NaBloPoFAIL...

So, a few days after my big TWO blog posts in November, I remembered that it was...November. The first thing that threw off the blog "streak" was that I decided to redo our living room...we had a small budget for a new couch, so I reasoned that with an affordable enough sofa set, we could do a whole new room. My friend and co-worker Jessie is a painting FOOL. She loves it, and I love help. ;) One girl's night in, a few hours, and some amazing Greek pizza thrown in and TADAH! Our new digs...




I LOVE THIS ROOM. i honestly think that i might have been a notch happier every day for the last three years had the room always looked like this. *sigh* thanks to my wonderful gals who helped make it happen with me...whether they painted the ENTIRE room (even behind the tv) or helped arrange the pillows...it all meant a lot. As I was working on it around 1 a.m, the blog popped into my head and i just...you know...ignored it. it was embarrasing for a couple days, but i'm over it. I'm very proud of my fellow bloggers (the real ones!) who made it!

Adam and I celebrated our 5th anniversary in October and to surprise him, I had secretly been awaiting the arrival of a tiny female min-pin...his favorite dog. We actually picked her up on the right date, and I managed to keep it a secret until I walked out with her and placed her in his arms. He was so excited...it's nice to every now and then do something for the guy who puts up with all my crap. He and Ruby are a great match...she's still learning her way around the kids and i, but...we're getting there. ;)



Fast forward because this post bores me. Documenting the obvious stuff seems a little monotonous...We ate Thanksgiving dinner, got a tree, we've been shopping for gifts, threatening that Santa won't bring said gifts, working, school, ect...what's really got me wanting to blog again are the kids and how freaking funny they are every day. Some of the things that they do and say make me want to run screaming OR freeze time and never let them get any bigger.

This morning was typical...I hit snooze one too many times and got in a rush...Charlie is a good helper sometimes, but in the morning, he's molasses. I'm showering, getting ready, getting the kids dressed, and the whole time, he's stalling. Twice in the last month, we've been late enough that he was going to miss breakfast with his class, so we stopped for a quick breakfast burrito. (I realize that the snooze button is to blame for this lateness, not my kids...)So, this morning as we carefully drive to school not going a mile over the speed limit, ahem...he offers me "the troof"....he goes slow in the mornings because he WANTS THE BREAKFAST BURRITO. hahah....to quote "I like to be late 'cause the breakfast is better"....little manipulator! who knew?

He seems to be learning a ton in school. He's all into identifying dinosaurs right now. he's a fantastic artist. he uses words that i never would have expected he would know at 4 and a half. he understands things...he's SO VERY smart...and SO VERY....bad sometimes. Our little Elf on a Shelf does not faze this one when we're in a power struggle. He rarely backs down, and we've had way more tantrums and talking back than I'd hoped for this month. The Santa card is not really doing it's job...maybe he is smart enough to know...well, you know...Boy, I hope not. Ironically, despite his craziness at home, the boy was totally student of the month for November. I literally screamed when I read the announcement. So stinkin' proud. Here he is at his celebratory lunch.



Mallory is Charlie's mini-me. Every. Single. Thing. Charlie says or does, she has to repeat. She wants the same toys. (Hear that Santa....think SIMILAR)...she hops into bed with him every night before I have to drag her to her own room. In the morning she yells "HEYYYYY GAHKEYYYYY". Yeah....Gahkey. That's as close as we've gotten. :) But it's adorable. She's so affectionate right now and just...silly and fun. I really need to take some video of the two of them soon...Words can't do their cuteness justice.

Here they are with Adam at dinner aboout a month ago. :)



As for the littlest Beauchamp...Today makes 30 weeks in the oven! Getting really excited to meet this little girl. The holidays are making this pregnancy FLY and I know I'm going to spend most (all) of January in a panicked rush to get ready for Pie. (Who by the way, could become Piper Ann Ryan Beauchamp if the Falcons make the Super Bowl...according to her Daddy.)

So, here's a couple of silly pictures of the kids tonight at dinner...SPEAKING OF....my kids who rarely eat enough to keep a bird alive, LOVE my enchiladas. I don't know what it is...I made them last weekend and they scarfed them down. Made them again tonight and they were at my feet begging for dinner to be ready. Seriously?? Looks like we'll be whipping them up at least once a week. ;)

pitchers. :)

I figured I would use one of the first days of NaBloPoMo to update my photos here for posterity. These are all FB repeats, but I like having them in both places.

