Mower Power

Mommy Vacation

2009-07-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

I didn't write about my mommy vacation but I thought I should now. I had looked forward to this trip for at least 1 year. Every moment when I thought I just might loose it I thought, its okay I am going to visit my parents all by myself for 5 days. Just knowing that one day relief from life was coming helped me get through each day. When the time finally came it was better than even expected. I slept!!! I slept till at least 11:30 one day. It was truly amazing. We shopped, we ate (at really really nice restaurants), we went to see Grease and met Taylor Hicks, we shopped some more, we sat in the jacuzzi, we did what we wanted when we wanted. I can never thank my parents enough for my vacation from reality. They just might have saved me from loosing my mind. I am so glad that we all got together for our little girls + dad trip. I recommend it to all!

2009-07-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Idaho (swan valley) for the 4th of July which is also Talan's birthday. We had a lot of fun. The boys love riding their dirt bikes and 4 wheelers. It was definitely a fun filled weekend for all. We had few mishaps which is odd for us. Usually all of our trips are full of mishaps and multiple problems. Its actually a wonder we ever leave the house. Last time we took the trailer and 4 wheelers out Matt lost the keys to the trailer which lead to going into town for bolt cutters. I hope one day we will be able to look back and think all these happenstances are funny! Anyways, Talan turned 3!!! I can't believe my little Talan is growing up. We all wore our army gear for the 4th to show our pride in America. Tyler looked like a little military man in his army garb while shooting his water gun. Talan was so excited for his presents the anticipation has been building for weeks. So when it came time to open presents I though he would be so excited over his much anticipated power glide scooter. No, no, he showed the most excitement over the card his Grandparents gave him which played music when opened and a chap stick we gave him. Why is it that the dumbest of things always captures the most emphasis?? Anyways, the kids loved the fireworks. I do to. I think there is something super special about fireworks. Oh well, a new day, a new dollar as my dad says. Back to real life.

A little late but Tyler's 6th birthday

2009-06-15T09:47:00.001-07:00

Anyone want to bowl with us??

2009-05-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

We went bowling the other day with our friends Cindi, Chase and Aiden. My boys LOVE to bowl. It was kind of a last minute decision to go so when we got there the kids were a little wild and crazy. The pure excitement of going to the bowling ally, getting their shoes, and balls was just about to turn into a mothers agony. Kids were running all around, up and down the ally throwing stuffed animals high in the air. Lots of loud is the only correct way to describe it. That is all fine and dandy normally but mixed in the bowling ally with us is a bunch of serious league bowlers who think they are just about God's gift to bowling. Now do you see the problem? I swear I have never felt such annoyance and dare I say hate in the air from people who do not know us. I could tell we were ruining their "sport competition" before we even started to bowl. Now, I am not going to lie, 3 children have kind of put me over my edge at times. I don't know if it is that we had the last 2 so close together or if 3 is just the number for us that makes life difficult but it is near impossible to keep track of all children at all times. I had Trevin glued to my hip and was running around trying to help Tyler, and Talan bowl. Tyler is a great bowler. He really does well and he is at the age that he understands the rules and how to play. Talan is well, besides just being Talan (a menace) he doesn't care. Even if he knows the rules he doesn't quite care enough about them to follow them. So while I was helping Tyler bowl, Talan did what he does best. He caused a scene. He had grabbed a spare bowling ball and threw it down the lane that this league was using. Just to help you picture it, he is little, the ball is heavy so, it is not a quick accident. It was like watching a disaster in slow motion. That ball was probably going a whopping -5 mph. It took at least 1 minute of slow rolling till it hit no pins. I quick started apologizing and scolding of Talan and the people lost it. It was like I had ruined their life. I offered to pay for another game and they would hear nothing of it. Nothing I did could make this problem go away for them. So finally after all solutions offered I walked away. By walking away I mean turning back to the seats directly behind theirs. Thats right, since we were still bowling we were right next to them for the rest of our bowling experience. I could hear them talking about me and us. It made for great fun. So, next time you go bowling, you should look to see if were are anywhere in sight. If we are, run! You don't want to bowl next to the Mower boys of mischief.

Easter and Trevin's 1st B-day

2009-04-14T19:25:00.001-07:00

Easter Sunday was Trevin's big 1st birthday! I can't believe my little guy is one. It is so great! As a birthday present to his mom, he slept through the night for the first time ever. I can't think of a better present except for the jeans he asked my mother in law for which, he didn't get! If you are wondering, Trevin asked his Grandma Mower for a pair of Seven jeans size 25, dojo cut. We are still waiting Vickie don't you worry we know you will come through for us sooner or later. Tyler and Talan were so excited to dye eggs and to go on an Easter Egg hunt. I love having kids they make holidays so much fun. Matt and I stayed up the night before getting everything just so. We put together the Easter baskets, stuffed the eggs, got food prepared, and put together the sand box that Grandma Gould got the kids for their birthdays this year. We were so excited to get the kids out in the sandbox with all their new sand toys. We wake up and it is snowing! There is no way we were going to play in the sand. Yeah, all that lack of sleep for nothing. That seems about right don't cha think? Talan got his army four wheeler that he has been begging for. Both Tyler and Talan have popped a few tires off the ground so far. Its a good thing it has a kill switch on it. I can already tell that kill switch is going to get its fair use. Tyler is holding out for his dirt bike. It has to be just perfect for him. I swear there are days when I wonder how such a girlie girl like myself got 3 boys well, really 4. I don't know if I would even recognize myself if I went back 10 years and saw myself through a window. All this outdoor stuff, camping, 4 wheelers, Moab, I would probably laugh and say yeah right keep dreaming. I guess all that matters is that my family is happy and whole. A family that plays together stays together.

More Pictures

2009-04-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

More Motocross

2009-04-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Weekend of Wonder

2009-04-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

We had a fun weekend. We decided that it was warm enough to go camping and take out our four wheelers. The kids couldn't be happier with some dirt, toys, and a campfire. They love every part of camping. We had to leave the decision up to Tyler because he had to choose whether he would be okay with missing pajama day at school. Not only is it hard to miss pj day because Tyler absolutely loves pjs and would probably live in them if possible, but he has uniforms. So, any chance you get to dress different is super exciting. Tyler's teacher told us to take pictures of the wild life. Unfortunately, we only saw a skinned deer that had already decayed and all you saw were the bones and some fur left over. Tyler insisted we take it's picture. I thought about posting it but thought for those faint of heart I should be careful. So, if you know my husband at all you know he is kind of a country boy. We pulled into a small campsite to enjoy our weekend to ourselves. Well, not even 5 hours later two cars with a trailer pull up. Matt is beyond annoyed at this man and what we assume to be his wife. Well, they get up and leave early in the morning but left their camper. We thought well, I guess its not that big of a deal. Later on that day after a fun day of riding, playing, napping, eating, everything good in life. A small neighborhood drives up all with camper trailers and start squeezing next to us. By the end of the night there was at least 10 other cars all with some sort of RV trailer next to us. We might as well have been in a KOA. We went home and got dressed and showered in 30 minutes for Talan to go to one birthday party and Tyler to go to another. Talan was really sad to go because he wanted the toy he was given. Oh the age of being 2 and not understanding birthday parties. From the parties Matt and I met up and a parking lot and headed up to Denver for Motocross. My children loved it. I would recommend it to anyone who has boys. They all had their eyes glued to all the dirt bikes. Even my husband who kept gasping for fear the guys were going to wipe out. It was a fun weekend. It was what a weekend should be, full of fun!

Army Ball

2009-03-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Army is unlike any experience that we have ever had. We have learned from it and I'm sure our learning curve has yet to peak. We went to our first ball this last weekend and it was quite the experience. Matt was tasked with taking care of the General that was attending the ball so basically, he was a servant for the day. He had to get him drinks, escort him around all day, pick him up from the airport, take him to meetings, pick him up and take him to the ball, etc. I figure, if he can do all that for the visiting General, he should do it for me. You know, massages every night, dinner on the table, everything at my beck and call. Wouldn't that be the life. Anyways, the ball has a wide variety of people who attend, one girl was I kid you not, wearing her wedding dress. Another girl, was in something you would see from Target or some store like that. They had a professional photographer there, it was like a weird prom with people of all ages. It was fun, definitely an experience to remember.

