Rothko chapel

Ever once in a while, I get a'feared that my children need more aculutating than they get from watching bugs bunny and so I up and do something right peculiar...

Like taking them to the Rothko chapel.

The Rothko chapel was conceived by noted Houston philanthropists Dominique and John de Menil who wanted a place where artsy contemplative souls of all faiths could get together and worship or meditate or wear all black and try to look cool while staring at canvases by Mark Rothko in a building designed by him.  I am sure that some art history major could explain this better than I, being an English major...not that you can tell by my propensity for slang, run-on sentences, and typos.  

I had never been to visit it, which is a shame for having lived here for 16 years.  So, I got us all dressed up, because, while I may not appreciate art, I do respect it, and I told the kids we were going to a place that was like a museum and church put together.

Annabelle was excited, because she loves museums.  We had been to the Prado exhibit at the MFAH a couple of months ago and she stared at each picture in the exhibit for some time.  She was particularly captivated by the lamb of God one by Zurburan and was deeply moved and saddened by the ones depicting the Crucifixion.  Artsy.  Contemplative.  Soul.

Tallulah informed me that she is afraid of dinosaurs, to which I reassured her, we weren't going to that museum.  

There is a park that surrounds the chapel and a reflection pool in front of it and it was a beautiful day to be outside.  And after we explored the park we headed inside and I told the girls we had to be quiet.

We walked into the chapel, which is the shape of an octagon and on each of the walls hang canvasses that are painted all black or black and brown.  Annabelle and Tallulah sat down and Annabelle looked around.  There were people sitting on benches in absolute silence, and some were kneeling on pillows in front of the pictures.  It was nice and peaceful, but to be honest, I am just not that deep of a person and am not really appreciative of modern art.  But, being the mother of small children, I do like quiet and the idea of having a place to sit and think.

And then my 5 year old, whose idea of "museum" and "church" are drastically different than what we were seeing had to point out that this emperor was a tad, well, naked.

"You mean we had to get all this dressed up for all this nothing???"

I stifled a laugh and began to point out how the pictures seemed to changed colors when a cloud went over head and how the room was the same shape as a stop sign, and how the doors seemed to be in a pattern.  I told her it was a place to think quiet thoughts.  And then she got into it, made herself comfortable on our bench and took it all in.

And there we sat, quiet and peaceful for a couple of minutes thinking quiet thoughts.  They were being more quiet than the hipsters who were whispering to themselves--they got shushed by the proctor.    And then I hear a soft, song...in a whisper... "and on that farm he had some sheep, e-i-e-i-o."

Apparently, Tallulah's thoughts lean towards the pastoral.

Then she does what she does in church, digs in my purse, takes off her hair bow and poops in her diaper, all at the same time.

I scooped her up and we hopped off the bench just in time...the proctor was heading our way.

great climbing tress in the park

my lovely girls