Shayne Elizabeth

Even when she is sleeping she looks like her mommy!! This Saturday she will be 8 weeks old.

I forgot to mention....

Through all of this (broken arms, sick Abby, appointments up the ass) Tommy has been a real trooper. He has pitched in and helped out in so many ways. He washed the dishes last night (I have dishpan hands.....I needed a break!), he takes out the garbage, helps with the laundry and even helps his brothers out. Last night he made toast for Nate (although Nate is capable of making toast for himself....he gets crumbs in his cast...which is gross).

I just wanted to clarify that.....Tommy is an A+ kid and I am lucky to have him!!!!

Sorry, I am not a good story teller

Apparently I forgot to tell you how Jamie broke his arm! Thanks Barbara for pointing that out.

As you all remember, Nate broke his at football practice (no surprise there since he spends (or spent) 5 days a week practicing). Jamie on the other hand....my non-athletic child, was hanging out at Burger King with his friends. (*an aside here: I really dislike the whole "hanging out" thing...I know he is 16 and that is what 16 year olds do....but also, he is 16 and 16 year olds get into trouble when they are "hanging out"*). His friend Matt drives a pick-up truck (a big red ugly truck)...his other friend's "drive" skateboards and bicycles. So Jamie borrowed the skateboard (since he doesn't have a license and can't borrow the truck) and was goofing around. One thing led to another (remember....non-athletic) and he landed palm down (after hitting his head). When you land, full body weight, onto the palm of your hand (and you are adult size.....5'9" 175lbs) you tend to BREAK BONES. So that is how he broke his arm/wrist. And to clarify something else....he actually broke both bones (the ulna and radius) in his left arm. The break in the ulna was really just a fracture...that will heal just fine with a cast. It's the break in the radius that has us worried (still).

He has another appointment at Children's Hospital Boston (Waltham campus) tomorrow where we will find out more. It has come to my attention that his pinky "isn't right" and the whole back of his hand is bruised (and swollen) still, after 2 weeks. This has me slightly concerned. But, they are taking this cast off and he's having xrays before they put another one on. I guess that means we will ("we" meaning the doctors) be able to get a close up look at it. I mean, it very well might be normal...what do I know? He had some soft tissue damage as well, so it could be related to that.

So there you go, the rest of the story (which has a moral.......you shouldn't hang out in parking lots with friend's who use skateboards...especially if you are impulsive and un-athletic).

A few pictures that sum up my life right now

It's been hectic here to say the least. I have been meaning to post a REAL post (and not some lame meme) but haven't had the time or brain capacity.....but, I've got a fully charged battery (literally and figuratively) and a few minutes free.

So, the kids went and broke a few arms. If it wasn't so blatantly true then I would think it was a joke.......two friggin' kids with broken arms. Both the left arm and both the radius. Jamie's is worse....he almost required surgery. Nate, who weighs 93 pounds (with the cast), plays football with kids that weigh 165 pounds.....need I say more? There must be a math formula for force (f) + Weight (w) x resistance (r) = broken bone (b)...f+w(r)=b.....My son was tackled from behind (clean shot...he was carrying the ball) and then a bunch of players (his own teammates...this was at practice) kind of fell on him. The radius was SNAPPED in 2..... So here I am, cleaning raw chicken (I live such a glamorous life, no?) and I hear the familiar footsteps of Bill....but it's an hour before practice ends.....and the words, "it's broken". I didn't even need to turn around and see which kid he was referring to. Why? Because this is the fourth broken arm Nate has had (fifth if you include the broken clavicle from last summer). Off to the hospital to have it set (and get some morphine, which Nate doesn't like...it makes him silly and it makes him puke). After they sedated him, set the arm, casted it and made us wait until the sedation wore off, we were free to go.

Fast forward 6 days. I was just getting used to helping my teenage son, with a cast to his armpit, use the shower, tie his shoes, put on his deodorant (like I said, the glamorous life) and other assorted shitty things when I get a panicked phone call from Jamie. He's screaming into the phone and crying hysterically (yes...he is 16.5 years old...yes he screamed and cried like a baby...no he doesn't care if you laugh at him). I rushed home to find him freaking the f*ck out. He was in panic mode, screaming and yelling and pacing. After I slowed him down and looked at his arm.....I almost lost my shit. The bone was poking against the skin, his hand was distorted and his fingers were turning purple. Off to the hospital we go (in hind sight, we should have called 911). After Xrays, exams, morphine (which Jamie liked.....maybe a little too much), belligerent cursing and a doctor who wouldn't even touch him, we were transferred via ambulance to Children's Hospital in Boston for possible surgery. No surgery, just sedation (like Nate) and setting, cast, sling, waiting for the sedation to wear off and waiting for the hallucinations to stop....we finally were able to go home.