Make them work work make them work!

2009-03-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

Every time I ask the kids to help with the dishes they fight over who will get to do them. I figure I should enjoy this period of time and document it because it will be short lived. I love having them help around the house it makes me feel like I am not totally messing them up! Although, the other day Tyler asked me if he did chores how much I was going to pay him. I think I need to work on the doing chores just because we all pitch in around here.

Monster Truck Jam

2009-03-01T18:39:00.001-08:00

We took the kids to the Monster Truck Rally. It was so fun. The boys especially Talan wouldn't take their eyes off of the trucks. It was really exciting for them. Now Talan and Tyler play monster trucks non stop. I love watching the boys play together because it makes me feel like the boys are friends. I would encourage anyone with little kids to take them if it comes to your area. It was well worth it!

My sister's recipes

2009-01-18T15:24:00.000-08:00

My sister started a recipe blog. I feel like she is one of the best cooks I know. Here is a link to her blog if you are ever looking for some recipes.
http://annasrecipefile.blogspot.com/

Do You Watch Private Practice?

2009-01-08T21:33:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of the ABC show Private Practice. In general I like it. I just watched their season opener about a family with 3 boys, 1 with autism. She, did not immunize her 2 younger children for fear of Autism taking over them. I have had many, many talks about immunizations with parents, friends, families, doctors, therapists, teachers, etc. I personally feel like immunizations can be great but they can be great in delayed doses. Give your child a chance to mature before you attack their immune system. In this show parents like me were severely criticized. The doctors talked about reporting parents like me to child services. The show went too far. It may seem like an easy decision to some but till you see the child you know and love slip away from you, people have no right to judge. We gambled big with Ty's therapy and treatments and we won big. We were one of the lucky ones. I would just like to put it out there to whom ever may read this, parents of children with autism love their children so much. We are not evil people who are interested in spreading disease. More often than not, if you see a family with autism in it, the whole family is involved rallying around each other. Think before you judge. Think about your little children or your future little children. How would you feel if your son or daughter sat and lined up their toys without saying a word all day? What if your child never laughed again, never said I love you. What if your child didn't care if you were there or not because they stay in their own world. As a parent we are hardwired to protect your children at all costs. Until you have had to fight for them you never know what you would or wouldn't do. Think twice before you judge. Please.

Traditions

2008-11-24T15:55:00.000-08:00

I was talking with a few of my "friends" today about the holidays and traditions. I am always looking for cute traditions to incorporate with my own. I love traditions. I think that is part of the reason why I love the holiday season. So, if you have any you would like to share I would love to hear them.

A Good Laugh

2008-11-16T07:02:00.001-08:00

Try calling this number for those of you who are into psychology. It is hilarious! 650-388-1117

Go Cougars!

2008-11-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

At the last minute we decided to go to the BYU vs. Air Force game. One of the perks of being military is that our tickets were $5 and we were 3 rows up off of the field. I know, it must make some of you sick to your stomach, this is a rare moment when I can say haha. We packed up the whole family (no small task) and went to the game. We all had several layers of clothes on, kind of making us look like umpa lumpas but hey the only guy I have to impress is my cute husband. I love the Air Force games because you see so much patriotism. My eyes have been opened since we moved here and have been so affected by the military. You start to have a little more pride in the USA and a soft heart for the families that serve in the military. I know, some of you must be thinking well that is probably because you are in the military. Seeing families torn apart because of a war, men and women being sent home injured or worse, or just young people/families enlisting to make something of their lives you gain a new respect. So, when you see the jet planes fly across the stadium its not too far of a reach to think of them oversees on missions. When I hear the national anthem played, I think of soldiers like my neighbor across the street who has been gone from his family for over a year for the 3rd time in 5 years and I am grateful for our freedom. My boys love to see all the soldiers dressed in their different uniforms. Tyler knows exactly which ones are Army and he will tell me there is someone like daddy. I especially love going to games to watch Matt's face lite up. He is so happy when we are there and it makes my heart happy to see him happy. I enjoy the games too. I think I have myself convinced that if I go back to get my masters degree they will definitely let me on the cheer squad and I will be living the life!!!! I mean who wouldn't want a post baby body girl pushing late 20's in a short cheer skirt? I'm sure I am every guys fantasy!!! The boys had a great time. For the most part they did great. I mean you can't really expect to take 3 small boys to a cold football game and have them be perfect the whole time? Talan saw the Cougar mascot and was convinced it was a lion. So, Tyler would cheer go Cougars and Talan would cheer go lions. We made quite the cheering squad. We met up with our friends Jeff and Julie Jorgensen their son, (Matt's claim to fame that he knows a BYU player) Jan Jorgensen plays defense. We stayed after in the bitter cold to talk with him. It is amazing how tall and big those guys are. From the stands I think most guys think, I could play better, I could take him with 1 arm behind my back but, when you see them face to face I think most guys have a come to Jesus moment and re-think their lofty ideas. Jan was so nice as always. Jeff and Julie are truly special people, we are lucky to know them. Since the Cougars won it made it a perfect family memory.

The Dreaded Halloween Day Comes Yet Again

2008-11-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

I have spent most of my life, as a mom, in tears at Halloween. It sounds so dumb but, it has usually ended up with children in tears, often not wearing a costume, much anticipation deflated. I always had such a hard time because I would look forward to seeing my child dress up and go trick or treating and it wouldn't happen. As a mom with a child with Autism you have to set standards low. If I have learned one thing that is it. So, my standards were low. We had our Wall E costume and Tyler loved it. Talan decided he wanted to be Jay Jay the Jet Plane so I searched for hours on the Internet. Leave it to Talan to choose a costume that is no longer being made. So, after bidding on multiple costumes on EBay I finally won one. It came he loved it, we were good to go. So, we wake up and go to Dunkin Donuts. My kids love Dunkin Donuts. There are only 2 in all of Colorado Springs instead of 2 on every corner like in Boston so it is a treat for my kids. We get dressed and drive there to find only about half of Colorado Springs is there getting donuts. The line went clear outside around the building. And I just saying, its in not a great part of town, there were weird people twitching in line, and it was all I could do to stand in this line with my 3 little youngsters. But, we did it. We got our orange donuts. Tyler had downed about 3 donuts before he realized that all the other children around were already in their costumes for the day. So, the idea hit him he needed his costume. We rushed home to grab the kids costumes so we could go to Barnes and Noble for reading time. Ty got dressed up and was happy as a clam (how do we really know clams are happy? Just wondering...........) I got out Jay Jay and here come the water works from Talan the child who I don't have lowered standards for. He refused to put on his costume that I spent hours getting. So, Tyler trick or treated around Barnes and Noble and Talan just put a candy bag in people's faces. We ran home for a little down time when Tyler said,"mom where is your pretty princess costume?" I said, Ty I don't have a costume and he was so sad. So, I put on my old cheer outfit. Lets just say I don't know how I wore that short of a skirt that many times in high school. Its probably because now I have more junk in the trunk then I did then!!! And, now having 3 kids the outfit didn't quite fit the same but it zipped which is all that mattered. Oh well, hopefully i will never see those people again. We met up with our neighbors and went trick or treating in old town Colorado Springs. It was almost like a carnival/parade. It was a blast. Tyler had so much fun. Talan pretty much stuck to the stroller and refused his costume for the day. Matt unfortunately got off late so he came straight from work to meet us still in uniform. While it may look like Matt got dressed up he didn't get to which if you know my better half you know he was disappointed. All in all, my Talan wouldn't dress up, Tyler had a blast, Trevin was a very cute and happy fireman, and I relived my past. What could be better?

