Today...

I plucked a grey hair out of Jesse's hair and it was SILVER from tip to tip. 

It's know it's so cliche' but getting to grow old with him... glasses, crinkle lines around his eyes.... is just SO awesome! 

I love being reminded that this is my partner for life. 

That's All  :)

Brandi's Challenge... or Insomnia Sucks

Brandi, my sweet, talented, enormously cool Sister In Law, challenged us to post random facts about ourselves a couple of days ago. 

I want Jesse to do his and I have done it for most of the kids already, so that just leaves me. It's 2 am-why not? LOL

1. I HATE feet. Yes, hate them. They skeeve me out, gross me out and give me the heebie jeebies all in one. The only exception is baby feet, but only for the first 18 months. After that they graduate to the status of BLECH.

2. I spent 7 years of my childhood from 5-12 in Saudia Arabia while my stepfather did contract work... my name was Jenny Baldwin, because they don't recognize step children there. I even have a passport with Jenny Baldwin on it, even though that has never been my legal name. While in their amazing education system for Americans/English I learned arabic, to play the violin, the guitar, preformed in drama clubs and was in the gifted program. This eclectic, varied, challenging and exciting way of learning is what I base our homeschooling on...  I believe our public education system is stale and outdated. It's conformity at it's worst. Dumbing Us Down

by John Gotto is a must read. 

3. I swam competitively from age 5 until high school. Swimming is meditation. I love it, and if I had a lap pool I would do it every day. I hate to swim in the ocean, lakes or rivers though... if I can't see the bottom I don't want to do it. And sometimes if I CAN see the bottom I still don't want to do it, just ask Jesse about snorkeling over the sunken battleship in Aruba! 

4. I won't watch scary movies or movies with sad endings. I read movie spoilers to determine whether or not a movie is worth watching. I even read the first and last chapters of books to see if they are worth the time... why? That brings me to my next random fact...

5. I hate surprises. A Lot. Even good ones. Which drives Jesse and Heather batty because I have some kind of super sonic surprise radar and ruin all surprises. Case in point.... the night before my surprise baby shower for Sylver I dreamt about it. I woke and said today is my baby shower and it's going to be at Aunt Bonnie's house and this is who is going to be there.... HAHAHAHAHA! Jesse and Heath where SO irritated, LOL. 

6. I grew up with no religion. None. In Saudia Arabia they only allow the Muslim religion. Only the Koran is allowed in their country... and they are VERY strict about it. very. When I came back to the states I explored pretty much all religions, Buddism, Wicca, Atheism, and while I found bit and pieces to be intriguing and interesting nothing ever 'stuck'. Kind of like diets. I have been a Christian for 8 years now, thanks in no small part to seeds planted by my husband and my mother in law, and my Grace Filled Heavenly Father. Funny, how Truth not only sticks but grows. God amazes me every. single. day. 

7. I lived a year in the Dahlonega Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains (7th grade), home of the first US Gold Rush. I rode horses bareback through woods and in to rivers, I mucked stalls, I bathed in the aforementioned rivers, I stepped on snakes, saw tornadoes and came to the conclusion that I suck at all that stuff except riding horses. 

8. I can't dance. I don't even think I can. But I love to do it. And watch it. Dancing With The Stars would be the perfect show if it weren't for that surprise ending, LOL.  The kids and I often take dance breaks during the day. My kids have rhythm too! But they don't get it from me... or Jesse. Strange really. (just teasing baby!)

9. I only watch stupid sitcoms-Scrubs, My Name is Earl, George Lopez, and 3rd Rock From the Sun. Titus was one of my all time favorites! I love stand up comedy and occasionally can be suckered in to something else, but if I am going to sit in front of the TV I better be laughing, other wise I might as well surf the net. I actually really like CSI and Without a Trace, but that whole surprise thing makes them almost torturous. 

10. Five is my favorite number. Blue is my favorite color. And Jesse is my favorite husband ;)

11. I don't drink at all anymore. It gives me an almost instant headache. I SO love pina colodas, sangria, cosmos and appletinis... But they hurt too much.  It's probably to do with CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease), but I'm not certain. Just know it hurts :(

12. I have been on a personal quest to be as honest and truthful as I can be ALL of the time for the last couple of years. When I first started paying attention I was amazed at how many small white lies or lies by omission I told to make life easier or to avoid confrontation or hurting someone's feelings. And I thought I was a pretty honest person! I still slip every so often... but I feel it like a dead weight on my heart when I do. I thought truth was a pretty grey area before embarking on this quest. I'm often surprised at how black and white it really is.  My motivation in the beginning was simple.... I wanted to honor my God who shows me Truth every day. In following this path I have grown and learned so much that I might have missed otherwise. It seems so simple, just tell the truth. But once you start to pay attention you realize that it's work to be honest, but it also makes life MUCH simpler. Nothing to remember, feel guilty about or justify. It also make decision making much easier.... if there is dishonesty involved, generally that's the answer I need. 

