Pinewood Castle

June Showers Bring June Flowers

In the Castle of King Midas

Every June the pines release their dusty pollen, coating everything in gold!

 

Superman Sunday

Sunday morning we had just enough time for a quick scrambled egg breakfast before heading out to Mass. Three quarters plugged into a parking meter bought us an hour walk in the wildflower garden after church. On the way home we stopped to see Joe's aunt and uncle and had his parents over for a Sunday dinner of grilled pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, fresh asparagus soup, grilled corn on the cob, and rhubarb bars. Mmmm.

Sunshine made one of her famous dioramas and penned the following poem:

Dear Dad,

Among the rocks that surround it's edge

beside the pool most clear,

a single paint brush rests on the ledge

of nature's secret place.

The water charges down the stone

it's spray mists the rocks,

God's might is little known

but His love is amazingly great.

The artist is trying to capture the scene

with his easel, his brush, and his paint,

but everyone knows that what to be seen

is more than just a waterfall.

 

Poolside, Fireside, and Dinner Alfresco

June Daybook

I have a list of about five different posts I would like to work on, but the days are flying by without the extra hours to put in at the computer.

This morning my little guy cried out around 4am. Soon after the early morning light filled my room  and a chorus of bird song rang out to herald the day. After shutting the windows and fully closing the shades I finally gave up and descended the stairs to sit with the laptop so I'm catching up on blog reading and even leaving some comments. Blogger is not liking my TypePad ID, however, thus half of the comments I tried to leave evaporated or went to moderation without telling me! Argh!

Outside my window . . .

What's that? Sun? Can we come out of the ark now?

Around the house . . .

Messes here, messes there. Looking up from the laptop I see: a large pirate flag, a frog princess ballet costume, a tub of Legos, piles and piles of books, a Little Red Riding Hood cape, and a maze of wooden train tracks. And ants.

In the kitchen . . .

Last night's Grilled Chicken with Rotini Pasta, Asparagus, Cherry Tomato, and Goat Cheese deserved a glass of white wine to go with it. Too bad we were out. Oh, and I finally made a new batch of granola. Yum.

Homeschooling . . .

Three days a week all summer until it's done. (Did we take that many breaks or bite off more than we could chew?) (Or both?) I was going to publish a Curriculum Hits & Misses post, but changed my mind. We are at a crossroads in our journey and I am finally willing to quit being such a DIY renegade and submit to a paid professional. Although someone spied me spending a chuck of time at the Seton booth (and was rooting for me to come over to her side), in the end I decided to keep it classical and go with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. I am at peace.

Last week . . .

Four lovely days with my mother and sister visiting from Oklahoma! A ballet recital, orchestra concert, homeschool group showcase, swimming at the motel pool, dinner out in a real sit-down restaurant; a very full weekend!

Plans for today . . .

Make hay while the sun shines! Clean out the bird feeders, supervise some schoolwork, go to Target for travel and Father's Day supplies.

Plans for the rest of the week . . .

First Lego Robotics club meeting here at our house tomorrow. The annual arts festival in town takes place this weekend (this is the venue for the photography contest too). Father's Day on Sunday!

Plans for next week . . .

Buy pointe and tap shoes, pack, exchange cash for Euros, then fly off with my eldest and the MacPhail Suzuki Department to Frankfurt, Rothenburg, Prague, Salzburg, Neuschwanstein, Munich, and home. Seriously! Be sure to stop by in July to see my travelogue.

Photos from the week . . . (however incomplete a record they may be)

Corpus Christi

Crescendo Piano Gala @MacPhail

Ballet Recital

(Frog Princess)

(character class costume)

(I didn't get a photo of the Snow White dwarf costume from technique class)

(post-recital - everyone else left for the MacPhail orchestra concert)

Homeschool Showcase - Pachelbel Trio

Family Time

 

 

Cathedral of St. Paul

When our friends came to visit and doubled the population of Pinewood Castle for the Memorial Day weekend (it was great fun - children made fast friends, adults imbibed in adult conversation, kids camped in the backyard), it rained every day. So we took a little jaunt to the city to see the Cathedral of St. Paul and the Science Museum. For some reason I have more photos from the Cathedral. Go figure.

Thought you might enjoy them, especially those of you who spend significant time in the pews there!

(I'm adding an update to this post after purchasing the Cathedral of St. Paul Coloring Book in triplicate - so pleased to have found this!)

The Cathedral (the 4th in diocesan history) was designed by E.L. Masqueray, and features the Beaux Arts architectural style. The first Mass was held in 1915.

The three sets of door represent the trinity. The frieze above the rose window depicts the Great Commission.

The designer of the baldachin also designed NYC's Grand Central Station.

The chandelier represents the Star of Bethlehem. The windows in the dome show the angelic choirs.

The pendants feature the four cardinal virtues. Under each are statues of the four evangelists.

The south rose window displays the eight beatitudes.

Shadows of the grille in the ambulatory. I tried to excite my Latin students about this term "ambulatory" or "to walk around". You get to walk around and behind the sanctuary to see The Shrine of Nations.

St. Patrick strikes an imposing figure!

Love this trio of angels!

One of many chi rho symbols.

A replica cast from the original Pieta mold.

Year End Interviews

Linking up over at Sarah's End of Year Folder post!

{Not that we are quite done with school for the year, but projects like these help nudge us along to the finish line.}

 

 

 

May Days

Gardening.

Rain.

Planting.

Rain.

Mowing.

Rain.

Finishing school.

Rain.

Camera Class.

Rain.

Shopping for a girl who grew (size 16 now!).

Rain.

Hosting new friends for dinner.

Rain.

House blessings party for new friends.

Rain.

Hosting beloved old friends for the weekend.

Rain.

Dental cleanings.

Rain.

Hair appointment.

Rain.

Lunch and play date with new friends.

Rain.

Prepping for two crazy weekends packed with the MCHEC, ballet dress rehearsal, ballet awards ceremony, Europe Tour rehearsal, Piano Crescendo Program Gala, Europe Tour Concert dress rehearsal, spring ballet recital, European Tour Send-Off Concert, homeschool group year-end showcase, and a special visit from my mother and sister.

Rain.

When it rains, it pours! In a good way!

Is your May as full and happy (and soaking wet) as ours?

 

Sunday in the Park

 

If You Take Your Camera to Church . . .

You might find your family is already buckled up in the van ready to go by the time your are done snapping photos after Mass.