Day O Fun

2008-11-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

Tyler had Thursday and Friday off from school last week. So, I wanted to try and make it fun. It isn't too often that we have time to kill and fun Holidays around it so, I thought lets make the most of it and live it up. We woke up and went to pump it up with our friends Chase and Aiden. It was so much fun! I swear I could play there for hours without the kids. They would bounce from blow up thing to blow up thing laughing and giggling. It is one of those rare moments where you feel like a really good mom. You know when all those worries, guilt for cleaning too long or talking to your sister on the phone too long all go away and you feel like your kids really love you. I also took Trevin down the slide and he giggled. I thought I might get a nap out of everyone afterwards but no, I was not so lucky. Then we went to the zoo. If you ever need a good work out go to the Colorado Springs zoo pushing a double stroller with a baby strapped on you. It is almost all uphill in the mountains, lets just say certain muscles were beyond burning. We got to hand feed the giraffes and the birds. Talan was afraid the giraffes would eat his hand so he kind of threw the cracker at it instead of letting the tongue come out and grab the cracker. Any who, it was cute. Rumor has it that all zebras have the same number of stripes...... Fact or fiction? Look it up! Anyways, it was a long fun filled day.

Happy Apple Farm

2008-11-02T17:36:00.001-08:00

Having just moved here from Boston, we are missing certain things that Boston had to offer. Most specifically besides friends, the apple picking. My family really loved picking apples. It was such a fun tradition, if you have the opportunity by your house you really should try it sometime. So, we found Happy Apple farm in our area. It advertised apple picking, pumpkin patch, hay rides, etc. So we pack the whole fam damily up and drove there. Well, the trees didn't have apples, and the pumpkins were sparse but it was still fun. We walked around and let the boys choose there pumpkins for Halloween. Tyler kept looking for Spookey the square pumpkin but did not find him. Every time we tried to guide the boys to a certain pumpkin they yelled at us and said, "NO!!!! You said we could pick which ever one we wanted." So there you have it, we were overruled by a 5 and 2 year old. Talan absolutely loved the hay ride. He thought it was the next best thing to chocolate milk! The best part for me, the kids got free candy bags with sour licorice in the them! Yum yum.

Tyler's Fall Party

2008-11-02T17:26:00.001-08:00

Ty was looking forward to his "Fall Party" all week long. He kept reminding me day of that I

needed to come to his classroom with cupcakes. It was really fun to go in and participate in his party. His face lit up when he saw me, Tyler and Talan. I hope the day never comes when he is embarrassed to see me at school. He is so proud of me when he sees me he tells everyone around who I am and sometimes asks his friends to move so I can sit with him. His teacher is so kind hearted and sweet. She has cute catch phrases like make smart choices with your body, and she says soar in 4, 3, 2, 1 and like magic the classroom is completely still and quiet. It is quite the magic trick. I wish she could come and teach my kids at home. They would be whipped into shape in no time! Tyler kept going through the food line but so many things had chocolate he only ended up eating 2 cupcakes but he was still thrilled for the party. The top picture is of Tyler and his friend Brennen. In the bottom picture Tyler is standing in a white shirt second in from the right.

I have been tagged twice!

2008-10-30T21:29:00.001-07:00

I have been tagged twice by friends so here are my 6 Unspectacular quirks, I might add please do not judge me. I after all am only human.

1. When I have people over for dinner I never ask for them to bring anything. I feel like if I ask, it negates the offer of dinner. If you are going to serve someone dinner, serve them. Not to mention it is always a pain for the person to try and transport something to someones house and most of the time who knows if it goes with dinner.

2. I hate raw meat. After I cut off anything weird or maybe weird looking there is nothing left of the meat. And what may be left of the meat grosses me out so more often than not, I don't eat it at all.

3. I hate people cracking their knuckles. It is truly the most awful thing I have ever heard and it makes me crazy. Matt often cracks his knuckles and I always tell him he will get arthritis from it even though it isn't scientifically proven.

4. When I married Matt he yelled at me for the way I put silverware in the dishwasher. Now, I do it the exact same way he wanted it. The like silverware must be all in the same basket sections. That way when you are unloading you grab a handful of forks, spoons, knives, etc. It makes for an easier cleanup.

5. I cannot go out in public in my pj's or without make-up. I know many people who are totally comfortable to go out without being done. Whether I am in labor, dropping off Tyler at school, or even hanging out at the house, I am usually ready for the day. I would say there are only a small few people who have seen me at my worst. And those people I'm sure have been scarred for life!

6. I always have my seat warmer on in the car. It could be 110 degrees outside and I would still have it on. I really love it. It makes my back feel really nice and I wouldn't give up seat warmers for anything!

Do you know a 5 year old?

2008-10-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Not that my blog in read by millions, but we are looking for some kids around Tyler's age to start a playgroup. So, if you happen to know anyone in the Colorado Springs area if you wouldn't mind would you pass them along my info or their info to me. We are noticing a small social regression in Tyler and want to jump on it asap. And, it never hurts to have more friends. Thanks :)

What do you want to be when you grow up?

2008-10-26T20:36:00.001-07:00

This morning I was hanging out with the boys and Tyler and Talan suggested we play doctor. So of course I was very, very sick and in desperate need of having my knees banged in by that weird triangle on a stick to check my reflexes. I don't know why they always think its so funny to bruise me but it is their favorite part of playing doctor. I asked Tyler if he wanted to be a doctor when he grows up and he said, "No, I want to be a daddy like my dad. I want to go to the Tony Stewart store and get wood, and fix things." Then Talan in all his wisdom said, "Daddy is a doctor." I asked Talan do you know what kind of doctor daddy is. He said no. I said a teeth doctor. Then Tyler said, I thought dad was an Army doctor. My poor children, it must be so confusing to them. Talan thinks that dad must fly some sort of helicopter since there is a huge one outside the gate we go through to get on post. If you ever ask Talan where dad is he says at the helicopter. In his mind Matt must be some sort of helicopter flying, root canal filling, army tough guy. I can't think of a better way for the kids to say they love their dad than to say they want to be like him though. So, since I have no girls what do I get? You would never wish for your sons to say, "I want to be a mommy who cooks and cleans, wipes up poop all day, pays the bills, packs the lunches, goes to school meetings, acts like a driver, and keeps the household going strong." I am out of luck. I guess I will have to stick with all the I love you moms I can get!

Meet Boston Mower

2008-10-24T21:39:00.001-07:00

We obviously got a dog. She is a very cute, very small, morkie. Its a maltese/yorkie mix. She is a good dog and my children love her more than I even thought possible. They really really love having her. Talan my little non-napper super active, little fireball has for the past 2 days taken naps. Thats right folks, this little miracle has come into our lives and blessed me with a napping child once again. Any amount of sacrifice is worth it if I get a nap out of Talan. Talan and Boston go out in the backyard and run circles till they can't anymore and when he comes in, he passes out. I wish I had thought of this sooner! Tyler told me yesterday as I dropped him off at school, Mom please take really good care of Boston while I am at school. She might really miss me so take good care of her. I love seeing my children so happy. As I write this my husband who said, I know we both don't want a dog but it is something you do for your children, he is curled up on the couch with Boston on his lap while he eats popcorn and watches The Breakup. Its cute to see him love the dog too! That movie gives us a good laugh. I think if Matt and I were to ever think about splitting up this would be who we would become. Anyways, on a side note I was helping Tyler with his homework last night and he told me that I was doing it wrong. He told me his teacher Mrs. Bentley is so smart, "her knows everything mommy, not you!" There you go, he is 5 and he already thinks I am dumb. Good luck to me.

We're Finally in Moab!!

2008-10-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Moab is one of our favorite vacations. We are so excited to get back into it. I don't know how many Moab trips we didn't make and I thought we can't wait till we live close enough to go to Moab. We thought we were taking our 3 kids on a fun family vacation but, we ended up only taking 2 of our kids on a fun family vacation. Talan opted out of our family. He decided he would rather have Grandma and Grandpa for parents than us! It got so bad, he refused to make eye contact with Matt and I for fear that he would have to come back with us. We would try to say hi to him and he would turn around and walk away. Poor Vickie probably got so tired of holding him on her lap for hours upon hours! At the end of the trip, he cried and cried, because he did not want Scott and Vickie to leave. On the way home after Matt got pulled over for speeding (hum hum Matt, slow it down a little) he fell asleep and when he woke up the first words out of his mouth were, "where is Grandma." To that I say, its time for all the grandparents to move by us.

Matt Army Strong

2008-10-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

This photo is taken courtesy of Miles Cone at OBC during a leadership team challenge. It was one of the funnier times of the 6 weeks. Thanks for the good times CPT M. Cone.

