Pinewood Castle

Felines on Friday

Resting in the bathtub . . .

Felines on Friday

Felines on Friday

Kitties for your Friday

 

Fritz and Marie are growing so fast they hardly look like little kittens anymore! We've been to the vet for all of their shots, and will take them in soon for their little operations.

Joe and I would rather keep them indoors and get their front paws declawed, but every time the door opens they try with all their determined might to escape outside. Given the number of times kids go in and out in the warmer months, we're thinking they might need to keep their claws. 

These two are still as playful and entertaining as ever, but the best photos are captured during naptime!

Felines on Friday

Fritz snoozing.

Marie the regal princess.

Hmm, better check this out!

I'll wait until she emerges.

She's not happy I took over her hide-out!

 

Felines on Friday

Haven't you enjoyed Dawn's Friday Felines? I know we have. She doesn't have a link-up or anything, and has tapered off now that her kitties turned one, so we thought, why not contribute to some kitty cuteness?

Not so many birds at the feeders without the black oil sunflower seed mix. But they like the little chickadees too.

 

Playing hide and seek with the laundry.

 

Naptime.

 

 

These two are really spooked by the sprayer arm and spend their free time batting at it.

 

 

A regal little princess!

The Gift of (not too much) Snow

Singing, Mass prayers and readings, and the rosary at home.

Breakfast bowls, streusel muffins, and coffee for brunch.

Blogging while everyone else helps Dad shovel the driveway.

Mugs of tea to soothe still-sore throats.

A home recital in lieu of a public one at MacPhail. A missed rehearsal too. Sigh.

Kitties to pet.

Quiet walk on the path.

Time, luxurious time.

Seek Love in the pity of others' woe,
In the gentle relief of another's care,
In the darkness of night and the winter's snow,
In the naked and outcast, seek Love there!

- William Blake

 

Thankful this Thursday

For all those posts in blogosphere reminding moms what the warning signs of burnout and winter blues are and how to cope. This is harder than it seems, because the more you just want to get on top of things the more anxiety you have about being behind. Behind schedule for the day, the week, the year, in life . . . It's getting better, and oddly enough it's through more time together instead of time alone. Time alone helps too, especially if it's a Sunday night and Downton Abbey is on.

Gratitude is always the best antidote - so here is a long overdue list of what I am thankful for:

a mild deep freeze - yes, in Minnesota it could be worse, much worse

blazing fires to take the edge off the cold, and the heating bill

thermotropic kittens drunk on the heat

young musicians who don't mind practicing - I don't even pay them or give them M&Ms

4th grade boy personal spelling lists

completed home school projects (that aren't workbook pages!)

"curtsy helpers"

horizontal afternoon light

feathered friends

growing kitties

play kitchens + five year olds

another round of alphabet path, about 70% less than we what did several years ago, and at a much slower pace

read alouds I've been meaning to get to for ever-so-long, and taking time to follow rabbit trails

in January it's so nice, eating chicken soup with rice

candlelight, dear candlelight, a balm to my soul at the end of the day

 

for moms who get it - because sometimes (ok - a lot of times) just being present to our kids all day long is exhausting, even if we're not rushing around doing things

and for you, whether you comment in person or here below, I appreciate you being here to share my joys, my weariness, or whatever life is bringing on - even if my combox is not bursting with activity I know so many of you do visit and are thankful for bloggers who take the time to share

 

 

first photos

I feel like I have just purchased a Stradivarius after only finishing Suzuki Violin Book 1.

I also feel like someone, once tone-deaf, suddenly able to carry a tune with a decent singing voice.

 

I am both intimidated and refreshed by the sudden ability to shoot close-ups, portraits, moving children and kittens, and faces in candlelight.

Even though it's a struggle for me to learn anything after coming down with adult-onset ADD, I am pretty elated with our new camera. Remembering anything involving numbers is a particular challenge for me: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, mm, which of our four lenses to use. Good thing National Camera Exchange offers free classes. In the meantime I am totally experimenting with the little I have gleaned along the way.

The rest of these photos to re-cap our week (most of them anyway) are off the smart phone. {I am still resisting Pinterest and Instagram.} We were out & about more than usual this week, enjoying the full twelve days of Christmas.

While I am not sure what unschoolers actually do, I am pretty sure we need to unschool this week. To me this means making a rough schedule that includes kids cleaning while I resume exercise and shower, breakfast together by 8 am, together time (devotions, Lingua Angelica, Logic of English, thank you notes, art, start looking up our European destinations), finish gifts for pen-pals (they are still coming, really!) outside time, lunch by noon, music practicing (sessions in which I am a conscientious Suzuki practice parent and sit down to listen and help), Teaching Textbooks math, reading time, invite some friends over, afternoon activities, a few doctor appointments, dinner on time, bedtime on time. Time to re-adjust for the new year!

