Happy Birthday, Klenda!

 Klenda turned 15, and celebrated with a Pulchritudinous Purple Planaria Party!

That's Choclo carrying in her purple planarian cake.

We made tons of little purple planaria and stuck them up all over the walls.  Oob commented that they looked curious.  In fact, actual planaria, tiny flatworms with eye spots, always look to me like they are curious, so that was excellent!

What is it about planaria?  Their eye spots really only sense light and dark, but they look curious and cute and slightly cross eyed.  They are shaped like arrows, so they look goofily purposeful.

Of course what planaria are known for is an amazing ability to divide and form new planaria: under the right conditions, every single cell in the body of an adult planarian can grow into a whole new planarian. 

Planaria shaped streamers!

If that isn't amazing enough, some scientists trained planaria to seek food under light (they naturally avoid light).  They then cut the planaria's heads off (not as bad as it sounds since they grow new ones).  The new heads on the trained tails remembered what they had been taught! The old heads (with their new tails) also remembered.  Lends new meaning to "muscle memory," doesn't it?

Fun socks

Anyway, the kids played Pin the Eyespots on the Planaria, Find the Planaria, and Planaria (like Sardines, but flatter), the winners were awarded the traditional prize of socks, and a very fun time was had by all.

A few days later, on her actual birthday, we had the family party.  Grammy and Pop took us out for Chinese food, then we came back and had this cake and opened presents.

That was the cake that convinced me never to do a box cake mix again.  Partly because it was really fantastically tasty, and partly because it took about the same amount of time as a box mix!

 Fifteen Things About Klenda

1. She has nearly every Warriors book ever printed.


2. She has learned how to make a souffle.


3. She is always willing to lend a hand when she sees you need help.

4. She notices when you need help!

5. She has amazing Pin the Eye Spots on the Planaria skills.

5. She's learning to ice skate.

6. She makes a chocolate butter cream pie that is the best pie I've ever eaten!

7. She can walk across the whole slack line.

7. She whittles well.

8. She whistles well, too.

8. She is done with Algebra 2 and starting Pre Calculus!!  At 15!!

9. She devours books of any kind.

10 She has the most expressive eye rolls.

11. She is a deadly punster.

11. She's funny and fast with a quip or joke.

12. She can speak in iambic pentameter. All day long.

12. She loves planaria!

13. She charms the socks off of little kids.  And big kids.  And kids her own age.

14. She loves the Blessed Mother.

14. She can knit!  And she's a wit.  But not at the same time: she's not a knit wit.

15.  She's a delightful daughter!!