Fall Fun '10












Oh! A few weeks ago, I won tickets on the radio to Sesame Street Live. I was beyond excited to take the kids to Philips Arena for the first time, and they had a blast. It was even worth the ridiculously expensive souveniers and snacks...







Don't worry, America. Jess and I ventured to DC to restore sanity. All is well.








Yay, pictures!

*chirp.....chirp....chirp....*

Ugh, this is a shitty month to blog every day. I'm feeling more cynical than Denis Leary's standup comedy, and writing what I'm feeling would strike fear into the hearts of the masses. Maybe starting tomorrow I'll start taking essay suggestions so that I'm not left to my own devices. ;)

NaBloPoMo....Omg.

I've never even ATTEMPTED to participate in National Blog Post Month, even at the height of my bloginess. So, why I would dare to think that THIS would be the year to go for it, I have no idea. Maybe for the challenge. Maybe because I'm always talking to myself anyway, so I might as well record some of my rantings. Maybe because my blog is on life support. I think it's got permanent damage at this point. A Day At the Beauchamps won't ever be what it once was...When I look back at old posts, it seems like lifetimes have gone by, and yet it feels like yesterday. Maybe the reality of an actual timeline of my life is too scary. Being able to see it all go by is just another reminder that it is in fact, going by. Everything changes. On Facebook, I can whimsically update about little nothings and then go about my merry way, avoiding the permanence of whatever stupid thing I posted there. Here, I have grown up...and am still growing, some days more painfully than others. My babies are becoming kids. Things get hard, and through it all, it's still funny as hell most of the time. My blog used to be my safe place, but now feels a little scary and vulnerable. I hope this month will help that, and if it doesn't, then that's okay. It can be whatever it needs to be, and I'll still keep it around. I hope you'll be here, too. <3

Piper.

For the last few weeks, we've been waiting to go for another ultrasound at the specialist to learn more about Piper's umbilical cord situation. During that wait, I had another regular visit. I went in, I was tired, I wasn't thinking, and when they handed me a consent form for the AFP quad screen test, I signed it and gave a vial of blood. I wasn't even sure what test it was, but I vaguely remembered turning down all those tests with Mallory. I shrugged it off, but OF COURSE, the next Friday night at 10pm, I opened a letter from my OB saying that my test had come back abnormal and to please contact them AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Really, guys, a letter?
Although it was a little worrisome, I spent the weekend not thinking about it too much. I know of LOTS of people who've gotten that test back the same way and it's nothing. It's ultimately a screening, not a diagnostic, so it just lets parents know if their child is "at risk" for certain conditions. I went in on Monday and learned that we had results which put Piper at risk for Down's Syndrome. The doctor was very good about explaining that this was still rare, and that these results only prompt further testing, that we can take as far as we want, or refuse altogether. I agreed to go for genetic counseling and another ultrasound to look for physical characteristics, but was pretty sure we would not do the amnio test.
Yesterday was the appointment. In the waiting room, I randomly picked up a magazine, and randomly opened to an article about a mother giving birth to a baby girl with Down's Syndrome. It was odd, but reading it made me worry less. She had had no idea that it was a possibility.
Adam and I got to see Piper again and the tech who did the ultrasound told us everything she was doing. All her organs look great. Her heart is perfect. Her arms and legs measure right where they should. She has ten fingers and ten toes. She is still a girl. (I was concerned...haha) She is 3/4 a pound, and a wiggly little thing. She is beautiful.
Afterward, the doctor took us into his office and proceeded to ask us four thousand questions about our family history. He was SUCH a nice man, very patient with us and very thorough. He showed us our test results, which revealed that Piper has a 1 in 65 chance of having Down's. The average risk for a 30 year old woman is 1 in 952. He said sometimes these things can happen with no reason, whether or not there is a family history. He advised us on the amniocentesis...which is invasive, and while not as risky as some people believe, there's 1 in 500 risk of miscarriage. THAT number scared us much more than the 1 in 65. The ONLY advantage there is to knowing for sure is research. Time to learn all we can. But it's not worth the risk to me, and honestly, I don't feel a whole lot of urgency about knowing or not knowing. She's going to be fine, either way.