I'm Seeing the Errors in my Ways

2008-10-15T13:10:00.002-07:00

Anybody who knows me at all knows at any given time I have messages on all of my phones. I hate listening to messages because: they cost minutes to listen to, it often means I need to make a return phone call, and I don't have a lot of time. So, most times I scroll through my phone to see who has called and just return the phone call thus, I save myself a step. It wasn't till I had a friend, Niki, who made me feel bad because she puts great effort into voicemails. So, for awhile I started listening to them. Well, we moved, my friend Niki doesn't call as much to give me crap so......................... I'm back to having lots of voicemails. Yesterday, we had a sort of emergency and I needed my phone near me at all times. I was running around trying to get the kids round up so we could get out the door and........ I missed the needed phone call. As I was driving down the freeway thinking how could I have missed that call, I hear the bring of my phone indicating I had a voicemail. I quickly call my voicemail and guess what I hear......... you have 34 unheard messages. I have to get through 34 messages to hear this super important informationthat I need asap. I am quickly deleting trying to get through my messages and around message 14 my phone goes dead!!! I couldn't get to my super important message that I needed. I also couldn't keep in contact with others to rely information. There you have it, I am a bad person. So, this blog post is getting my deep, dark, dirty, secret out for everyone to see. From now on I am listening to messages. Go ahead test me when you call. Ask me what you said. If I don't know and haven't listened to your message you should out me in front of everyone.

Happy Fall!!

2008-10-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

My Family

2008-09-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

My Grandparents, Aunt and Uncle, and cousin came to visit us yesterday. It was really fun to have family come and see us. My boys were so confused because they thought their grandparents were coming. Hint hint to their grandparents, my boys are awaiting a visit!! They were so excited to show everyone their rooms and to play the wii with them. I really enjoyed our visit with them. There truly is nothing like Grandparents. I hope to see them again soon.

Fun and Funky

2008-09-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

I found a new line of jewelry that is really cute! You should check it out:
www.twisted-silver.com
Every week they feature one piece that is on sale. At checkout if you type brochure in coupon area you get 20% off!

Are we having fun yet?

2008-09-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

If you know a Mower you know that you are automatically associated with bad luck. I personally feel like Matt and I got the worst of it, maybe that title is up for debate. Which is why I think I should go back to being Megan Gould and Matt by association should also change his name. We could try the name on for size for a year or so to see if our luck changes. We decided to go camping this weekend. Matt being from Utah refuses to pay to camp at a campsite or have any sort of neighbor. In his mind, if you camp next to someone you might as well go home and pitch a tent in your backyard where you have your normal neighbors. Finding this sort of campsite in Colorado often proves to be quite challenging. It has in the past lead us to areas where we get all set up tent and all, only to have forest rangers tell us to pack up and move in 30 minutes or less because they are sending the police our way. So, we start out bright and early to Woodland Park. It is gorgeous, not a cloud in the sky, very beautiful. We are told turn left on Painted Rocks road and there are tons of places to camp. We get there and.............. Painted Rocks road is closed for the season except to those who are fancy enough to have a cabin off of it. So, we are all loaded and boy are we loaded. Who knew you needed so much for 1 night of camping. But don't cha worry we have our trusty Tom Tom (GPS) on board with a camping book. We plug in some new longitude lattitude coordinates and off we go. I open up my US weekly enjoying the new gossip, did you hear there is drama on the set of 90210? I am quite enjoying my reading when Matt starts turning a deep shade red. Evidently Tom Tom had gotten us so lost, we were up in places where my nice car shouldn't be. It was a moment to say the least. I think we could have a reality tv show and provide more entertainment than the Hills. To cut this portion of the story short it took us 6 hours, thats right 6 long hours to find a place to camp! My poor kids were wondering if they were ever going to eat since the snacks and food were packed under all the stuff we had. Almost within minutes of getting out of the car Tyler fell and hurt his eye. Then it started to rain. Not a little sprinkling, a down pour. Matt was running around trying to gather wood before it all got wet. We didn't have anywhere to sit except in the car that we had just been in for the last 8 hours. And this is where I started to wonder, is it really worth it?????? The rain finally let up. We went for a ride to enjoy the country. As soon as we came back to start dinner, yep it started to once again pour rain. We ate dinner in the rain. We then were stuck in the tent from 7 pm on. We woke up to cook pancakes and bacon over the fire. We were ready to start the day new. Tyler burned his hands on the sticks we were cooking with. Then, it started to rain again. Picking up camp in the rain is less fun than putting up camp in the rain. It was a wild ride of a weekend.

A New IEP for Ty

2008-09-22T19:24:00.001-07:00

There is nothing more intimidating then walking into a room of 9 people to talk about your son. In a very real sense it often feels like them against us although everyone is technically there "for Tyler." I would never wish this process on my worst enemy maybe a back case of something like chicken pox but never an unknown IEP meeting. This was our 1st true meeting since Tyler has started school. He was placed on a 30 day probation to re-evaluate his placement and his days were up. Of course they would ask for a 7:30 am meeting. Do you know how hard it is to find a babysitter at 7:30? And someone who could drive Tyler to school? I felt like that in its self was a fete. I got to the meeting where I walked into a room of 9 people sitting at a long banquet type table and was informed that I would sit at the head of the table. This is the first time I didn't have my trusty advocate on one side, or my dashingly handsome husband on the other side. Matt wanted to be there but with his new established Doctor title I guess there comes certain responsibilities like actually seeing the patients. Go figure! I was nervous. I was probably between 5 and 20 years younger than all the others and I wanted them to know although I am young, I am smart and I know what my Tyler needs. I was all set to argue his continued placement in Kindergarten and his continued speech therapy when I was sent the biggest curve ball of all. Tyler had of course been re-tested by the new school district in every way possible, and I mean every way. I met with nurses to about his vision to talking to social workers about our new family life and that is just a few of the people I had to talk to. They found that our Tyler tested into the gifted program. The very program that almost deterred us from attending this elementary because I believed my son to be on the opposite of that particular rainbow. My jaw physically dropped. I was taken back. I had no idea how to fight for him now because not only are they keeping all of his services and keeping us in normal ed but they are also bumping him up. And then came the best news, for me, of the meeting. Matt and I have randomly stalked the playground to see if Ty had friends to play with. Most times, he was playing by himself which worried us tremendously. Tyler's teacher told us he is part of 4 boys that are inseparable. She said, if Tyler is alone they go to search for him. They are friends with him. In fact, one of the little boys mom came up to me to talk about a play date. I know many might think, the best news in the meeting is about the friends, really? But every mom worries that their child won't have friends. When your child is probably happier playing alone you worry that no one will extend their friendship to him. I feel so vindicated for our hard work. I feel so proud of where we are. I feel like we have truly succeeded. Watch out Jenny McCarthy I just might write a book of my own!

Our New Family Pictures

2008-09-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

Some Pictures to Catch Up

2008-09-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

So, I keep getting grief about my lack o blogging. Well, lets just say it this way, Talan stopped taking naps, Trevin doesn't go to sleep till 10 and by the time I have time to sit down and blog I am asleep with my clothes on the floor, the couch, or one of the kid's beds. So, here are the lastest and greatest pictures of the Mower clan. The top picture is Ty's first day of school. He has to wear uniforms so that is why he is dressed the way he is. Matt just turned 29! He is getting old. And besides that Talan, Trevin and I are trying to make new friends.

How a 5 year old fights dirty

2008-08-27T19:13:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday Tyler and I were arguing over doing homework. I know, we shouldn't even be having this fight so early in life. And, I'm sure it will get much much worse before it ever gets better. Tyler has been taught to say exactly how he feels so we can better understand him. A few times this comes back to bite us for instance, when he told his therapist he would not share his crackers because if he did she would get fat. Those are times where you wished he wouldn't verbally express himself quite so well. Well yesterday he was really mad, he was yelling at me and I told him, "Tyler I am so mad at you." Without skipping a beat he said, "Yeah mom, I'm so mad at you and I don't like your hair!" It was so cute to hear him try to add some sort of zest to the fight. I love that both the kids are starting to talk more. The other day Talan and I were walking down the stairs and I started counting them like always and then stopped. Talan continued counting and went from 1 - 11 which he calls Trevin. I was so proud. It is these moments when you think I must do something right every 3rd day or so. Trevin got his first set of ear infections this week. I swear by the end of this fall/winter season I will have had at least 10 ear infections. Maybe I'll keep tab and see if I am right. So far, 2 ear infections only 8 to go. I feel so bad for the little guys especially when they get the doubles because that is just miserable. Life is good for us right now. It is really nice to just coast for a little. I feel like we are getting a chance to live our lives the way everyone should right now.

