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...

Two posts in one day!

I stole this meme from Becky . It looked kind of fun so here goes!



The rules:

A.) Go to Music Outfitters

B.) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year

C.) Bold the songs you like, strike through the ones you hate and underline your favorite. Do nothing to the ones you don’t remember (or don’t care about)



1. Look Away, Chicago

2. My Prerogative, Bobby Brown

3. Every Rose Has Its Thorn, Poison

4. Straight Up, Paula Abdul

5. Miss You Much, Janet Jackson

6. Cold Hearted, Paula Abdul

7. Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler

8. Girl You Know Its True, Milli Vanilli

9. Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird, Will To Power

10. Giving You The Best That I Got, Anita Baker

11. Right Here Waiting, Richard Marx

12. Waiting For A Star To Fall, Boy Meets Girl

13. Lost In Your Eyes, Debbie Gibson

14. Don't Wanna Lose You, Gloria Estefan

15. Heaven, Warrant

16. Girl I'm Gonna Miss You, Milli Vanilli

17. The Look, Roxette

18. She Drives Me Crazy, Fine Young Cannibals

19. On Our Own, Bobby Brown

20. Two Hearts, Phil Collins

21. Blame It On The Rain, Milli Vanilli

22. Listen To Your Heart, Roxette

23. I'll Be There For You, Bon Jovi

24. If You Don't Know Me By Now, Simply Red

25. Like A Prayer, Madonna

26. I'll Be Loving You (Forever), New Kids On The Block

27. How Can I Fall?, Breathe

28. Baby Don't Forget My Number, Milli Vanilli

29. Toy Solider, Martika

30. Forever Your Girl, Paula Abdul

31. The Living Years, Mike + the Mechanics

32. Eternal Flame, The Bangles

33. Wild Thing, Tone Loc

34. When I See You Smile, Bad English

35. If I Could Turn Back Time, Cher

36. Buffalo Stance, Neneh Cherry

37. When I'm With You, Sheriff

38. Don't Rush Me, Taylor Dayne

39. Born To Be My Baby, Bon Jovi

40. Good Thing, Fine Young Cannibals

41. The Lover In Me, Sheena Easton

42. Bust A Move, Young M.C.

43. Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Great White

44. Batdance, Prince

45. Rock On, Michael Damian

46. Real Lov, Jody Watley

47. Love Shack, B-52's

48. Every Little Step, Bobby Brown

49. Hangin' Tough, New Kids On The Block

50. My Heart Can't Tell You No, Rod Stewart

51. So Alive, Love and Rockets

52. You Got It (The Right Stuff), New Kids On The Block

53. Armageddon It, Def Leppard

54. Satisfied, Richard Marx

55. Express Yourself, Madonna

56. I Like It, Dino

57. Soldier Of Love, Donny Osmond

58. Sowing The Seeds Of Love, Tears For Fears

59. Cherish, Madonna

60. When The Children Cry, White Lion

61. 18 And Life, Skid Row

62. I Don't Want Your Love, Duran Duran

63. Second Chances, .38 Special

64. The Way You Love Me, Karyn White

65. Funky Cold Medina, Tone Loc

66. In Your Room, Bangles

67. Miss You Like Crazy, Natalie Cole

68. Love Song, Cure

69. Secret Rendesvous, Karyn White

70. Angel Eyes, Jeff Healey Band

71. Patience, Guns N' Roses

72. Walk On Water, Eddie Money

73. Cover Girl, New Kids On The Block

74. Welcom To The Jungle, Guns N' Roses

75. Shower Me With Your Love, Surface

76. Stand, R.E.M .

77. Close My Eyes Forever, Lita Ford

78. All This Time, Tiffany

79. After All, Cher and Peter Cetera

80. Roni, Bobby Brown

81. Love In An Elevator, Aerosmith

82. Lay Your Hands On Me, Bon Jovi

83. This Promise, When In Rome

84. What I Am, Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians

85. I Remember Holding You, Boys Club

86. Paradise City, Guns N' Roses

87. Iwanna Have Some Fun, Samantha Fox

88. She Wants To Dance With Me, Rick Astley

89. Dreamin', Vanessa Williams