Adam said on the way home "I think if any parents were going to have to deal with this, we're really good ones for it." (How much do we love this guy?)
So, in conclusion, I'm not stressing the tests. We're proceeding as normal. The umbilical cord is perfectly fine as well, so Piper is getting everything she needs. Mama feeds her well. Everyone is getting excited. Adam taught Mal to say "hey, Pipuh!"
No need for a fuss here, I just wanted to share what we learned because, um, that's what I do. Everything is going to be great! We can't wait to meet you, little girl. :)

Not My Kid.

Like many of you, the news of the now five recent teen suicides has been heavy on my mind lately. The night that 13-year old Seth Walsh died, I lay in bed for hours trying to sleep, unable to stop my mind from going back to that boy and his family. 13 years old. 8th grade.



I don't need to explain how horribly unfair it is...that these kids suffer SO MUCH that they are finding the ability to put guns to their heads and pull the trigger. Or to hang themselves by a rope and let go. That those acts, which are some of the most terrifying things I can imagine, are easier for them than going to school. I think everyone I know and have talked to agrees with that. This isn't a split issue, and if you think it is, then please, seek help, because you are seriously messed up inside.

My initial thought was "What would happen if that was my child?" I'm sure most of us thought that as well. To imagine your child being bullied like that...these precious children that we try so hard to protect from every hurt. It's hard to fathom what that must feel like.

My next thought was "What if my child was the bully?"

That really made me think...What does it feel like for THOSE parents? I don't necessarily think that they must be horrible people who taught their children to be hateful on purpose. I know firsthand that kids, even kids with great parents, can be cruel. I'm sure there are some kids, however, who are learning some of this behavior at home. I'm not really sure how to picture it. Do these parents openly TELL their children that being gay is wrong, or weird...something to be teased for? Or do they make the subject so taboo that kids interpret it as "strange"? Why isn't it changing yet? Are there parents out there who PURPOSELY teach their children to hate? If not there, then where is it coming from?

I wonder if the parents feel torn between guilt over what's happened and defending their child, who is inevitably the villain in these scenarios. I would imagine so...of course, you love your child, but how do you come to terms with the fact that another life is lost, in part because of their actions. Are any of them in denial that it's partially their fault?

I personally think that bullies, for the most part, have low self esteem. They do it to make themselves feel better, to take on a position of power against someone else. If you suspected your child of being a bully at school...what would you do?

I could sit here all day and wonder, but it won't help. There are tons of questions, but no real answers. All I can do is try to help...we can all do that. As parents, or future parents, it is our responsibility to instill in them that teasing is never okay. These children that are dying are OUR children. The bullying is starting somewhere, and I hate to point fingers, but seriously, who better to prepare our kids than us? If we're not sitting down and having conversations with our children and using words like "different", "compassion", and "equal", then we need to start, now.

My kids will never grow up thinking that there is anything wrong with "gay". With wearing what they want, walking the way that comes naturally to them, speaking in their given voice, loving whomever they choose, with being their genuine selves, and nothing more. They WILL however, grow up KNOWING that it is wrong to belittle, to tease, to call names, to cyber-bully, to prank people who seem different than they are.

Some of us parents have no idea which category our kids will fall into, if any. We may be raising the bully. We may be raising the victim. HOW SCARY IS THAT? How awe-inspiring is it that we can change it?

I URGE my fellow parents and future parents to talk to your children. Don't treat homosexuality like some awful secret or something to be feared. Even if your religious beliefs lead you to believe it's "wrong", don't ever, ever, ever use that as an excuse to allow disrespect to their peers. This conversation will also open the door for them to come to you if they ever feel they themselves have questions about their own sexuality. Some of these kids become victims because they are afraid that thier parents won't support them, so they don't ask for help.

It's not being gay that's killing childen...it's the shame that they feel keeping it secret.

Wouldn't you rather have open honesty with your child than force them to hide something that could lead to their ultimate self destruction? I think that, for me, that would feel like nothing more than absolutely failing my child.