I think a dozen will do!

Going to Bed Now.... Honest ;)

Mercury In High Fructose Corn Syrup

We made a concerted effort to cut this out of our diets a couple of years ago and now I am SUPER glad we did!!! 

You would be surprised what this stuff is in-Breads (even whole wheat!), crackers, ketchup...  I find those HFCS commercials infuriating! How are you supposed to have something in 'moderation' that is in EVERYTHING?!

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2009/01/28/mercury-found-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html

There is a percentage of autistic children of whom parents are convinced are sensitive to the mercury in vaccines, that also respond very well to strict diets (Jenny McCarthy's son is one). I can't help but think that's not a coincidence. 

A Full Decade.... aka Talyn is TEN!

I can't believe 10 years flew by so quickly. I feel like the mom of a 4 year old and an infant... a ten year old... nope, not possible.

Talyn had a very nice birthday! He went to Friendly's with me, the girls, Greatie, Mr. Jim and Grandma (who flew in for a few days!). He got a remote control car from Mr. Jim that he couldn't wait to take home and try out on the frozen tundra that is our backyard! He got e-mail wishes and phone calls, cards and some money for his savings account (his doing! He doesn't want to spend it!). He also gets to go to a car show with Grandpa in the morning! He is up late playing video games with Daddy for a special treat. Speaking of special treats we got him a cupcake Cake from the local supermarket and not only was it Delish it was FUN! We fingerpainted with the primary color icing to make all kinds of cool colors and then the girls and I had a frosting food fight, LOL. I won. 

That "You'll Be Grounded for LIFE" card works every time. 

He has reminded me at least a dozen times today that in 3 years he will be a TEENAGER and go completely crazy, consequently causing me to sprout at least 5 more grey hairs!

In honor of our little man who is going to be taller than me very shortly,  here are some Talynism's

1. Ridiclee US (ridiculous)

2. Remembory (some strange memory and remember hybrid)

3. Tofogropher -still says this one!- (Photographer)

4. Ka SplO sion (explosion)

5. Baby Soup (bathing suit)

And Talyn's quote of the day... (mind you this is before my morning cup of coffee, so it was ESPECIALLY out of the blue). 

"If Daddy sat on my face and farted I would have to go to the hospital for 3rd degree burns"

Thanks Talyn :)

This is an amazing read...

More than worth the 60 seconds it will take to read it... 

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/01/480-guilt-trips.html

_________________________________________________________________

Things I Never Thought I Would Say...

Sylver, Go Teach Your Brother How To Burp...

Sylver responds with... Fake or Real?

Real.


This conversation actually happened today.

Talyn had an upset stomach and decided that burping would make it better, but he doesn't know how to burp on command. Sylver does, so problem solved.

And sadly enough, it really isn't the strangest conversation we have had around here... gas seems to be a popular topic among the vertically challenged people in our house.

Trinity's World

Things You Might Not Know About Trin....
1. She is left handed.... no one in my family is and Jesse says he thinks Bri might be. She switches back and forth pretty easily, though we don't ask her to.
2. She can do a split on command. Seriously. It makes Jesse and I cringe she drops so fast.
3. She is a little insecure-don't laugh!- She has developed typical middle child syndrome in the last 9 months.

Trinity's World

Tonight, while I ironed I overheard this charming little exchange...

Sylver "You Pretend Your Ariya and I'll Pretend I'm Mommy"

Trinity Throwing Herself Dramatically On The Floor

"Oohhh I'm Ariya and I'm Really Annoying"

I think we need to have a talk about feelings....

Again.