90. It's No Crime, Babyface

91. Poison, Alice Cooper

92. This Time I Know It's For Real, Donna Summer

93. Smooth Criminal, Michael Jackson

94. Heavan Help Me, Deon Estus

95. Rock Wit'cha, Bobby Brown

96. Thinking Of You, Sa-fire

97. What You Don't Know, Expose

98. Surrender To Me, Ann Wilson and Robin Zander

99. The End Of The Innocence, Don Henley

100. Keep On Movin', Soul II Soul


Wow, what a trip down memory lane. Some things I realized about the year 1989.....the music sucked! And who the heck is Karyn White? Why don't I know this music artist from 1989 who had a few hits? I also realized I don't like Madonna, I like Gun's and Roses and I really need to download Buffalo Stance ASAP!

Totally Random stuff

1. Today is September 11.....I can't believe it has been 7 years already. Always remember, never forget.
2. I am a simple person. I maybe, sometimes get a little excited over small things. Like the new magic markers I bought for Abby yesterday. The covers are soooo easy to snap on. I used to always only buy Crayola. You have to admit, they are the 'superior' magic marker. But of course, my frugalness (or cheapness, however you want to look at it) usually dictates what I buy these days. So I was at Office Max last night picking up a few things for work and a few last minute things for Jamie (a new scientific calculator....the 3 rd one since 7th grade). I happened to walk by the clearance section (oh, who am I kidding?! I didn't just happen to walk by, I walked by on purpose) and noticed these cute markers.....Office Max brand. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality....and of course the easy snap on covers.
3. I just got a call from a friend. She is involved in newspaper sales....I love newspapers. Do you know why? Because newspapers have coupons in them and I LOVE coupons. So she was telling me how she has all these newspapers in her garage. Apparently the distributor doesn't want them back when they haven't sold. He says to just recycle them. So she is giving them all to me!! And that means I will have lots and lots of coupons (there goes that "simple person" thing again)!!!! I can't wait to tell Louise ("Hi Louise"). And since this is a weekly thing for my newspaper friend, I can have the extras every Sunday. EVERY SUNDAY!
4. I was thinking that maybe I would start another blog. I wanted to have a designated space to post my good deals. Some of my "many" readers ("Hi Barbara"! I think you are the only one who reads regularly.....oh, and maybe Mary does too, "Hi Mary"!) might not know that I am a coupon using, deal getting, money saver. I spend very little (really, like $notverymuch dollars) per week/month/year on groceries, toiletries, clothing etc. I want to share my knowledge as well as have a portal to document these deals. I'll let you know what I decide....
5. I still knit. I knit alot. I want to post more of my crafting/art things here on the blog. I have made 2 baby sweaters and a pair of mittens and quite a few pairs of socks this summer.

I hear someone calling my name.....oh crap, it's the 35,000,000 loads of laundry calling me! I have figured out how to feed my family for pennies but I can't figure out how to decrease my LPW (Loads Per Week).......Any hints?

I am pleased to introduce....

Shayne Elizabeth

Born: 8/30/08 at 4:20 AM

Weight and height: 9 lbs. 1 oz. 20 1/2 inches long

So, yup, my sister had her 4th daughter this morning!! She is a cutie. More pictures later!

It's been too long...

Sorry about that, time got away from me. Things have been hectic around here lately... So, to fill you in how about a little list...or a big list...