A New Start

2008-08-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today was Tyler's first day of kindergarten. I can't believe what my little guy has accomplished! He was such a little pro going to school today. I couldn't be more proud of who he is and what he has become. I hope and pray everyday that we will be able to keep up with the class and that he will fit right in with everyone. We are starting to see our dreams come true day by day and it is weird. It felt like for so long we put our wants and wishes on the back burner while we finished up dental school. I couldn't tell you how many times we have said, oh it will be so nice to __________ once we have a real job and dental school is over. I know, I know it sounds very vain and materialistic. Well, I know in theory money does not buy happiness. However, when you have so little of it to have steady income start to come in feels like true accomplishment. It is time for us to make our dreams come true.

Matt's Monumental Questions

2008-08-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

I spent 6 weeks in officers' boot camp in San Antonio, some of it was tough and some of it was boring. During the time away from family I spent time thinking about them, and I came up with certain scenarios that helped me better define who I was and what was important to me personally. So I started sharing them with friends, and got some good feedback. I will start to place the questions or scenarios on the blog, so stay tuned. Question #1: (This is if you have children). If you were told that you only had 1 month to live; what are the 2 most important qualities or principles you would want to teach or leave with your kids? For example: an answer might be, 1. The importance of Family. 2. The importance of Education. What do you think??

San Antonio Here We Come

2008-07-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

The boys and I flew to San Antonio to see Matt. We were really missing him so we thought a visit would be fun. We went with my sister, Anna, and her kids to Sea World. It was so fun. My boys really loved it. Although, they now call everything from whales to dolphins shampoo! Oh well, close enough. It was a really fun day even though we all had the flu except Matt. I know you are thinking what kind of irresponsible person goes to Sea World while everyone, and I mean everyone except Matt, had the flu. The answer is, it was the only day Matt could go with all of us and we really wanted to share the experience with him. If you haven't taken your kids, go, it was well worth it.

Our Miracles

2008-05-27T19:41:00.001-07:00

I finally went back to church this last Sunday, I know its shocking!!!! This was the first time I went to Relief Society in over a year because they released me from primary. They were talking about life's miracles. We have had more miracles happen to us in the last 4 years than we deserve. Yes, if you are having that many miracles it must also mean that you are having that many trials. When asked about what miracles we have had in my life I immediately thought of Tyler. I instantly reverted back to my little boy at age 18 months totally lost, engulfed in his private world, without means to communicate with us. I remember thinking there is something wrong with my little boy and we need to fix it. When we found out it was Autism I was initially shocked as anyone would be when hearing the news. But luckily, both Matt and I were shocked into action, not grief. My miracle came when a girl named Amber showed up at our door and told us how we were going to treat our little boy so that he would live a normal life. When told we would strap him in a chair, and force him to learn for 6 hours a day (ABA therapy), I thought life was more than cruel. When he would cry I would be told to leave the room because he looked to me, instead of the therapist for mercy. As a mother, a father, a family, it just about broke us. But, the miracle came in the fact that we new the therapy was the right thing to do, we could live through it and we did. Sometimes it was one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time. The miracle has re-presented its self in the fact that Tyler is going to be able to attend a typical normal functioning kindergarten instead of a special need classroom. Those early years were some of the most difficult years and now I am seeing the miracle of my son everyday. I went to go pick up Tyler from his church classroom and he said, "Here mommy, I made this for you." If you look closely, he wrote Tyler mom all by himself. He drew a picture of me!! Sure, I have 3 arms and at first I had no hair. But, he did it by himself, and it touched my heart. He has become one of my personal miracles. I hope one day he knows that we love him more than anything and we would do anything for him. As we are packing up tonight and our time in Boston is over, I am really feeling bittersweet. Our years here have been at times almost unbearable. But they have made us so strong, so loving towards each other, and they have changed us. We are different people leaving here than when we came. I'd like to think for the better, in some ways for the worse. We joke that we have become Boston when Matt drives, or when the cashier gets a little too friendly and we think just check us out and lets get out. I know Boston will forever be a place we love in our hearts because it is where we became real adults. People who have to struggle, work hard, and rely on each other to get through the hard times. My parents always say they would trade in the struggling years of their marriage because it made them grow. I now know the same, we wouldn't be the Matt and Megan Mower we are today without the trials we have endured and made it through.

Trevin Wayne Mower

2008-05-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

You may call me Doctor.................

2008-05-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Boston Duck Tour

2008-05-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox No Hitter

2008-05-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Haircuts that took over

2008-05-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Matt cut the boy's hair. They all had mohawks for a few hours. Tyler didn't want to fix it when the time came. Oh what do you do with boys????

Matt's Graduation Dinner

2008-05-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last night was Matt's graduation dinner. I was so stressed out about what to wear I was probably borderline OCD about it. I hate the post baby bod! I really wanted to look nice because all Matt's friends, professors, etc. would be there and I didn't want them to think Matt was married to a whale. After I tried on 5 different outfits we settled on a dress and it worked out ok, not great but ok. So, we sit through a long awards program and the final award of the night is announced. The award is the dean's award for achievement, professionalism, and strength of character. It was given to my one and only Matthew Mower. I am so proud of him and his accomplishments. He really deserves it. I can't believe we are done. It really hit home last night as we were watching a movie of the last 4 years how far we have come, and that it is over. I'm sure our life will encounter new challenges, new phases, new stresses but for now I feel like we are book ending Boston. We made it!!! We survived our last 4 years. We are a stronger family, more reliant on each other, and best of all, we are best friends. Even though we are leaving Boston in our eyes Boston will always be where we became who we are as a family.

Power Through

2008-05-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

I thought that the biggest transition for me would have been having no kids to having 1 child. I was wrong. I didn't anticipate how big of a change having 2 kids to 3 kids would be for me. I look like a freak show walking around with 3 kids. The other day I had Talan on one hip, the baby carrier on the other arm and I was pushing a crying Tyler with my belly towards the car. If that is not a sight to be seen I don't know what is. I almost feel like a walking contraceptive ad. I seriously don't know how people do it with 10 kids or even 4 for that matter! It seems like those choice people must have extreme patience and endless love. Yesterday Matt was gone for the day and I thought I would get my kids out of the house for awhile. I took them to a mall that had a playground in it. I thought, I am going to be a super mom that doesn't let having 3 kids slow her down. Well, I didn't get slowed down, I think I got crazy. I don't know what had possessed me to think that going to the mall is ever a good idea with kids no matter how many you have. I am pretty sure I gave every parent in that room a show. Just imagine me breast feeding Trevin while running after Talan as he bolts from the room just about every 5 minutes. I don't know what I would do without my hooter hider. It is the best thing I have ever got. Sadly though, I noticed that another child in the room was also named Trevin. I was really hoping that we had picked a unique name and here he is only 3 weeks old and I have already met another Trevin. Seriously, on the whole we are doing really well. The boys are really excepting of Trevin. It could be so much worse if they didn't like him. I feel like our time in Boston is going so fast. The next 2 months are going to be so stressful. I am trying to prepare and get things ready but I have this side of me that thinks things are going to hit the fan come May 16th. Which leads me to my new favorite quote:
In all living have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed not just endured.