Our Creation Station and Sylver's Projects

While the weather outside is snowy, icey and VERY cold, I have been busy organizing our "Creation Station".... washing, ironing and putting away fabric, and learning how to use not only my embroidery machine, but my serger. I took my embroidery class on Saturday and it was wonderful! I can't wait to sew some new stuff to embroider! I have always been a sucker for embroidery so to be able to do it myself is just awesome!
Sylver has the space to the left of the third picture. Her fabrics, sewing box, book and machine are stored there. The right of our long table is my fabrics, embroidery thread and patterns. My Gram's VERY old sewing book is there, as well as a vintage iron. FYI, Vintage Irons work better than the new irons. They get hotter, last longer (up to 30 years!) and are heavier...but they don't have auto off so you can't leave them on! They have these really cool cloth cords and they just wear like.... well, like iron! The cutting table has my inspiration poster board, the cutting mat, and my embroidery machine.
You can see Sylver sewing up some car pillows for herself, her friends and her brother. She is patient, focused and has learned to thread her machine herself. FYI, her lips are blue from a ring pop and she lost her bottom right tooth, so she is sporting an slight but oh so adorable lisp right now! She informed me yesterday that she doesn't have a sweet tooth because they are ALL sttttthhhhweet. She is such a little candy fanatic!

Expert Seam Ripper (aka Adventures in Sewing)

I have taken up sewing... I got a sewing machine and lessons for my birthday and some more lessons and an embroidery machine for Christmas. My sewing was taking over our nourishment center (dining room) so Jesse put up a workspace for me in the basement and it's ON! LOL
This was my first real piece of clothing (the first one doesn't count!).
Alright, I will 'fess up. Part of my PPD is really bad insomnia. A couple of times a week I can' t take the lack of sleep anymore and I will take an ambien. Last week I had one of those nights and didn't go to bed... that is ALWAYS a mistake, LOL. Apparently I decided that I could be Donna Karan and whip up a shirt while talking on the phone with my sister. In the morning an entire spool of thread was gone, my seam ripper had run away screaming and there was something resembling floral roadkill on my sewing table. Let's just say it is a Sewing Hall of Shame Masterpiece. But, it all ended well, because I made a "normal" one that is only slightly messed up. Not bad for my first try!

Kitten Korner

Sammy (Tubby Toast) gave us 4 little ones a couple of weeks ago. Three big fat healthy babies and one that was so tiny in a moment of utter fear I actually asked the vet about putting her down. She was and is half the size of her siblings and she had no fur on her limbs until this week. I really didn't think she was going to make it. But she is thriving! Praise God! Here are some pictures of her with her big sister (who looks enormous next to her but is actually an average normal sized kitten!).

Sylver's Sharing Swing

Sometimes I feel that Sylver is at a disadvantage .... She isn't the Charismatic Wrecking Ball that Talyn is, the Charming Tornado Bulldozer Trin is or the Adorable Bundle of Fire Engine that Ari is. She is more like the swing in the backyard.... a lot of fun when you pay attention to her, but content to just kind of sway in the breeze until you notice her. She is quiet, kind, generous, trusting, truthful and selfless. She will give her loved ones the shirt off her back with joy. She is also fiery, indignant and LOUD when she notices that life isn't fair. She is moody and sensitive. She is incredibly smart and compassionate. She has a quirky sense of humor and isn't afraid to rival her siblings in gas contests (she belches the ABCs like a pro!). Most of all she is observant. She notices the little blessings in life and knows without any doubt who to thank for them. She notices when others need prayers and she acts on it. She sits at the knee of our Heavenly Father and asks for help for others and she doesn't call attention to it.  When we have our one on one mommy daughter dates I am always shocked at how much she has to say! I am thoroughly enjoying watching her grow in to a little lady. 

Some Things You Might Not Know About Sylver-

1. She kissed Ari yesterday and Ari said EWWWWWW. This made Sylver giggle and do it again. 

2. She quite certain she doesn't want to have babies-They are cute, but a LOT of work and kind of a pain.... oh, and HEAVY. (Thank Ari for that one!). And that whole business about how they get out is a deal breaker in her 8 year old opinion, LOL. 

3. When she was two years old she was walking up the stairs ahead of my BFF and she stopped when she was eye level with her. She turned around, touched Heather on the nose and said, "God Loves You and He Loves Me Too".  She wasn't a very clear speaker at that point, but she was crystal clear on that. 

4. She is VERY stubborn. Don't try to make her do something she doesn't want to with force, it makes her dig her heels in even more. I can't imagine where she gets that (JESSE). 

5. She loves to dance, sing and any kind of creative art (painting, fabric dye, sewing, drawing, crafting). She is shy though, so she generally won't do the singing and dancing unless she is feeling particularly bold. But she has great rhythm and a really sweet singing voice. 

Proof That Branding Works....