Here's what I propose. Although it feels like there isn't a lot we can do about this problem, the answer is staring us in the face, every day...(literally). Our kids.
Make the decision to be a proactive parent. Don't wait until there's a problem, and their school is calling you, to talk to them about bullying. I ask you to (yeah, I totally stole this from Oprah) to pledge to talk to your kids. If you don't have them yet, pledge to do it when the time comes. Open the door to the conversation and never close that door.

Print the Pledge. Sign it. Do a self portrait with it, post it, share it, be an example.
Please? It might seem silly. If there's even a chance that we can help each other remember to teach our children how to treat one another, then I'll risk looking silly. This is what we signed up for when we decided to raise the future.

Click here to find the Pledge on Facebook.

how to make an angry hormonal woman die laughing.

today has been one of "those"...i started out in a great mood, and gradually let myself spiral into a frenzy of self pity and silly anger. nothing was THAT bad, so i (as usual) blame hormones. when i met charlie's bus this afternoon, however, i got the sweetest surprise and the best laugh.

CF confesses to most every crime and misdemeanor he commits on his own. yesterday on the way to school he told me that he had stuck the plunger on the wall in the bathroom. i was confused because i hadn't seen it, but i told him thanks for telling me and not to do it again.

so, today in his bookbag, i find this card...







i laughed SO HARD. i asked him why he'd wanted to make a card for it, and he said "i just felt so bad about it. mario does it, so i was just trying to be like mario." i told him again that it wasn't a big deal, but i'm so glad i have this card to hang onto for the next million years. what a great way to cheer up a crazy mama.

road trip?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

*calculates hours in the car vs. hours at the rally* *makes mental list of snacks and treats to keep the kids happy* *ponders clever signage options* *investigates hotel points*

i think i need to be there!

Fall-ish

I swear it's close...you can feel it in the air between the hours of 7 a.m and 10 a.m, and then again overnight. the rest of the time, it's still very much summer. we learned this yesterday at our town's annual festival, Buggy Days. (at one point, we were apparently a huge manufacturer of buggies. obvs.) i actually got sunburned and Charlie was so wiped out that he rode in the stroller. it was HOT. but we had a blast. Kids' park, great festival food....(fried green tomatoes and kettle corn) and a lot of really great craft vendors. both kids got a prize and bounced until we feared overheating. after the parade, we headed home to get some MUCH needed rest, then ventured back for the Pig Chase at the old football field. this is something that's been happening here for years, and i had never been. i wouldn't have been able to imagine the amount of people who were there. it was craziness. there are different age groups who chase a piglet around the field until someone catches it. of course, the prize is...the pig.

when CF heard about the chase earlier that day, he let us know that he really wanted to do it, and that he was going to win the pig. we thought it would be good for him to participate, but we kept on pushing the "it's not about winning, just have fun" speech. we settled in the stands until they called his group. because they are younger, Adam got to go down to the field and stand with him before the race. there were SO many kids. i started to get nervous, thinking that there is no way they would all get out of this uninjured.

for whatever reason, this little piggie didn't give much chase. but the fastest kid got there first and pinned it. of course, that kid was Charlie. the crowd was gathered around so much that we couldn't really tell at first, but the people around us in the stands were already cheering and telling me that he'd won. sure enough, adam broke through the crowd, carrying the proudest looking boy i'd ever seen, who was carrying a ticket. Charlie told the story to everyone around us and was so sweet about the whole thing. then we had to decide what to DO about the pig. i felt sure that it would be one of those things we embark on that turn out to be a huge mistake. so, after getting the champ's approval, we decided to sell the pig. now CF is the proud owner of prize money, and the reputation of being the fastest 4 year old in town. ;)

here's a little video i got of the chase...look for the red shirt in the middle of the crowd.













the night BEFORE, we were able to take the kids to Atlanta to see the Sesame Street Live show for the first time. all thanks to my love of Aretha's Freeway of Love. I won tickets about a week ago by being the 8th caller and knowing that song title. i have NEVER won anything off the radio, and when it happened, i was screaming so much that i'm sure people driving past thought i had won the lotto. i was SO excited to be able to take the kids. we don't have a lot (er, any) extra money to buy tickets to things like that these days, so it was great timing. the kids loved eating dinner in the giant CNN Center food court and were in awe of the show, dancing the whole time. so, we've had two busy, awesome family days that none of us will soon forget.