1. Abby is sick. She has conjunctivitis (or, "gingivitis" if you ask her). On top of that she must have some sort of virus because she also has a fever. Fun stuff trying to get eye drops in. It took 4 people last night for her first dose. I held her arms down with my body, pulled her lid down and put the drops in and Billy, Nate and Tommy hovered around and got in my way (see, 4 people).
2. On the plus side, one dose of eye drops and her eyes are looking a little better!
3. The kids start school tomorrow!!!! And not a moment too soon....have I mentioned how looooong the summers are for me?
4. Nate and Tommy started football a few weeks ago. I noticed as they get older they get smellier...I need to stock up on deodorant (there must be a sale on Speedstick somewhere right?).
5. My neighbors to the right are absolutely driving me nuts. Noisy, noisy, noisy! During the week, when my kids are trying to sleep, they blast their music...horrible techno music, really loud. And today, at 7:00 AM, they decided to replace the roof and block my driveway and wake up my sick daughter......
6. I love our new oral surgeon. He didn't kill my husband and my husband didn't kill him....all is good.
7. I realized that women are very catty...and I don't like it. Over the last 3 weeks I have had some "woman" issues and needed to go back and forth to my gyno. They recently combined 2 of their offices and now have a huge open office, with very little privacy. It urked me to no end that the whole waiting area now knows my name, address, birthday and phone number....not to mention why I was there in the first place. And as if that wasn't bad enough, I had to sit and listen to the office workers chew apart their coworkers who were obviously not present....And one secretary was really mad at her mother because she was trying to take over the renovations to her house and she was mad at her father because he bought the wrong paint....on and on and on this went. It was horrible. But at least I love my CNM and the nurses are very professional.
8. Abby cut her hair again........while I was at the CNM......she now has a "bob". It looks cute but is too short for ponytails....we worked hard to get it long enough for ponytails since she got it "fixed" last time she cut it.....I am saddened by this.
9. I haven't read nearly as many books this summer as in summers past. I knit more though, so that's a good thing.

I know, boring list..but that's my life in a nutshell, BORING!

Proud Mom Survey

I totally stole this from Mary...I hope you don't mind!!

Proud Mom Survey

1. Names? James Michael, Nathaniel Guy, Thomas William, Abigail Helen Rose
2. Birthdays? April 12, 1992, June 7, 1995, June 17 1998, February 15, 2004
3. Time of birth? 8:07 PM, 11:36 PM, 12:43 AM, 10:46 PM
4. How long did labor last? 17 hours, 12 hours, 2 hours, 4 hours
5. Who was in the room? with Jamie: My Mom, sister Brenda, and 2 other unmentionables. with Nate: Billy, with Tommy: Billy and Brenda, with Abby: Billy
6. How long did you push? Jamie: 4 hours, Nate: 20 minutes, Tommy: 5 minutes, Abby: one big push!
7. Weights? Jamie: 9 lbs. 4 oz, Nate: 8 lbs 2 oz., Tommy: 8 lbs 14 oz., Abby: 7 lbs 13 oz
8. Any hair? Not much for the boys but Abby was hairy like a monkey!
9. Who does your baby look like? Jamie: my dad, Nate: me, Tommy: a clone of Billy and Abby looks like both of us.
10. Be honest...how much weight did you gain while pregnant? Jamie: 60 pounds, Nate: 30 pounds, Tommy: zero and Abby: zero
11. Was baby early or late? 2 days late with Jamie, 4 days early with Nate, on my due date with Tommy and 8 days early with Abby (the last 2 were self-induced......casteroil method)
12. Who drove you home from the hospital? Mom, Billy, Billy, Billy
13. How many baby showers did you have? 4
14. Did you breastfeed? no
15. Who keeps your baby the most? me of course
16. When do you wanna have another? I'd love one more (but I am getting too old....)
17. How did you pick the name? All the first names we chose were because we liked them. The middle names went like this...Jamie: Michael for me, Nate: Guy for Billy's best friend and Nate's godfather, Tommy: William for Billy, Abby: Helen for Billy's mom and Rose for my mom and grandmother.
18. How did you know it was time to go the hospital? With Jamie I thought my water broke (it didn't)...they kept me anyway because I was in labor, with Nate the contractions were so painful I couldn't breathe, with Tommy they had me come in right away because I induced my labor (with permission from my midwife) and it was a good thing because my labor lasted only 2 hours! With Abby they had me come in right away partly because with Tommy my labor was so short...they thought I would end up having her at home.
19. Anyone spend the first night with you at the hospital? Nope
20. Did you cry the first time you held your baby? No, for various reasons. Jamie...I was emotionally drained from 4 hours of pushing, with Nate I just didn't, with Tommy I was "under the influence" of some wacky stuff and was delirious and with Abby I was so relieved (it hurt so bad) I could only cheer!
21. Who cut the cord? Bren, Doctor, Bren, Midwife
22. Where was the baby born? the first 2 at Beth Israel Deaconess, the second 2 at South Shore Hospital
23. Did you record the labor? Pictures, nothing, pictures, nothing