Trevin Wayne Mower Has Arrived

2008-04-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

Matt and I went to the hospital to be induced on April 12th at 8 am. When we got there, I was having some contractions on my own but not enough to make anything happen naturally. So, they gave me a drug and told me to start walking to prepare for the pitocin. In the meantime our nurses started asking about names. Matt and I told them that we would probably pick Breckin or Corbin but we weren't sure. When they heard we had Tyler and Talan they said that we must name the baby a T name. Which seems to be most people's opinion. They were very nice and said that they would be right back with a list of T boy names so that we could pick a new name. Shortly thereafter they brought 15 pages of T names for us to look over! Matt and I looked over them and then he said to me, "Should we just do Trevin?" We had talked about it several times but decided against it. I totally thought he was joking. Matt said, maybe we should just do the T name thing. Just about then the nurses told us to go walk. Matt and I walked, and walked, and walked to try and spark things up on our own. When we returned at 1 they said I had dialated to a 3 and they started the pitocin drip. Every 15 minutes they upped the dosage to get me going. When the nurse asked if she could break my water at 4:30 I said sure. She warned me that things would escalate fast and I said okay. Boy was she right!! I don't know how people gave birth in the olden days. I swear they must have thought they were dying. I asked for the epidural but once they got it there and in place it was too late. I kept telling the nurse I was in a lot of pain and she said give it 5 contractions the epidural will kick in. Well, after those 5 contractions Trevin's head was crowned and we were open for business!!! I swear I have never been in so much pain in my life. All I could think was, how am I going to get out of this. There is no way that I am going to make it through this pain. It only took a few pushes and Trevin popped out at 6:35 pm.

The boys have been so good with him. It is just amazing to me that we have this new addition to our family. Tyler is the best big brother and Talan follows suit to anything Tyler does so we are pretty lucky. I'm sure this is just the honeymoon period and pretty soon Trevin will have trucks drove across his face, and he will be trampled upon. But for now, things are good. We feel so lucky that he came out so healthy and beautifully perfect after our 2 vessel cord scare and my lupus. I can't think of a better way to have been blessed, then by having Trevin come out healthy.

The First Versus the Last

2008-04-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

When we got pregnant with Tyler everything was exciting!!! I read books, I prepared months in advance, I even put the outlet plugs in the outlets before he was born. Like Tyler would really be able to wiggle over and stick his finger in an outlet when he was 2 days old. We were the boy scouts of parenting. With Talan we were a little less prepared, but we got everything ready in time. We even managed to set up his whole nursery and change the office to a 3rd bedroom. With this last baby, things have changed. You know you are a full time, true blue through and through mom when you are thinking, why do I need so much stuff for a little guy that is basically a blob for a month at least. I mean, does a baby really need a cradle when at least half the time you fall asleep with him in your arms, in a chair, at 2 am after rocking him for what must be at least 6 hours? The other half of the time you fall asleep feeding him in bed or on the couch and then you don't dare more for fear your sleep will be taken away from you. I know the swing, the bouncer, and the car seat are just going to be objects that Talan will manipulate into a climbing device that will allow him access to random objects that he will craftily put together and build some sort of death device. I find myself thinking, do I really want to limit the tiny amount of space we do have with all these things?? Not really. But, what the last child gets that the first never did is 4 people immediately loving you so much. Tyler and Talan sit and talk to the baby in my tummy and give him kisses and hugs everyday. Tyler especially is so cute about the little guy coming out. I think Tyler is probably the most excited of anyone. He is going to be such a great helper. He is already practicing getting the diapers for me and watching Talan in the bath tub for 30 second periods of time. So while the first child get undivided attention, the last gets 4 people's half attention and a whole house of chaos that is surrounded in love. Which would you prefer??

I feel bad

2008-04-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

These last few months have flown by. We have been really busy so I haven't blogged as much. Here is a quick catch up. My mom and little sister came out for a visit and made our dreams come true. For the first time since Ty was 1 Matt and I took a mini adult vacation. We went to New York by ourselves and it was completely wonderful. We went shopping, to the Late Show, Regis and Kelly show, we ate whatever we wanted when we wanted, and most importantly, I got to pee all by myself! We were overdue for some time alone together. It was so wonderful. I can never thank my mom enough for our break. Tyler has become a Wii addict! Seriously, the kid is good. Matt and I have a hard time beating him. He has become a champion. Tyler has had some hard days in school and at home lately. We are hoping it is a phase that any normal 4 year old would go through. Talan put us through an autism scare. We have him tested every 6 months and he tested high functioning autism on his last set of evaluations. Since then, I have been able to have a second evaluation done and it was determined that he does not have autism just a speech delay. We were told that if he can make it to his 2nd birthday without the diagnosis then the chances are he won't get diagnosed. Everyone cross their fingers for us!!! Matt is working his tail off trying to graduate. He has had an extremely busy month. The kids have really missed having him around. One night Tyler had decided he had, had enough and told me, "Mom I'm not going to bed till dad comes home and kisses me goodnight." I hope he forgets the long days without his dad in the years to come. Right now he is just too young to understand that Matt is doing what is best for us. I am starting to look like a beached whale so, hopefully this baby will pop out at any second! Hopefully that should catch you up on everything Mower.

From One Extreme to Another..................

2008-04-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

All my boys have lost their minds and their hair!!! Matt let Tyler take a pair of scissors to his head before we shaved it. So, watch out, if Tyler comes near you with scissors chances are he is going to give you a hair cut as well. Talan sat like a champ loving every minute of getting his hair cut. Tyler sat for about 2 minutes before asking over and over and over again if I was done yet. I think our new baby is going to have more hair than all 3 of them put together! Hopefully that baby decides to come out soon. Matt got his official orders to that have us reporting to Colorado Springs. We are really excited for our move. Hopefully we'll find a cute house with a big fenced in backyard that I can send my little devil children out to play in. Today I was cooking dinner. I turned on the oven to pre-heat it. After 10 minutes I heard an explosion. Its never a good sign when you hear an explosion coming from the stove/oven area while you have gas flames already lit. I slowly opened up the oven terrified I was going to see a raging fire. No, no, my little Talan had put a diet pepsi in the oven and it exploded. There is nothing Talan cannot open or get into. I told Ty's therapist today that I was almost looking forward to giving birth just for the break I would get from the kids for a day or two. I'm beginning to see that not only do the kids have 5 times more energy they also out number me. Its going to be an interesting summer with Matt gone at boot camp.

Mustache March??????

2008-03-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

There are some things as a spouse that you are expected to endure through. For most people, the way you leave the toilet paper, the toilet seat being left up/down, the way the toothpaste tube is rolled, etc. A mustache has been my test of love and patience this month. What do you think about it?

Fighting like Cats and Dogs

2008-01-21T19:38:00.001-08:00

I think my children are going to try and tear each other apart. We are just entering into the world of playing together. Matt and I thought we had done a good job of working with Tyler and Talan teaching them to share. We were so wrong. Not only do I now need 2 of every toy that we will play with throughout our day. I need to label which one is Tyler's and which one is Talan's. I know many wise parents have told me in the last few years, if you think this is hard just wait. Well, I've waited, our time is here, I don't like what I see, and quite frankly, I don't care to continue the trend we are on. So, to the parents who have been through this stage, the grandparents, the people who pass us by, I say to you, "We are fighting this stage. We will win!! Victory will belong to Matt and me. If not, expect 2 cute packages on your front door in a few days." On another sad note, I got an email from the pregnancy website saying I still have 82 days or something horrific like that. What pregnant woman wants to know how many more days of torture are left?? Unless that number is a single digit number I say, don't write it. If a pregnant woman (like there could be a man) cares enough and wants to know, she will figure out how days are left on her own. On the happy side of this topic I have had 3 people tell me in the last couple of days that I look small for how far along I am. This is the best compliment any pregnant woman can get. Please people, stay away from the you are so huge you look like you're about to pop comment. I don't know that my patience could handle a comment like that one this time around. Finally, I have to go to the RMV (or the DMV in other states) tomorrow with either 1 or 2 children depending on when Talan's therapy finishes up. That is enough to give me nightmares tonight. I hope I am not the only one who shudders at the thought of going there. It could possibly be that I was once scared at the DMV. You see, my dad and I once upon a time were in line at the DMV. You know one of those really long lines where people are so close to you that you practically touch. You know that everyone around you is listening to each other and quite possibly judging each other based on conversation alone. My dad being the smart, witty, charmingly handsome man that he is thought, what could I do to liven this situation. Darned if he didn't say out loud (quite loudly), "Boy would you look at my daughter's shoes." I looked up to see the entire line of quite possibly 40 or more people staring at me. I looked at him and said, "Dad, I am going to hurt you dad." Ever since then the thought of the DMV is not a pleasant one. So, tomorrow when I am at the RMV for hours with most likely 2 screaming children, I hope the line takes pity on my soul. Hopefully those people will think, I think she is hanging in there just fine. When in reality they are probably thinking, I wonder how many accidents that girl is going to have. She can't be more than 19. I recently heard my dad tell a story about my dear, sweet Grandma Gould where she says a toast. I have decided that her toast in my life's new motto. So, Here's to all those who wish us well, all the rest can go to hell!

