor turns into a jump rope waving back and forth, and we take turns jumping over it at different heights/speeds)
Dulce, dulce, dulce Mama, dulce, dulce, dulce, Papa, dulce, dulce, dulce Cheeky-cha, cheeky-cha.
(drum-tempo)
Uno, dos, tres, CHO, uno, dos, tres, CO, uno dos, tres, LATE (la-tay), chocolate, chocolate, bate, bate, chocolate! (drum-tempo)
Week 1) Who saw the petals drop from the rose?
I said the spider, but nobody knows.
Who saw the sunset flash on a bird?
I said the fish, but nobody heard.
Week 2) Who saw the fog come over the sea?
I said the sea pigeon, only me.
Who saw the first green light of the sun?
I said the night owl, the only one.
Week 3) Who saw the moss creep over the stone?
I said the grey fox, all alone.
(The Secret Song by Margaret Wise Brown)
The lone wild bird in lofty flight Is still with Thee, nor leaves thy sight.
And I am Thine! I rest in Thee. Holy Spirit come rest in me.
The ends of earth are in Thy hand, The seas dark deep and far off land.
And I am Thine! I rest in Thee. Holy Spirit come rest in me. (sung with simple motions)
Brave and true I will be, Each good deed sets me free, Each kind word makes me strong, I will fight for the right, I will conquer the wrong. (again, marching in place)
I can turn myself and turn myself and curl up as I will. I can stand on tiptoe reaching high, I can hold myself quite still. I can be as small as a small seed, I can be as tall as a tall tall tree. I can be as wide as the wide wide world, I can just be me. (spinning, curl up, stretch up tall, stand still. curl up small, stretch up tall, stretch out wide, stand still arms at sides. We do this regular tempo, fast, faster, faster, regular.)
Blow out the candle.
-Three days a week we do hand bells, and don't blow out the candle til after that.
Every year I try to switch out our closing verse to something else and am faced with anguish and tears. They love this verse. So, it stays. Maybe I'll be saying it as Avery goes off to college.