Standing in the Bathroom this Morning styling, yes styling, my son's hair we had the following conversation.

"Mom Why does that book say Pick Me U.P.S.?"

I turn to see the title of the book in the book basket is

" The Rainy Day Book. Pick Me UPS for Blue Days"

Snowing In The City

Today Jesse and I decided we wanted to do something outside of the normal weekend errands. The constant grey dreary of winter breeds this sort of "Road Trip!" mentality. We took Talyn, Sylver and Ari to South Street. Trinity stayed behind to spend the afternoon playing with her BFF. Trin is .... impulsive, so walking city streets with my little tornado-bulldozer is something I was happy to avoid. I wanted to check out "Fabric Row" (FWIW, not all that impressed) and the kids haven't really been to the city, outside of a couple of museums.  It wasn't as crowded as it normally is on a Saturday being that it is only 34 degrees out and the forecast was 1-3 inches of snow. Parking was easily found and the snow held off until we where headed home at 5 and wasn't bad at all once it did start. We bundled up, ate at a small South Street eatery (mediocre) and walked around. We admired the old cobblestone streets, the little secluded courtyards, the amazing building art, the glass tiled mosaic buildings, the people with mohawk and piercings (don't stare, please, just smile, and NO you can't have one), the one cool shop with giant ants "climbing" all over the front of it and visited a couple of eclectic shops. We "picked" icicles and Jesse delighted Talyn and Sylver by destroying them in new, fun ways. Jesse and I quietly laughed while deliberately redirecting curious eyes from the more risque shops. I was very glad to be there to shield their little eyes! Ari enjoyed the day snuggled up contentedly with Daddy and snoozed off and on. We didn't buy anything, outside of food, but that wasn't really the point. We all had rosy cheeks and a day spent together to store in the memory box in our hearts (and our blog!).  It was fun to find the beauty in the city. I really dislike the city, so living so close to such an old historic city is kind of wasted on me. Seeing it with the children and pointing out the ways that people find to make it beautiful was really eye opening for me, and I hope for them. It was easy to find the "yuck" but focusing on the really interesting things made it easier to find more of them! We found "adventure" in the things that adults tend to forget out. The ship graveyard and driving on top of a building (parking garage) where as cool and exciting for them as the stunning painted art that graces the sides of buildings. 

It's snow/sleeting now and the kids have been sent to bed twice... I'm sure at some point they will stay there. It's cozy and warm and we are very blessed. 

Thank You Heavenly Father for Your Grace. 

Trinity's World

Approximately 1 hour after I put the kids to bed for the 3rd time I hear.... what else? Trinity. 

Me, in a very irritated tone, 

"Trinity, WHY do I hear your voice?"

Trinity

"Ummmmmmmmm......." long drawn out sound while she ponders the answer to this very perplexing question.

Then victoriously "Cause I was talking!"

Forget it, after that I was laughing so hard along with Talyn and Sylver no reprimand would have been effective.

Talyn's Weekly Food For Thought....

The Scene....

The Liebmann Family Kitchen

Talyn- Dancing around in boxer's that are two sizes two small (someone PLEASE make that kid stop growing!) and singing "I'm Different Different Different And That's Alright With Me"

Me, shaking my head at his complete and utter self confidence and smiling, "Yes you are"

Talyn-Going completely still (this is an event in itself!) looks at me and says, "Mom, I AM different, and So are you... so is EVERYBODY.... so nobody's different!" 

I love that little goofball. 

Our First Family Blog...

I have reluctantly (read kicking, screaming, gnashing of teeth-anyone actually know how to gnash??) entered blog-dom.What can I say? I am a non-conformist's conformist... Yes, I did just say absolutely nothing right there. I do actually really hate to do anything just because everyone else is doing it (which is lame, because if everyone else is doing it, maybe it's worth checking out, right?) ... To be really honest I don't particularly care for blogging. One, because I don't find myself interesting enough to write about on a regular basis. Two, it's yet another thing to add to a list that seems to never end. And Three, because there has to be a three, it seems impersonal somehow. However, tonight, my son, as he so often does, said something I want to remember. Approximately 20 minutes later my husband's Mini-Me (Trin) did the same thing. So I figured, what better way to remember and share with those that will find them as fascinating and amusing as I do...

Here is the thing though... if you want to comment, please just e-mail me. Jesse and I where talking about how blogging can take away from personal interactions and I really don't want that! We are all spread out so much, as it is, I much prefer connecting one on one.