this weekend made me even more excited to do things with the kids this fall...all the fair and corn mazes we can stand. they are at such FUN ages. along with the fun does come some (lots of) defiance and energy, but we are getting better at handling it and diffusing tantrums. Charlie starting school has proved to be a HUGE advantage for him. in just a couple of months, he has learned so much. he can now write his name alone, he's writing simple math problems out on the magnadoodle, and he's (wait for it) saying "yes, maam" and the like ON HIS OWN. he sits for long spells just looking at books by himself and "reading". he memorizes songs even faster than before. yesterday he requested the Talking Heads "don't touch me, i'm a real live wire"....haha. the kid's still got taste.

Here we are, Sunday morning, a much needed day to recover from our rock star family weekend. we're visiting my parents, and rumor has it that my mom is making some of my favorite things for lunch. need i say more??

it's Sunday again!

Nah, it's Monday morning. Other than Adam being gone (headed to Cali for work) it feels like a perfect Sunday morning. Labor Day rules. Our holiday plans include : pajamas, grocery store, cartoons, grilled cheese and soup, laundry, and playing with Lanie, the chihuahua puppy we are dog-sitting for this week. She's Jessie's puppy...Jessie and her husband are off on a week long cruise....alone....no kids. I'm not jealous. Not even a lil' bit. ;)

Adam is in LOVE with Lanie. He's already mentioned some evil schemes to keep her here. He's been cuddled up with her since she got here, and calls her his tiny baby. Ha. It's the cutest thing ever, and also ridiculously funny. Don't worry, Jessie, we'll make sure Lanie gets home safe and sound. But Adam may try to move in with you.



This weekend has been a great time for the most part. Friday morning started earlier that usual, because we had our big ultrasound appointment about 45 minutes north. We got there and waited another HOUR before being called back, but I was too excited to mind. The ultrasound equipment was amazing...a large tv screen positioned over my head so that Adam and I could see it better, and it was the clearest one we've ever seen. The tech was very thorough, showing us organs, head size, little fingers and toes, and finally, she asked if we wanted to know the sex. Wellyeah. I think it would be great fun to wait and be surprised, but come on. I could never ever be so patient. So the next thing we got to see on the U/S were....girly bits! yay! we have another lil sis on the way. Piper Ann Beauchamp. She is already so lovely.

After the tech was finished and I was sitting up, there was a moment of "uh'oh". She mentioned that I was to come back in 4 weeks for another ultrasound with a doctor present. She explained that the umbilical cord should have 3 chambers, and it looks like mine only has 2. Of course, I started spouting out questions like "is that common? what are the risks? is she ok?" She was very nice, but very vague, seeming to not want to worry us until we know for sure that that's what's going on. So, of course, I Googled. It appears that single umbilical artery has it's share of risks, but that in MOST cases, the babies are born perfectly healthy. We'll know more after October 1st, but for now, let's send out some good thoughts and prayers that Piper is getting everything she needs. I'm honestly not worried at this point. She looks great and right on track for her very young age.



After that we decided to have some friends over to cook out. We haven't done that as much this summer, thanks to our hermitage, and it was a lot of fun. I love watching our kids play together. The food and the company were both a perfect way to say bye-bye to summer.





Saturday the bestie came down with her son, Chase, who happens to be Charlie's idol and best, best friend. We had played outside all day. Rode bikes at the park, did a little geocaching, stopped for fresh fruit. All of this was set to the most beautiful weather I have seen in months. Bright blue sky, warm but crisp air, the perfect temperature. The only sucky party (ba dum bum) was the 4 million mosquitoes that I provided lunch for at the park. OUCH.



Yesterday we hung out at my parents most of the day. Laying on a blanket under a shady tree, throwing the baseball, eating even MORE amazing food with the family...another perfect afternoon.

And here we are, almost back to the real world, but not quite. One more day to play before reality sets in. As a mom with a kid in school, I'm REALLY seeing how great these 3-day weekends are. Bring on Fall Break! ;)

Happy Labor Day to all y'all!