Full enough days, especially with a recital on the agenda this week. My two girls were nominated by their teachers to perform on the Suzuki department recital! Would you like to come? It's free! They would be overjoyed to share the joy of music with you. MacPhail, Antonello Hall, Friday at 6 pm.

Next week maybe we can get back to the full curriculum - if we all stay healthy. There is an alarming number of flu cases, pneumonia, etc. in our corner of the metro. Our current immune building arsenal consists of Emergen-C and colloidal silver.

As for today, my goals are to begin a food journal, set my weekday alarm for 6:00 am, celebrate Epiphany with some star folding, and get a roasted chicken dinner an scones on the table by five o'clock so we can clean up in time to "do the Downton". Will you be watching?

We at Pinewood Castle wish our readers the best as we all get back to normal life after celebrating the HolyDays!

4th Sunday of Advent

The wait is nearly over! Today we will light all four candles before packing away advent and bringing out the Christmas treasures.

We were blessed with a quiet week - no ballet, one music lesson, completion of one more week of school, a first cello recital, and plenty of time to enjoy our endlessly entertaining kittens.

The shutter speed of our little Canon Power Shot cannot keep up with these two. Low light, quick kittens, and a suddenly gummy zoom lever are all leaving me feeling like I am milking this little camera for all it's worth!

After days of antsy anticipation, we decorated the tree Saturday morning. First, the kids enjoyed a scavenger hunt for ornaments I bought on sale last year. The ornament tubs came up and every branch sported a decoration by 9 am.

The Solstice was observed with picture books (to understand the event, not to celebrate in a pagan way, of course), sun cupcakes, music, and our first fire. I scavenged the last three logs from the garage and set it to light after sunset.

Saturday I spent the morning cleaning our closet in order to asses Joe's wardrobe. I found my old high school letter jacket, it's vinyl sleeves oozing under the plastic cover. I took a few pics, rescued the pins, and said goodbye to the tangible evidence of my high school career. {sigh} One must release the things of youth.

Gifts arrived via UPS and were wrapped during the 10:00 - 12:00 pm hours. We don't usually put them under the tree until after the kids go to bed Christmas Eve, and are having a great time watching the kids examine, shake, and venture guesses. It's almost as fun as watching the Too Cute Kittens.

We sent a contribution of snowflakes to Sandy Hook, for the school building they are making ready. Joe and I have fielded many inquiries about homeschooling this week - have you? Most involve some serious joking about sending their kids to our house. People feel a niggling, and question their educational options, but few are prepared to take it on themselves.

A team from the school district made a visit to our home to asses the Little Prince for speech therapy, given that he has less than ten words at age 2.9 years. The very nice lady, sensing threads of love, peace, and order (as much as we could muster at 8am), complimented the feel of our home and learning environment. "You make it look so easy," she observed, "but it must be more difficult than it looks."  Very perceptive!

The world did not end this week, though plenty of souls are eager for Christ's return and restoration of this fallen world. I pray that more souls would welcome Christ into their hearts this Christmas. As a Catholic, I believe that salvation is a grace-filled process, not a once-saved-always-saved offer. Maybe that's a little less intimidating for some?

Come, Lord Jesus, come and be born in our hearts!

 

Guadete Sunday

The third week of advent: Our Lady of Guadalupe (12-12-12), feast of St. Lucy, the Nutcracker, and visit to the Christmas tree farm. A serendipitous stop at a "free kittens" sign. (We've named them Marie and Fritz.)

As full and joyful as this week was, one event will mar the joy of this third week of advent, and that of course is the news of the school shooting.

The story broke while I was at the Friday dress rehearsal, so I was oblivious as I shuttled mice, angels, and cookies on and offstage from 3:00 - 10:00pm. The news was on when we returned, and Nightline filled me on all I had missed. I went to bed with the key words swimming in my head. Massacre. Kindergartners (since corrected to be 1st graders). Divorce. Suicide. Autism spectrum (?). Others emerged over the weekend: Bright child. Home-schooled. Catholic. Reclusive. Gun control. School security.

So many details of this story remain unknown. Did the mom work at the school, or not? What was his motive for slaughtering the innocent?

Aside from all of the unanswered questions, I think we all wonder - how can we keep our children from being victimized, or worse - from being victimizers? What is the best way to meet our children's individual needs, their education style, their emotional needs? Homeschooling may reduce their risk of being killed in a school shooting, but what about everywhere else we go? 

And what does the future hold for the families who have lost young children? How does a community get through so many funerals before Christmas? How painful must it be to see the wrapped gifts intended for these children under the Christmas tree? Will the class of 2024 leave 20 chairs empty at commencement to memorialize the victims?

It's all just so awful.

May the souls of those who have died rest in peace, and may their loved ones find comfort and solace, even if this tragedy is never fully understood.

Tonight I pray for them, for our hurting country, and for our own children who have so much evil to face in the coming decades.

