Mr. Sunshine

Last week when we got back from the family reunion it was time to re-stock the cupboards so I made a trip to the local Super Wal-Ma*rt with a list a mile long. Motivated by a strong drive to feel a sense of accomplishment by planting a garden this summer , I started in the garden center and picked out a couple of tomato plants. While I was picking them out I heard a horrible, terrifying sound. Michael had fallen off of the side of the shopping cart where I didn't realize he was perched and landed on his head. On the cement. It sounded like a watermellon hitting the ground and I was too afraid to look for half a second. There was no blood and he was conscious so I threw the tomato plants into the cart and scooped him carefully off the ground.

With one hand I pushed the cart, with Sam still sitting in it, over to the cashier and handed her the plants, told her I couldn't get them right then because my son had just fallen out of the cart. She called the manager who brought ice and a clip board with accident clarifying anti-law suit paperwork for me to sign, and suggested I take Michael to the emergency room.

Since I had just hit my head the week before, I was very worried about him and decided that's what I should do. But, three problems existed. 1- I didn't know where the emergency room was. We're still new here and haven't seen the nearest hospital because it's essentially in the hood. 2- I didn't want to take Sam with me and keep track of the two of them in an emergency room with no lunch during their naptime. 3- My cell phone battery was dead so I couldn't call anyone for help.

I said a prayer and realized I was close to Josh's office, so I drove there and ran into the lobby asking the concierge to call Josh and ask him to come out front immedieately. Realizing it was lunch time, I worried Josh would be away from his desk, but he got the call and came out a minute later. He took Sam into his office with him and gave me directions to the hospital. He gave Michael a blessing right there in his car seat and Sam wanted to help. Sam was upset and didn't understand that he is too young to help, but we were so touched by his concern and testimony of the power of the priesthood.

Off to the hospital I went. Michael started singing in the car and I calmed down considerably when he started moving his head from side to side and talking to me. We checked into the ER, they asked him to step onto the scale, and they gave him lots of stickers. The first nurse we saw told me she thought he needed to be admitted and observed for a while so we hung out in a curtained-off area while the nurses monitored his blood oxygen levels and his cognitive responsiveness. He got apple juice and was only disappointed that he didn't get to see any ambulances like I had promised him.

They put a monitor on his toe with a red light that made his entire toe red. I played "This little piggy" and he had forgotten all about it and laughed and asked me to do it over and over again. I had to keep him on the bed and keep the light on his toe at all costs, so we were doing lots of toddler tricks when I heard the lady on the bed next to us ask the nurse about "that sweet little boy over there." This woman was being treated for difficulty breathing and she said that Michael's little voice was helping her calm down and feel better.

I was so worried about him when I heard his head hit the ground. I thought it had broken. I felt so helpless without a phone and not knowing where to go. I am so grateful he is ok and that I knew where to go for help. An exhausted neighbor of mine ended up watching Sam for the afternoon, along with her own three kids. Michael has been bringing people comfort and hope since he was a baby. His infectious smile, heavenly blue eyes, and hearty laugh cheer up people in shopping malls, grocery stores, and now emergency rooms.

He is our butterball. Our baby bear. Our potato bug (because of the way her curls up when tickled). I sing him "My Girl" with "Michael" in it because he (and Sam) are my sunshine on a cloudy day. We are so greatful that he is ok! I guess the warnings on shopping carts are there for a reason. I went back to Wal-Ma*rt late that night to do the shopping. Since then, I've gone back to putting the boys in the double stroller and getting only as much as I can fit in the basket underneath. I hope that works for a while. In the meantime, he is so prone to head injuries, that we're considering getting him a real Luke Skywalker helmet to prevent future incidents!

We Are Family!, or World's Longest Travelog

Last week was the Champion Family reunion in Heber City, Utah. Every single member of the family, all 49, were in attendance for some portion of the four day event. Our shirts say, "Champion, it's in my blood!" Michael and Sam loved having the same shirt as everyone else and have wanted to wear it several times since we've been home.

I was so proud of the way I prepared for the trip. I had been sick but still managed to pack every conceivably needed item and clean the house before we left, only 20 minutes after our goal departure time.
It was so exciting to see all of Josh's family. Since our last family picture four years ago there have been six new grand children born. Ben and Kristy's baby Rowyn was only 3 weeks old at the reunion. They were so tough to drive down from Rexburg, ID and be in a noisy place with a newborn but we were all so greatful they came to be with us.
This is how we spent our time in the van during the 10-hour drive there and back. Eating! . . . but not each other.