And Tyler takes off with the cake

2008-01-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you have ever been to a reception with a 4 year old. I think, I hope, any 4 year old would do what my child did. If not, pretend you didn't read this and that everything below is purely fiction. I believe that Tyler is responsible for eating at least one entire tier of Andrew and Michelle's wedding cake. Every time I turned around he had a different piece, with different frosting, and different filling. What happens to be unique about this is, Tyler licks off any frosting and leaves the rest of the cake untouched. In essence he is only eating 1/4 of every piece if you count frosting, cake, filling, cake. So, Matt and I limited ourselves to his half eaten cake to try and make up the difference. In addition to the cake, Tyler must have filled at least 50 cups of water from the water jug. He must have thought it was entirely too cool to fill your own glass so, he helped himself, as well as many others, to glasses of water. Unfortunately, when others tried to get their own water, they were often confronted with "people get out the way" and "people go home" phrases that are sometimes muttered from a certain Grandpa on a certain side of the family that will remain undisclosed. If that was not enough entertainment for me to watch, my boys dancing to their all time favorite song, Sweet Home Alabama, where they sang louder than the music would have done it. Tyler was quite the dancer. Especially when he provided the strip entertainment for the night. All in all, I remain a proud mama!

The Wedding

2008-01-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

My bro tied the knot! I can't believe the little big man of the Gould's is a married down man. He was truly beaming at the alter. I have never in my life seen that giddy of a smile on someones face. He seems so completely happy that we can't help but be so happy for both Andrew and Michelle. Matt and I both agree that they are a perfect pair that compliment each other well. We look forward to watching them grow together and become a cute little family. If you'll notice, Matt isn't in any of these pictures. You may ask why? Does Megan not want him in pictures? Does she not care for her husband of 6 years to proudly display him? The answer would be, I sent my husband off to get dressed in his tuxedo why I dressed both boys. He in turn decided it would be an excellent time to stand around, chit chat, and do nothing. So, when it came time for pictures, everyone else was dressed ready and present, except for yours truly, Matthew Mower. If he had listened to his lovely wife's council and did as instructed you would see a handsome Matthew Mower all smiles but unfortunately this is not to be. In truth there are some with him in the pictures, I just don't have any copies. Once I do, I will definitely post them. It was a lovely wedding, 3 of us down, 1 to go. Dad, start saving your pennies now, rumor is its going to be an expensive one. P.S. Remember if you are looking at these pictures thinking Megan sure is looking fat these days I am 6 months prego!!! Cut me some slack!

Insight into the life of Tyler

2007-12-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas time. I look forward to it every year. I love all the music, movies, parties, etc. Tyler has been making a list that is well over a mile long of everything he would like. It is so great because every time he wants something in the store I tell him to put it on his list. I get a get out of buying a toy free card all the time! It is really quite worth it. However, I recently told Tyler that he wouldn't be able to get all the toys because Santa can't bring everything. He immediately asked to talk to Grandma and Grandpa. Once he got them on the phone he so sweet and innocently asked if they could buy him all the toys. I swear he is such a manipulator!!!! This morning we were watching a home video of the boys when they were little. A clip came up of Tyler when he was littler and much more affected by his autism. He told me, Mommy you know why I was so sad there? I said why, he said, "I just wanted to get out of the crib." I know you are probably thinking that he couldn't possibly remember that far back but, believe me when I say my son can. He can remember intricate little details to things that happened years ago. This week he fell and hurt his bum. He asked for milk in a sippy cup. I brought it to him and he dropped his pants. I thought, okay I guess that works. He put the milk on his bum and used it as ice to help with the pain. The next morning Tyler asked me, "Mom you know why I love milk so much?" I said, no honey I don't. He said, "it makes my whole body feel better. It fixed my hurt bum and it makes me happy." If a cup of milk makes my little boy's whole body feel better and help him to feel more like himself than I will never deny him milk. There have been many occasions when I don't understand what is going on with my sweet little boy. I realized this week that with time I will understand him so much better in the years to come. I really look forward to hearing his reasoning. I would love nothing more than to better understand Tyler and help him on his life road. If I can make even one day easier on him I will have succeeded in being his mom. On a lighter note, I made my annual Christmas wreath this week. It was really fun. Talan is starting saying so many words. It is so wonderful to hear him say things like bubble, football, ball, vroom vroom, choo choo. I hope and pray the words continue to pour out of him.

What would you do for your kids????

2007-11-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

As a parent you think that you would do anything for your child. If someone were to ask you, "Is there anything you wouldn't do for your child?" the answer most likely would be no, of course. Matt and I are here to challenge you. Yes, in fact we said we would do anything for our children and we have, believe me, we have. This week we had the pleasure of turning in a poop sample from Tyler. Just the thought of a poop sample should send a shiver up your spine because you know its a gross, stinky, mess. I think I can speak for myself as well as Matt when we say it is much, much, worse than you can even imagine. First, we had to get him to poop into a fry container. You know when you go to a fast food place and they give you a bunch of fries in a wide open mouthed half cup half plate container. Yes, we had to get him to poop into that. So, a movie, stickers, and one poop reward box checked later we now have poop in a fry container. You think, oh good its done. We have our poop sample and we can turn it in. Oh no my friend, it is just beginning. Matt chose the medical field so I dubbed him the poop scooper. Hey, if you choose something in any sort of medical field I feel you sign away your right to protest dealing with bodily fluids. So, with a spoon like you would get to taste test ice cream at an ice cream store, Matt got to fill two containers full of poop. Not only did it stink to high heaven, the smell stuck around all day! We quickly sealed it in our prepaid Fed Ex bag and overnighted it. Just think about the poor unknowing Fed Ex man that was carrying around poop all day and didn't even know it!! It was one of the nastiest experiences we have had to deal with to date. So, I ask you parents, Is there anything you wouldn't do for your children?????

And Grandma Goes Down...............

2007-11-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

I was at the doctor today for one of my millions of appointments every month and of course, like always, she wanted more blood work. Seriously, I am now just a walking pin cushion. I think I must have some sort of invisible sign that doctors can only see which says, Please take my blood, I'd love to give it. I briefly thought to myself, I should just wait till Thursday because no doubt, I will be giving another gallon after that doctor appointment. Then I thought better of it because of some of the things the doctor told me I thought today might be better. So, I get in the lab I am number 35. I wait my 15 - 20 minutes and am called back. I try to get friendly with the lab tech because I personally feel like if you are nice to them they tend to be nicer with their needle. She was so engrossed in telling me about how her teenage son was now having his 2nd child that she whipped a regular sized band aid on me and sent me off to pee in a cup. I was pushing Talan through the lobby in his stroller waiting for my turn in the restroom. I felt a cold brush of air and turned to look at what it was. I look over and my arm is gushing blood! Blood is dripping down my arm, fingers, bracelet and, into a little puddle on the ground. About the same instant this little old Grandma looks over from her chair, being even with the bloody mess, looks at me and faints. At this moment I don't know if I should move and create a bloody mess or if I should stay put. I start calling for help because I'm a mess and this poor Grandma is out cold. The receptionist comes out and shoes me into a room where they start hosing my arm down. Someone screams, "Get her baby!" It was all very dramatic and surreal at the same time. The Grandma woke up, she was fine. So after they practically cast my arm, they send me on my way. My doctor's appointment just got all the more interesting!

Packing popcorn is of the devil!