Prayer for Your Children

Glorious St. Anthony, your devoted clients have accorded you wonderful titles, such as, "the Saint of Miracles," and "Wonder-worker of Padua."

The age-old and world-wide veneration are a sure sign of your tenderness and generosity of heart. I am confident, then, in recommending to your special care, my most precious treasures, the children with whom God has blessed me.

You know the dangers of body and soul to which children are exposed in our time. You, who are so powerful, watch over them to protect them from every evil. Please preserve them by your intercession in innocence, protect them from sin and harm, and confirm then in fidelity to God almighty. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Advent

The snowstorm was a gift today, a haven of rest between weeks with extra commitments.

Being away from home is not the hard part - being out & about is fun - it's the coming home. It's deciding what to do with our precious time at home: clean, do laundry, cook, organize, rest, read, or do lesson plans. There's no time for all of it, so we choose to let the house go, or have a week of relaxed school, or eat bread and cheese so we won't have a mountain of dishes or grocery shopping to do.

Saying "yes" to one thing often means committing to five things and saying "no" to almost everything else. Extra activities stretch me, force me to be more flexible, help make understand the difference between relaxed and lazy. I learn that when I am struggling, I have to be careful who I complain to, even other homeschoolers.

Our extra commitments are a gift, especially in the performing arts. It's not about competition and winning, it's about creating something beautiful for God, something that edifies the soul of each participant and the members of the audience. It's the Miss Rumphius principle.

Next weekend I will be helping backstage as a runner for The Nutcracker. This means that I will be responsible for getting the dancers from their room, to stage right, and back again. I'll get to usher the littlest angels on and off stage, help lift the frame of the hoop skirt over Mother Ginger's head, and watch the lead dew drop fairy catch her breath when she flies off stage during Waltz of the Flowers.This has got to be the best volunteer job on the sign-up sheet.

Thankful Thursday

For my husband who, for the first time in . . . a long time, brought me flowers after a trying day.

 

For the short periods in time when I can see my son look, sing, and behave like an angel. Thank you, boy's choir.

 

Black belts two for $10 at Target. For choir, not karate.

 

For allergy meds that allow me to once again enjoy a real Frasier Fir.

And for close proximity to a real tree farm.

 

For strong daddies who lift up their littlest girl so she can be the one to place the angel on top.

 

For eyes (and hands) full of wonder and delight.

 

For the photo ornaments my sister sends every Christmas to each of the children.

 

For candle light and colored light, Jesse Tree and Star Path, advent wreaths and advent calendars that help us mark the days and prepare our hearts for Christmas.

Amazon Prime.

For the chance to get out of the house and resume book club after a very long baby break.

For the chance to see the December Full Cold Moon rise over Lake of the Isles.

 For kitties who curl up in the darndest places.

 

For the ability to drink coffee and own a smart phone without having to constantly hold one or the other like a fashion accessory.

For the completion of at least some of our hand made Christmas gifts ~ phone cases for teachers made by the children and the knitted gingerbread boy I made for the Little Princess (from Kid's Knitting).

 

For this beautiful dresser scarf one of my oldest and dearest friends sent me years ago. I try not to think of how long it took her to embroider this:

When it takes me four hours just to do this:

 

 For the upcoming reprieve from running to choir and ballet and karate and violin and piano.

For the decision to switch Sunshine from ballet to theater beginning in January. This better fits her passion and personality - and I won't have to make that extra trip back to ballet to pick her up at 7:30 pm.

For friends who call or write to catch up. Some relationships are best nurtured off-line.

And best of all - thankful that we are not yet knee deep in snow! Winter in Minnesota lasts long enough!

 

 

Nooks & Crannies Tour of Pinewood Castle

Your guides, Tabitha and Snickers, have explored every little space into which they can fit their three and four month old feline bodies. This tour includes only the main level of the house because we have learned to keep our bedroom doors shut during the day and they reside in the mudroom at night. 

The Washing Machine 

The Dryer

The Dishwasher - licking any food residue off spoons. Yuck!

The Refrigerator

Behind the pull-out trash can

Inside the play kitchen oven

Under the lazy-Susan corner cabinet

It's a good thing these critters have nine lives- we have to be extra careful when closing the door to anything!

It's rather ironic that I drafted this post yesterday and by 5:30 pm Tabitha went missing. We thought she was curled up somewhere sleeping but by 7 pm we scoured the house looking for her, looking everywhere we could think of - inside appliances, drawers and cabinets, closets, under beds and dressers. We thought she could have slipped out when the children went outside to play so my hubby searched around the house and yard in falling snow looking for little footprints. The kids went to bed worried and in tears. We gave up the search around 10 pm, fearful that she would freeze in the snow overnight. Shortly after 10 my husband checked the garage one more time and found her under the van. We are oh so glad to have found our little lady. Snickers had to wrestle with her right away and meow as if asking her where she had been. I think her reply meow meant that she had not been to London to see the Queen!