Sunshine on a cloudy day

This morning when Abby woke up she tiptoed out into the living room (where the rest of us were, already awake). She always enters the room and waits in the doorway for me to say it.... Today was no different....she waited until I said, "Hey Sunshine, good morning!!! Did you have a nice sleep?". And then she ran to into my arms for some morning snuggles and kisses.

Lately I have been calling her Sunshine and since I have a habit (I won't say a BAD habit...) of nicknaming my kids, I have been calling her "Sunshine on a cloudy day". Silly, of course. This morning when I called her "Sunshine" she looked right at me and said, "It's Sunshine on a cloudy day..". Um, OK, now she wants to be called Sunshine on a Cloudy Day..I am OK with that. Thank goodness I wasn't calling her Breathe of Fresh Air or Sight for Sore Eyes....that would be way to silly.

Challenger Crossword puzzles are sooooo easy!!!

Well, it's no secret, my kids are smart. Abby is the smartest! Can you believe, that at 4 years old, she can complete a Challenger Crossword Puzzle? The proof is in the pictures!





Cute huh? I love crossword puzzles. Sometimes I indulge myself and purchase a Dell Crossword Magazine. I should buy them more often, especially now that the kids are getting older and able to complete the "Easy" ones with a little help from mom and dad. Abby was smitten with the little squares (her art has been very geometric and squiggly lately...I should photograph some of her pictures...very abstract).

She's such a ham!

My little Abby, she sure does love to pose for the camera!

10 Favorite Movie Characters

This is doing to be easy...I love movies!!

1. Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) (of course!!), "Forrest Gump"



2. Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman), "Rain Man"



3. Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding and Andy Dufresne (Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins), "The Shawshank Redemption"



4. Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler......a guilty pleasure), "Happy Gilmore"



5. Sybil Dorsett (Sally Field), "Sybil"



6. Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet), "Titanic"



7. Lt. Daniel Kaffee and Col. Nathan R. Jessep (Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson), "A Few Good Men"



8. Farmer Ted, "The Geek" (Anthony Michael Hall), "16 Candles"



9. Andie Walsh and Phil Dale, aka Duckie (Molly Ringwald and Jon Cryer), "Pretty In Pink"



10. Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), "Footloose"

That's just 10, since this is "10 on Tuesday"....but I could go on and on and on and on.

Monday, Music, Michelle, MP3 player

I love Mondays....I love the letter 'M' too. Is it weird I have a favorite letter? My favorite number, if you care, is 3 (or $1,000,000.....especially with the $$$$$ in front!!).

I love the color orange, cauliflower and Neil Diamond. I love my kids. I love the summer weather. I love the smell of sunscreen (smells so "safe"). I love UPS, a good deal and Kohl's.

I love my family and friends. I love my truck, my home and hometown. I love, love, love.....love.

Here's what I am listening to today...

1. Honky Tonk Women, The Rolling Stones
2. Stray Cat Strut, Stray Cats
3. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod Stewart
4. You've Got a Friend, James Taylor
5. Your Mama Don't Dance, Loggins & Messina
6. Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd
7. Night Fever, The BeeGees
8. Me and Julio Down the School Yard, Simon & Garfunkel
9. Dancing With Myself, Billy Idol
10. I melt With You, Modern English

My MP3 player is a great source of entertainment for me lately. You never know what's next (well, you can cheat...but I don't). I'd love to get more Rascal Flatts on there and more Brian Setzer.

Hope you're enjoying your Monday, I know I am!!