A summary:

1. Nate will have the long cast for 4 weeks, a short cast for 2 weeks and a brace for 2 weeks




2. Jamie will have the long cast for 6 weeks, a short cast for 2 weeks, a brace for a period of time not known at this point and physical therapy.




3. They have both figured out a way to get along with life....showering, tying their shoes, buttoning their own pants etc.




4. It sucks for me because now I have to do the dishes.




5. I have spent about $250 this month in insurance co-pays....

Moving on....

What you see in that picture is Abby's throat. Those are her tonsils touching (and her green tongue.....wonder what she was eating). This has been a monthly thing with her.....weird viruses that settle in her tonsils giving her a high fever, swollen glands that you can SEE and tonsils that swell up, turn red and get all puss like. We go through the motions testing for Mono, but it's never that. And to top it all off, it lasts for 10 days at a time. It slowly wears off and then we have a few good weeks only to start it all over again. We still need to get her 100% better so we can get her a hearing tested (did I tell you that she is having problems hearing?).

It's tough being a princess...... This picture is cute but sad, here she is all dressed up like a princess yet she can't keep her poor eyes open because these viruses kick the shit out of her. She falls asleep at 6:00 PM and sleeps through the night until 9:00 AM the next morning.

And to add insult to injury....Nate failed the eye exam at school. What the hell, what's one more appointment? That is my planner page for October..... Not included on the page is Tommy's teacher conferences on the 24th... That is just the "extra" stuff this month....not including the regular crap (like football practice Tues. - Friday or the 2 football games each weekend etc.) that we do on a regular basis.

And Billy wonders why I insisted he take me out on Tuesday for a margarita!

Another MEME

I have stole this meme from Karen.

37 things about me.

1. Do you like blue cheese? yummy!
2. Have you ever smoked cigarettes? nope
3. Do you own a gun? have no desire to
4. What Kool Aid flavor was your favorite? didn't really like Kool Aid
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not usually
6. What do you think of hot dogs? They are OK
7. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Pepsi or coffee
9. Can you do push ups? no, not even 1 (I tried)
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring, which is made with my Mother in-laws diamond
11. Favorite hobby? Knitting, sewing and using coupons
12. Do you have A.D.D.? No
13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? yes, glasses
14. Middle name? Lee
15. Name three thoughts at this exact moment? a. I need to switch the laundry over into the dryer b. I have a tickle in my throat c. Abby should be hungry, I need to make lunch.
16. Name three drinks you drink regularly. Pepsi, water, coffee
17. Current worry? the economy and how it's going to or has affected us
18. Current hate right now? Tampa Bay Rays....they are kicking our a$$es in the playoffs
19. Favorite place to be? CVS.
20. How did you bring in the New Year? complaining about my busted car
21. Where would you like to go? Arizona
22. Name three people who will complete this? no idea
23. Do you own slippers? yes
24. What shirt are you wearing? gray t-shirt
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No, too slippery
26. Can you whistle? not really
27. Favorite color? orange
28. Would you be a pirate? um, no....but my boys would
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing....ever
30. Favorite girls name? Abby
31. Favorite boys name? William
32. What's in your pocket right now? nothing
33. Last thing that made you laugh? my daughter
34. What vehicle do you drive? Ford pick-up truck
35. Worst injury you ever had? Broke my leg (several times)
36. Do you love where you live? not really.....it's convenient, but I don't LOVE it
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2

The Sprinkleheads

My niece Devyn is almost 5. She only knows my last name by hearing it, not by reading it. So the other night she was trying to explain to my sister that she was going to mail me (Auntie) and Uncle Billy some cards and that she was going to use one envelope and address it to The Sprinkleheads. My sister had to ask her several times, "What? What did you say?" because she thought she heard wrong. Nope, she heard right, except for all these years Devyn has heard wrong! She really thinks our last name is Sprinklehead.....

In honor of her and her creative hearing we will now be the Sprinklehead family!!

If you don't know me personally, then you probably don't know my last name.....it's Spengler.

Spengler....Sprinklehead.....I can see (hear) the resemblance...