Thursday Thirteen #22 May 29, 2008

My Thursday Thirteen is going to be all in pictures.  During our visit to family in Alabama we took a trip to the Montgomery Zoo.  Here are 13 critters we saw. 

1.

Is this one pregnant monkey or what?!

2. 

This boa was just cool looking. 

3. 

Here is the most adorable baby elephant ever!  I just love the black hairs that stand out all over his body.  LOL

4. 

Here is one of the baby Giraffes.  They seemed just as interested in the kids as the kids were in them.

5. 

I just love the look the Zebra is giving me.  Hahaha!

6. 

The white tiger was very intent on his cleaning.  He was not distracted by anything.  LOL

7. 

Here is the baby Rhino Rocky.  He is standing by his momma like he is in charge of something. 

8. 

This is a Maned Wolf.  They stink to high heaven.

9. 

This particular flamingo had such striking coloring with the darker pink looking like it was painted on.

10. 

This little guy is just barely bigger than a Chihuahua.

11. 

This big boy roared almost the whole time we were at the zoo.  His roar could be felt everywhere!

12. 

This Leopard was just feet away.  His teeth were huge and his eyes were so intense.

13. 

This picture looks fuzzy because I snapped it through the wire cage.  The wires are the lighter lines you see.  The Bald Eagle is still beautiful and very regal.

For more TT’s pop over to Thursdaythirteen.com

Have a blessed week,

~Rhen

 

Thursday Thirteen #21 May 8, 2008

My Thursday Thirteen for today is 13 things our family is planning to do and hopes to do over the summer and into fall.

1.  Camping (several times, I hope)

2.  A field trip to a gold mine.

3.  Visit Sea World.

4.  Visit Busch Gardens (Both of these will happen when we take Ms. Firecracker down to Orlando to compete in Nationals.)

5.  A trip to the zoo.

6.  A trip to visit grandparents.

7.  Fishing.

8.  A hike and a picnic in a state park.

9.  A field trip to DeSoto Caverns.

10.  A couple of afternoons at the lake.

11.  A field trip to a local museum.

12.  Visit a local wildlife sanctuary.

13.  Spend as much time with the kids and having fun as possible!

So, what is your 13 for this week?  Pop over to Thursday Thirteen to visit more TT’ers.

*This is the last week for the current poll.  If ya wanna vote just click the polls page at the top of my blog.*

Have a blessed day,

~Rhen

Thursday Thirteen #20 May 1, 2008

My TT for this week is 13 things I won’t eat or don’t like to eat.  I know it doesn’t match the theme but, I had this one ready to go!

1.  Sushi.  I don’t eat bait.  Just can’t do it.

2.  Grits.  Nasty little things that reproduce like crazy when a couple of them get in your dishwasher.

3.  Brussel sprouts.  They are slimy little cabbages.  Eww.

4.  Kalamari- see the bait issue at #1. 

5.  Pork.   You are what you eat and pork has more parasites than other meats.   I have a rule about hosting no or, as few as possible, parasites!

6.  Black eyed peas.  They just taste like mud.

7.  Shrimp.  I like shrimp but they are the filters of the sea.  They are used to check the toxicity levels of the water.   No thanks.

8.  Crawdads.  That is just nasty!!  Those little eyeballs lookin’ at ya are just too much.

9.  Okra.  Mr. Muscles and most of the kids love it but it just feels slimy to me. 

10.  Insects.  I have seen stores that sell chocolate covered insects as delicacies.  Well, I might try chocolate covered ants.  Maybe.  Especially if it was dark chocolate.  LOL

11.  Most crackers.  I have no idea why I don’t like them. 

12.  Cheese sandwiches.  When I was little and had to stay with a baby sitter for a little while, she fixed cheese sandwiches.  It was the sandwich, per se, that was bad but rather the ingredients she used.  The mayo was some really bad tasting stuff from England and the cheese was not cheddar or anything like that.  She made me eat every awful bite.  I guess I was scarred. 