2007-11-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

I have decided that packing popcorn is of the devil! We received a package in the mail that was packed with it. I walked away for no more than 1 minute and a natural disaster occurred. Popcorn everywhere. I know you are thinking oh that looks bad but really everywhere? YES!!! It was everywhere. It was in my bathroom sink. In all 3 bedrooms, not to mention the family room, dining room, kitchen, fridge,........... There is not one place that I looked that there was no popcorn. The stuff must have some sort of magical flying powers that I had no idea about because I have never, and I mean never, had such a mess on my hands. It has been 4 days. I have cleaned, hosted Thanksgiving, cleaned many times over, and still am finding it in my house. The person who thought of packing popcorn ought to be shot! I also thought I would post Tyler in his cute Thanksgiving day hat. He realized about 9 pm that was truly Thanksgiving. I got up at 3 the day after, got ready, and went to my annual shop till you drop morning. I guess it is called Black Friday. I had no idea till this year. All I know is there is nothing more exhilarating than going shopping at 5 in the morning with good friends or family. I went this year with my friends Ellen, and Jerusha. It was really fun. It is mornings like that, that make me really glad to have friends when I don't have family to go with. I have to say, I think Ellen was quite the trooper since she doesn't enjoy shopping at all during the Christmas season. This year people camped out overnight outside Best Buy, what do you say ladies??? Maybe next year.

Life..................

2007-11-19T17:50:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like life is living you instead of you living your life? I know that sounds really weird, but that is how I have felt the last few days. I received these beautiful roses from our new good friends The Arnold's. It really brightened my day and so I thought, I will put them on my blog and maybe they will brighten someone else's day as well. To the Arnold's, I say, THANK YOU!!! It is really comforting to know that people care about you. I bought some wrapping paper to start wrapping my Christmas presents and the boys have been beating Matt silly with it. That little Talan has quite the arm on him. I can't even think about what they will do once they open the light sabers we got them for Christmas. Matt better turn around and run now because he is about to get an eyeball popped out! My boys had a serious fight today, no doubt over who would get to play with the toy shopping cart first, or who would get get to stand on the step stool. Heaven forbid they want to do something different from each other. Well, the brawl started behind the rocking chair and when it ended and they came out, Talan had a black eye! Yes, that's right, my little fair haired child has a black eye. Don't feel too bad for him, quite seriously he is a little devil. I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner! We are getting really excited for the Holidays. Matt can't wait to play a little football on Thanksgiving. Supposedly, the rumor is that it is soft tackle football. So, he should have a shiner to match Talan in a matter of days. I really love holiday season. It isn't the gifts as much as the traditions, family, Christmas movies, food, etc. I'm not allowed per King Matthew the ruler over the Mower household to watch Christmas movies till the day after Thanksgiving. I sneak movies for the boys, but, I am looking forward to watching my Christmas movies. Well, that's about all I have for today. Let's think warm thoughts, maybe tomorrow won't be so cold.

Head to Head with the Mafia

2007-11-15T18:18:00.000-08:00

If you know anything about Boston, or the surrounding areas, you would swear that not only is the mafia alive and real, its everywhere. We have wondered about some people that our lives cross paths with many times. There are certain people we see, almost daily, that could be mafia just because there is no other explanation for how they live. Today, Tyler, Talan, and I ran into the mafia. We were walking into our friend's apartment complex on a very rainy day. We didn't have our umbrella so I told Tyler to go ahead and run up. He was no more than 4 feet ahead of me when I saw a Cadillac pull up, dark tinted windows. Out steps the driver, umbrella in hand, dressed in full suit to the tee. He walks around and lets a larger man out of the back, even more dressed to the tee. The driver proceeds to hold the umbrella for the passenger as he walks crossing our path. Just about that time I think, oh dear, please let Tyler stop. But my stars are never quite that lucky. Tyler ran straight by him. The man grabbed Tyler's arm and told him, "Boy, you go back to your mother!" Tyler quickly ran back like a scolded little school boy, clutching to my leg. The man walked off all important like, the driver looked at me and kind of chuckled. If it was a normal person, I would have given my best fake Boston attitude I could muster up, and told him, no one talks to my son like that. Instead, I gave the driver the best mean Boston face I have, and walked away. I now know the passenger is the owner of that apartment complex building and is known to have possible mafia connections. Who knows?? All I know is, I never want to cross paths with that guy again!

What to do, what to do

2007-11-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

What a day, what a day. We took Talan to the doctor yesterday because he has been a devil child that wakes within seconds of being laid down. We thought his double ear infections had returned. I must just state, you have never fully lived your life till you have been a fly on the wall when my two children go to the doctor. It is quite the scene always!!! Talan ended up being perfectly healthy. So, in other words he is what we have now coined as being a "Talan." Matt will call from school and ask how are the kids. I will quickly respond Tyler is bouncing off the walls, and well Talan is being a Talan, which says it all. Since this last doctor appointment, Tyler has become obsessed with listening to every one's heart to make sure they are still alive. We are proud to say not only is, Tyler, Talan, Matt, the unborn baby, and my heart beating, but so is little Tyler's baby in his tummy as well. After making sure we are all fit, Tyler decided it was time for the jumping jacks and healthy workout portion of the day. Matt and Tyler worked out their "man muscles" by doing push ups, jumping jacks, and running around. After, they felt proud of their hard work and wanted to show off, strut their stuff! They modeled several positions in which they tried to show off their huge, massive, bulging man muscles. Although this seems like entertainment enough, as I am making dinner tonight, Tyler comes up to me and says, "Mom I let Talan outside. He wanted to go out so I let him out." As I run, almost trip, down our stairs of death, I find Talan is indeed outside exploring his world triumphantly on his own. A neighbor was curiously stopped outside our house on her way back from walking her dog to our local park. Do you think she thought, I should ring her doorbell? No, why would she? For some reason there is a no contact policy on our street. If you live more than 1 door to the right or the left, there will be no conversation. Even after I ran outside and grabbed my little Talan she continued to stare. To her, I say, stare on lady stare on. So that about sums it up. I don't know that there are words that adequately describe a day in our household. But, I lived through another day.

2007-11-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

It's A BOY!!!

We are pleased to announce that we are having another boy. So, I will be the lone girl amongst all the boys. As my father-in-law said to Matt, "At least that means you'll always have sports on. If Megan objects just take a vote!" It looks like my life will be that of hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, ESPN, Nascar, basically any and all sports. At least my sister has 2 girls that I can live vicariously through. She promised trips to let me tag along shopping with her and her girls. Poor Tyler is having a hard excepting the news. Every time we talk about it, he screams no we need a sister. I hope that he will learn to love having 2 brothers instead of just the 1. As for Tyler, his appointment went well today. We are exploring some new options with the doctor and hopefully we will see a big change with him. The doctor said he is hopeful that with time he might out grow his diagnosis. I am also hopeful!!

2007-11-11T18:18:00.001-08:00

Oh what do you when church is at 3:30?

2007-11-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

I find it really hard to figure out what to do with my kids till it is time to leave for church at 3. So, I tried doing crafts last Sunday which although my children loved it, my house did not. When you have to have your house picked up for therapy on Mondays you start to want to try non craft ideas. We started with finger puppets. Poor little Talan, his finger wasn't big enough to keep the puppet on his finger. I tried sticking 2 fingers in the hole but that didn't work either. Tyler loves the finger puppets. He was running around with the frog saying ribbit, ribbit, ribbit. Then, Tyler wanted an apple. He made such a cute apple face with it. My sweet little Talan got a play vacuum from our friends the Arnold's. He loves it. He pushes the vacuum around non stop all day long. If it really worked, my carpets would never be dirty! We find out what we are having tomorrow. I can't wait!!! It feels like Christmas Eve. Tyler has an appointment tomorrow with a DAN (defeat autism now) doctor. I'm really nervous that it will be a hard appointment for Tyler. Wish us luck!

Life in the Fast Lane

2007-11-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it feels as though the days fly by and I couldn't tell you why, but we are so busy. Today as we were driving around running arrands I looks at our 2 little boys and thought, I am so lucky to have them. They are getting so big, especially Tyler. We waited so long for him to talk and now that he does, he says the cutest things that just make our hearts melt. Today, he told me that Matt and I were going to have to work harder at being better parents if we wanted to earn Christmas. For me, I need to eat more. For Matt, he must fix his power wheels car so that it once again goes in reverse. I thought it was hillarious. Then, you have Talan who will beat you red with whatever bucket, toy, hand, animal, etc. he can grab and then drop it, and give you the sweetest hug and kiss you ever recieved. His logic being that if he hits he must make amends. I hope that I can remember to slow down every once in awhile. Enjoy the chaos that is always, always going on and remember the years of smearing syrup all over the table, chairs and carpeting will hopefully soon be over.