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!!

Ten on Tuesday a day late

10 Favorite Sports to Play/Watch

First, I don't play sports. Not since I was in 8th grade at least. So my list will be 10 sports I like to watch.

1. Baseball, specifically the Boston Redsox .
2. Football, Go Pats!
3. Soccer
4. Rockland Little League Baseball
5. Rockland Youth Football
6. Gymnastics
7. Curling
8. Crab Fishing
9. ????
10. ????

I know, only 8...jeesh. And you would think that living here in Massachusetts I would have put Hockey and Basketball on my list but honestly......I'd rather watch paint dry. My favorites up there from my list? My boys teams of course!! Rockland has some great sports organizations and we are happy to be a part of them.

MP3 player

Some people have said I have weird taste in music...... I listen to a lot of different music, mostly older stuff and stuff that doesn't "fit me" (Nelly.....Justin Timberlake....Loverboy..... Too Short (FYI, not for young ears...very explicit lyrics)....etc.). Here's a sample of what I have on my MP3 player....the last 20 songs I have listened to:

1. Harden My Heart by Quarterflash
2. Freeze Frame by the J. Geils Band
3. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac
4. Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel
5. SexyBack by Justin Timberlake, featuring Timbaland
6. Cherry, Cherry by Neil Diamond (the best ever)
7. Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe
8. Let's Live it up by the Brian Setzer Orchestra
9. Jam On It by Newcleus
10. Rich Girl by Hall and Oates
11. Stray Cat Strut by the Stray Cats (Brian Setzer)
12. Rapper's Delight by The Sugar Hill Gang
13. The Stroke by Billy Squier
14. Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley
15. She's a lady by Tom Jones
16. P.Y.T. by Michael Jackson
17. Return to Sender by Elvis Presley
18. Country Grammar by Nelly
19. Desiree by the one and only Neil Diamond
20. She's Gone by Hall and Oates

I have 189 songs on my MP3 player (I have a ways to go before it's full....it's 4 gigs). Of all those songs (and besides my all time love of Neil Diamond) the song I most enjoyed listening to tonight was "Stray Cat Strut". It brought back fond memories. When that song was popular way back when I loved it so much that I insisted that my dad buy me the album (yes, album) and a t-shirt with the Stray Cats on it for Christmas. One of those baseball shirts with the white body and colored three quarter length sleeves. I had purple sleeves....and he got me a pair of jeans to go with it.

email me

If you feel the urge, you can find my email address by clicking on "view my complete profile"....my email address is there. The unfortunate experience I am having with the blog is, my name and email address are so long (sorry) that the text wraps around and it looks silly. So I made a few changes.....like now instead of Michelle from Massachusetts I am Me from MA. And I deleted my email address from the home page.

10 Inventions That Have Made Life Easier

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Inventions That Have Made Life Easier

1. Cell phone. Even though I don't always carry it with me and I only have a cheap pay-as-you-go, I definitely think it has made my life easier. The older boys have them and it makes me feel better knowing that while they are out I can call them.
2. Computer w/Internet. How could this not make life easier? In so many ways having a computer has made my life easier....I use it at work for all work type things (word processing, keeping the books, payroll). At home for banking, playing, kids school work etc.
3. Remote controls, (if you click the link...that's the one we use).....who liked getting up to change the channels on the TV as a kid? yeah, me either.
4. Ebay. I have sold and bought plenty of things...I have found that "hard to find item" that I would otherwise have not. I have sold things and earned extra cash for my family. If you need it or want it...Ebay has it!
5. Air Conditioners.....I couldn't live without them in the Northeast humidity.
6. Crocs, the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. I have bad ankles from multiple injuries (severely sprained ankles...both and broken ankles...both; multiple times...so I can't wear high healed shoes and sometimes even my sneakers irritate my sensitive ankles).
7. Canvas grocery shopping bags. They make my life easier because they are sturdier than the plastic ones offered at the store, they hold more and they are better for the environment...it's a win win situation.
8. Polly Pockets, Abby plays with these for hours. This is a better "babysitter" than the TV!!
9. My digital camera . It doesn't have the most options and isn't "top of the line", but it is a good little, inexpensive camera. I take more pictures with it than I did with my Canon 35mm camera. It came in handy when I needed to take pictures of Billy's car accident. I am able to capture cute and funny things (that I can see instantly and not have to wait for developing).
10. In door plumbing, electricity, base board heat, the automobile, refrigeration, and a multitude of other inventions (the cotton gin) that we use (in one way or another) each and every day that we totally take for granted!

This list is complete with links! I linked to the things I actually use/have (so you can have a little peak into my life!).

Summer

9:01 AM.

It's quiet here (I know, I know...it's a miracle). Abby is quietly playing with her LeapPad (Nate's hand-me-down), Nate is playing Playstation, Tommy is in New Hampshire with Bren and Jamie is at my mom's doing chores to earn cash (it's tough to find a job in this town! He has applied everywhere within walking distance......we live in the center of town; There is a McDonalds, Burger King, CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens, Papa Johns, DAngelos, 7-11, Tedeschis convenient store, about 10 banks, a million liquor stores, several churches and other businesses....and not one is hiring!).

Coffee, light with sugar....yum! So yummy in fact I might have 2 cups. Have I ever mentioned Heather? My friend who makes the best coffee? I once asked her how she does it and like any other super talented person she just shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know!" She's just being modest....she knows it's technique and skill. Or it could be the old coffee maker she has (I think I remember her saying she got it as a wedding gift....her and Steven have been married since 1991 (?)......I know it's August 1st....might be 1992). Anyway, it's the best, for real.

I love the laid back feeling of summer vacation. No rush to get up and go...we can be lazy for a bit. Since I don't have a car, we spend a lot of time close to home. In past years this has been an issue for me. Since we moved here it's not so bad. We live near the library, the Dollar Store (this is like DisneyLand for 4 year-olds!!), the town hall, all the schools, other little shops, the hairdresser etc. So when the mood strikes, we can find something to do. And with the price of gas these days, even if I had a car, I'd still stay close to home....

I have a few things I want to accomplish this summer:

1. Teach Abby to tie her shoes....she tries but hasn't quite gotten it yet.
2. Help her become more independent in the bathroom (ie., *warning, too much info* wipe her own butt)
3. Teach the boys to use the washing machine.....they already know how to use the dryer, but the whole detergent/cycle/load size/water temp thing is a little intimidating....maybe I'll make a "cheat sheet" and post it by the washer!
4. Clean out some of the junk in the basement...when we moved I packed almost everything (12 years of junk) and stacked most of it in the basement when I was unpacking.
5. Shampoo the carpets.
6. Make Abby a few more dresses and a couple pairs of shorts.
7. Make my friend Michelle 2 baby quilts (twins!!! a boy AND a girl!!!).
8. Knit 2 baby sweaters (see above).
9. Go blueberry picking (and strawberry picking too!)
10. Relax, a lot....

There are other things, but that's a start. And of course nothing is written in stone.

There, I went and did it...

I combined my myspace and my blog. Well not really "combined" I just told them each about the other.....

Like I said on myspace...please be nice to me....don't judge.