13.  Radishes.  I know they are good for me and, I have really tried to like them.  So far I have not found a variety that I can stomach.  I am growing a new variety this year.  Maybe it will be a good one. 

So, what don’t you eat?  Is there something that you just can’t choke down?  Leave a comment telling me what food(s) just don’t make it onto your plate!

Do you TT?  LOL Thursday Thirteen that is!  Pop over to Thursday Thirteen to see more.

 

Thursday Thirteen #19- In History April 24, 2008

My Thursday Thirteen post this week is about 13 things that happened on this day (April 24th) in history. 

13.  In 1184 BC the Greeks entered Troy via the Trojan Horse.

12.  In 1704 the first regular paper in the US is published.  It was the Boston Massachutes New-Letter.

11.  In 1967 Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov is the first person to die during a space mission.  The parachute failed to open.

10.  In 1620 John Graunt, found of the science of demography, is born.

9.  In 1942 American singer and actress, Barbara Steisand, is born.

8.  In 1731, English writer Daniel Defoe died.

7.  in 1990, the Hubble Telescope left Earth for space.

6.  In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States after rejecting America’s ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba.

5.  In 1800 the Library of Congress is founded by President John Adams.  The amount given to start the library was $5000.

4.  In 1907, Milton Hershey (founder of Hersheys) opened Hersheypark for the exclusive use of his employees.

3.  In 1962, MIT sent a TV signal by satellite for the first time.

2.  In 1833, a patent was granted for the first soda fountain.

and -drum roll please-

1.  In 1976, I was born.  I was born during a snow storm in Germany. 

Want to read more TT’s or join in?  Head over to Thursday Thirteen!

Thursday Thirteen #18 April 17, 2008

Hello and happy Thursday Thirteen! 

We are in the middle of incubating and hatching chickens around here so this week my TT is going to show you 13 different breeds of chickens.  I will start with the breed I have and go from there.  Some are strange.  Some are beautiful.  All are delicious!

1.  Buff Orpington

 

2.  Speckled Sussex

3.  Columbian Wyandottes

4.  Turken- Naked Neck

5.  Blue Andalusians

6.  Silver Spangled Hamburg

7.  Sultans

8.  Blue Cochins

9.  White Crested Black Polish

10.  Lakenvelders

11.  Salmon Faverolles

12.  Phoenix

13.  Golden Campines

For more Thursday Thirteens to thrill and delight you- go HERE! 

Thursday Thirteen #17 April 10, 2008

I received my Lehman’s catalog in today and, as I was browsing through, I found all kinds of things I would love to have.  So, here are thirteen products that caught my eye.

1.  One-gallon Ball Jar with Spigot.  A one-gallon tea pitcher that is glass, with a sealable lid and is not made of horrible plastic.  Woo Hoo!  And to top off the greatness of this pitcher- it is made in the USA. 

2.  Round cast iron waffle iron.  I can use this at home, on the grill and over a campfire.  I would love to take this camping and test it out.

3.  Maine Garden Hod.  For those who do not know what a garden hod is:  it is a wooden basket with a mesh bottom.  As you gather your harvest you can rinse off your veggies or fruit right in the basket. 

4.  Bin Composter.  I have wanted one of these for years.  I spoke with another gardener who used a 55 gallon barrel and had immense success.  I might try that.

5.   Amish Rotary Culitivator-  Not having to buy gas, not having to attempt to start pull-cord machines, not having to fight a giant motor that tosses me around:  all good things about this cultivator.

6.  Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Kit-  In my quest to improve our family’s health and living space these cleaning products would be a huge step forward!

7.  Amish bench/ shelf-  This is a beautiful piece of furniture.  This is a great bench or combine to make a shelf.  How cool is that?!

8.  This rocking chair- I have wanted a rocking chair for years.  I really mean years.  This one would be perfect to sit in and rock my little ones.  Don’t cha’ think?

