Seven Quick Takes: Easter Rodents, Goslings, and Nuns Falling Down Stairs

 How's that for an appallingly click-baity title? Well, I may be throwing my sister (the nun in the title) under the bus, but at least I didn't throw her down the stairs.  Ahem.  On to the Takes!

1.  Klenda took first for her watercolor in the community college's art! Here she is with her ribbon and trophy!

Which leads us to her next big announcement: in the Fall she will be starting full time art school!
She picked the Schuler School of Fine Arts, a school known for teaching the classical art she loves.

She'll still be living at home, but commuting by train to Baltimore.

2. Oob: Come quick, Peter and John are looking for Jesus!

Me: ????

Peter and John turned out to be Sun and Moon, Leena's gerbils.  They were running in and out and all around our Easter tomb, looking very much as if they were looking for someone.

So I ask you, Catholic home school win for knowing scripture?  Or lose for rodents in your Easter display?

 3.  I'm pretty sure this photo encapsulates everything I like about Boy Scouts.

The boys in blue are Choclo and Oob.

 4. I went up to NJ on Mother's Day weekend to see my folks and my youngest sister, who was home from North Dakota for her home visit (she's a SOLT sister).

A few days before I arrived, she slipped down the basement stairs and badly sprained her arm.  (But she's feeling muuuuuch better now!).

When I got there, I realized that the outer edge of each step was worn into a slanted groove that could have been designed to shunt people down the stairs at high speed.   Klenda and I (hopefully) solved the problem by stapling these high traction stair treads across the top and under the lip of each step.

I mention all this because I accidentally took a weird picture of it: this is a photo looking down from the top of the steps, but, to me, it looks uncannily like it was taken looking up the steps.

4. After 4 days of heavy rain, we had a Ducky Day!  I haven't had one of these in years, but we did this whenever it rained when the Zoomlians were little!

The kids play in the biggest puddle we could find, quacking like ducks, then it's home for baths, popcorn, and warm chocolate. Yum!

It was kind of bittersweet knowing that this was one of the last Ducky Days I'm likely to get as a mother,  but watching Zorg and Leena swing dancing in a giant puddle sort of made up for it!

5.  The giant puddle happens to be next to Lake Artemesia (on the road between the parking lot and the lake),so also enjoying the wet weather were actual ducks and these fine geese.

Yeah, this is a gratuitous gosling post, but they're so cuuuuute!

 6. Wrapping up Awesome History, my photographer friend, Shelli, did a black and white series modeled on the classic Migrant Mother photo by Dorothea Lange.


Shelli came up with this shot of Klenda looking beautiful and serious.

I, on the other hand, couldn't keep a straight face,


7.   Choclo: What do you get when you cross Captain America and the Hulk?
Me: What?
Choclo: A Star Spangled Banner.

And with that, I hope you have a marvelous Memorial Day weekend!  We'll be busy visiting our family graves, hosting a cookout, celebrating another birthday, and helping our local veterans celebrate the big day.  More fun with Kelly!