9.  Children’s Picnic Basket-  I think I could get some the best shots with my camera of my children picnicing with this.  I know the girls would dress up and look their best.  My son would probably come crashing through as a gorilla only to be set upon by very angry princesses. 

10.  Balloon Powered Boat-  this just looks like fun!

11.  Wine light-  This is so cool.  You can make almost any glass bottle into an oil lamp.  I still have the champagne bottle from Mr. Muscles’ and my wedding night. 

12.  Porcelain Salt Pig-  This helps to keep salt loose and keeps moisture out.  We use sea salt and this is perfect for it.

13.  The coolest brownie pan ever made.  I would make brownies just to use this pan.  And for the chocolate. 

I could keep going but I have reached 13. 

So what is your TT?  To read more or to join in head over to Thursday Thirteen.

Have a blessed week.

~Rhen

Thursday Thirteen #16 April 3, 2008

I am sitting on my bed right now surfing away and looking around.  As I look around I am noticing all kinds of things that I really need to get taken care of.  So, my TT for today is thirteen things I have noticed that I need to do in my bedroom.

1.  Clean off the top of my dresser.  No, really.  It is an avalanche of crap waiting to happen.  And it will happen.  One day when I am in a rush to get the kids to gymnastics or to church I will try to grab one little thing off of the top of my dresser and AAAHHHHHHHH!   I will be buried.  They will find my lifeless body buried and they will shake their heads in wonder and sadness.   Someone will make the comment, “If only she had cleaned off the dresser she would be with us today!”

2.  Vacuum.  My vacumm cleaner died.  Seriously.  As a matter of fact, it waited until Mr. Musceles (dh) had just changed the belt. 

3.  Dust.  The top rail around the posts on my bed are in some serious need.

4.  Clean out the light globe.  There appear to be a few dozen dead Asian Ladybeetles stored in there.

5.  Organize my coat rack. 

6.  Clean up the mess of books and magazines on my side of the bed.

7.  Oil the wood in my room.   That would be my vanity, bed and dresser.

8.  Wipe down the doorframes and lightswitches where dirty little hands keep grabbing.

9.  Put away clothes.  I have most of them put away but there are a few stragglers around.

10.  Clean the window sill.   Ew.

11.  Pull all of the junk out from under my bed that gets stuffed under there.  No telling what I will find.

12.  Clear off the the junk that has been piled on my vanity.  Our bedroom is the catch-all for almost every thing and project I am working on.

13.  Get all of the kids toys out of here.  For some strange reason the kids like to bring toys into our bedroom when they come in here but the toys never seem to leave!

Well, now you know just how much I have to do in here.  Thank goodness April is Bedroom Month for Organizing Junkie’s Round-Up. 

What is your Thursday Thirteen?  To view more TT’s head over to Thursday Thirteen.

Have a blessed day!

~Rhen

Thursday Thirteen #15 March 20, 2008

 Thirteen things I enjoy doing with my kids:

1.  Playing in the creek.  We look for fish, frogs, crawdads and such.  We swing on the vines.  We look for gold.  It is so much fun!

2.   Homeschooling.  It is wonderful helping them learn and watching them as explore, discover and grasp new concepts.

3.  Roasting marshmellows.  Momma likes hers burnt and they like to keep me in good supply.

4.  Gardening.  They have my green thumb.  I was blessed with green hands from both sides of my family and my kids can grow anything as well. 

5.  Camping.  The kids have such a blast sleeping in sleeping bags and a tent.

6.  Fishing.  They all get so excited and rally around whomever is reeling “the big one”.

7.  Scavenger hunts.  Nothing and I mean nothing escapes their hunting eyes!

8.  Going to the beach.  When I watch them play in the water, build sandcastles and hunt for shells it is like I am seeing those things as a child again.  The world through their eyes is always something to stop and look at.

9.  Reading.  They insist I read Junie B. Jones books aloud to them.  I am a very animated person.  When the character screams, I scream.  And ya’ll know just how boisterous Junie B. Jones is! 

10.  Making music.  I am using the term “music” loosely here.  Each of children has to learn to play an instrument.  When each of our musicians-in-training decide to include the littles, who are not learning yet, and form a band it gets quite crazy around here.  The urge to grab my guitar becomes irresistible.

11.  Hiking.  I remember how much I looked forward to doing volksmarches with my dad and my kids are now like that about our hikes in the mountains.

12.  Going to gymnastic meets.  Ms. Firecracker is a competitive gymnast and our whole family goes to her meets together.  It is great to see kids who pester the mess out of her every other day are supportive of her and excited for her at every meet. 

13.  Vegging out.  Granted, they don’t hold still too long but they sure do try.

What is your Thursday Thirteen this week?  Leave me a link in a comment so I can come visit!  For more TT head over to Thursday Thirteen central. 

Have a blessed week!

~Rhen

Thursday Thirteen #14 March 6, 2008

 

My TT this week is 13 things I love about homeschooling.

1.  Knowing that the quality of their education is always the driving force.

2.  Field trips.  We don’t just read about it we also go do it!  It is amazing how much they learn hands-on.

3.  I get to be the one to see, enjoy and be a part so many of my children’s schooling firsts instead of someone else.

4.  In areas where they are strong and have talent they are not held back but rather encouraged to go as far as they can.  They do not have to wait on other students.

5.  In areas where they are weaker they get a lot of personal attention in order to fully learn whatever they are having difficutly on.  They are not left to try to figure it out on their own yet required keep up with the rest of the class as well. 

6.  Our children get to make friends of different ages and backgrounds.  They are not limited to children of their own age, grade and gender. 

7.  Our children are out and active in the community meeting all kinds of people and learning how to interact with everyone from babies to adults.

8.  Experiments.  We get to do the coolest experiments and all of the kids get to participate in some way unless they are just too young and in that case they get to watch and learn.

9.  We get to take our schoolwork outside.  When it is beautiful outside we grab our stuff and get out in it to soak up the sunshine. 

10.  We are able to teach our children to be good stewards of all that God has given them.   Unfortunately teachers are so restricted that they cannot even teach children manners without fear of reprisal from a parent who doesn’t want their child taught something.

11.  Not only are the children learning to speak different languages but our whole family is learning together.  It really helps when others are learning the same thing and can practice by having conversations in the new language.

12.  Because we focus on each child’s learning style we do not have any problem students.  Their only course of learning is not limited to the way that the chosen curriculum teaches.  Each of our children have a curriculum that fits their learning style. 

13.  Homeschool groups.  We are a part of several fantastic homeschool groups.  We have group studies together, go on field trips, have play dates, share curriculum, share experiences and be uplifting to each other. 

What is your Thursday Thirteen?  To read more TT’s or join in head over to Thursday Thirteen.

God Bless,

~Rhen

Thursday Thirteen #13 February 28, 2008

Thirteen Things about Rhen.Here are 13 things I really enjoy eating.  This list is by no means exhaustive but these are the things I thought of first. 1.  Chocolate -of course this is #1  2.  Granny Smith apples. 3.  Steak- medium well with no sauce on the side. 4.  Grilled cheese sandwiches 5.  Asparagas 6.  Homemade pizza- it is so much better than anything you can buy 7.  My hubby’s cheesecakes.  Oh-My-Word I am so spoiled!  The tiramisu and chocolate mocha are my favorites. 8.  Greek salad.  Real Greek salad with no lettuce. 9.  Chipotle Hummus on dark rye crackers 10.  BBQ Chicken 11.  Chicken Alfredo 12.  Green beans right out of the garden (raw).  So much flavor! 13.  Rhubarb.  Yum! Well, that is my list for this TT.  What’s yours?  Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wanna win a free book?