On Friday moring we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. I got Michael into the car by telling him, "Moroni's waiting for you!" He was so excited. We passed the Jordan River temple on the way there and he and Sam were upset when we didn't stop there. They couldn't understand having two temples so close together. When we left to drive down to Provo we passed two more temples. Michael then made up a new song called "Seven Temples." He was singing it to himself that whole afternoon. Inside, he found a nice chair, sat down in it, and refused to leave. He wanted to stay in there forever. He waved at all of the statues of Moroni on every temple we passed.
Sam was excited about the temple too. His favorite part were the "oxes" in the baptistry. There are twelve oxen statues underneath the baptisimal font, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. In the temple, faithful members of the Church can be baptised by proxy for relatives and others who have died without recieving this ordinance.
Here we are with Josh's sister Sarah and her family, Shawn, Rachel, Brooke, Kristina, and our cousin's daughter Elisa.
Hungry for lunch, we debated going up to the restaurant in Little America or down to Provo to Brick Oven. We called my nephew Andrew to see if he and his new wife Ericka could meet us for some pizza. The boys were so excited to see Andrew. They are in love with him, even though they don't see him very often. They both wanted to sit by him and talk his ear off.
Up at the cabin in Heber City, we spent the time visiting and keeping an eye on the boys. There were 11 kids under the age of three, so things were busy! The boys slept well in pack n' plays in our bedroom. We listened to them on the nursery monitor and heard adorable things like, "Don't get out, Michael! We're stuck in here!" One moring a crying baby woke us up and Michael shouted out, "Sam! Are you okay?" He thougt it was Sam crying and was worried about him. We have really seen their relationship blossoming lately. They've started ganging up on me and saying what THEY want to do. It's plural instead of singlar. "WE want to watch a movie," "WE don't want to go to bed, " "That's OURS!" they always tell me, one at a time.
Here's Michael with his great Grandpa Gail. They both performed on the harmonica at the talent show!
Outside on the rocks. Little boys were meant to live in places like this. They were up on the hillside with sticks "hunting." Sam got poked just under his eye, but hey, hunting wolves is dangerous business.
Josh and his dad had a great, long talk on the front porch one afternoon. A thunderstorm came and went and they watched the whole thing and visited. We really miss living near them and the time difference even makes phone calls difficult.

Here's Michael's harmonica solo in the talent show. Sam sang a family folk song, but he sang so softly the camera didn't really pick it up.

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All of you Oscarson's will appreciate this. I practised it while pushing the boys in swings at the playground and they picked it up.

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More togetherness.

Michael with his cousin "Baby Kristina." The first couple of days I was thrown off hearing "Kristina!" in warning and baby-tones, but I got used to hearing people call for this little cutie pie who shares my name and Michael's cheeks. Josh's Aunt Brenda made I don't know how many of those stuffed frogs and had her grandchildren put on a puppet show about the princess and the frog.
Shifting gears, we went to spend Sunday night with my sister Becky. Sam and Michael found action figure knights in the toyroom and soon Uncle Brent surprised them with their very own helmets! They segwayed into Star Wars and spent a good hour and a half wearing these ski helmets that made them a little top heavy and chasing Uncle Brent, a.k.a. Chewbaka.
John and Katharine stopped by and played for a minute and we ate a refreshing dinner of roasted chicken and vegetables with peach cobbler for dessert!
The next morning, Becky and Brent entertained the boys outside while Josh and I packed up the van. They picked strawberries in the garden and jumped on the trampoline until we thought they would fall over with exhaustion. At home the next morning, Michael was disappointed when we couldn't pick fresh strawberries in OUR backyard. Maybe next year, or next house, Michael.
Our drive through Nevada was long but beautiful. I wanted to watch a Western movie when we got home. That will have to wait until I catch up on my sleep and chores, though.
The state line between California and Nevada is where the green stops abrubtly and the stone and dust begin. Somebody was thinkin' when they drew that line!

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The boys did pretty well without naps and going to bed later than usual. Here is the only meltdown on the way home, just to give you a little taste. We hope to be making the drive again in August to welcome Matt Lowe home from his mission and we want to plan a GR Oscarson reunion somewhere similar for next summer. Bring on the family!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Today this is what I heard at lunch. In reference to the beautiful toddler-friendly lunch below complete with homemade mac and cheese, I heard Michael say, "I don't want to eat that scary lunch. I want to eat yogurt." Then I heard him say, "You're Cinderella, I'm the Prince." So I promptly forgave the offense of refusing the meal. What's so scary about this food, I'll never know. I guess it just looks different but I thought it was so funny he would call it scary. Do you hear reasoning like that from your kids?Last week I heard Michael in his crib calling out, "Belle! Belle! Belle, where are you?" He was up from his nap and wanted me, Belle, to come get the Beast/ Handsome Prince out of his crib. He said "I'm a beast. I need to get out!" Sometimes he puts on Josh's church shoes and makes me put on my high heels and dance with him while I sing, "So This is Love" from Cinderella. Then he says "Bong! Bong! Now you run away! It's midnight!" Sam has joined in and asks me to do it too. This is what happens when you have your first boys. I only have princess movies on hand and have make an investment and get some that are more masculine. They do also play Star Wars and wave around anything that can be used as a light saber, so I guess they're well-balanced.
In other news, we have our first hole in the drywall. It was only a matter of time with two boys and their toys, but it was actually me who made this whole in the wall. I had the stomach flu and fainted while, uh, sitting on the, uh, structure on the right. I fell and I'm guessing I made that hole with my shoulder. I have whiplash and hurt my jaw and cheekbone. Now the pain is gone and I'm just a little stiff. It was a little scary waking up on the bathroom floor and not knowing where I was for a little while. I did get a nice little break from housework for a couple of days though!

***Clarifications***
Ok. So I will add some more info about passing out. Josh was home reading books to Michael in the other room and Sam was asleep. I felt it coming on and dried to dive for the floor but I passed out before I got to the floor and hit my head. I don't know how long I was out but when I woke up I couldn't open my eyes for a while and had no idea where I was or what had happened. I soon remembered and opened my eyes and was able to get right up. I don't know if I was just dehydrated or if it was from the pain. I have endometriosis and have had similar feelings of lightheadedness in the past, but have never actually blacked out until the other day. I spent the rest of the day in bed and a sweet neighbor brought us some soup and rolls so my family and I could eat dinner. It was hard to sleep because my neck and shoulders and face hurt so much, but ibuprofen helped with that and I'm only left with a little tightness in my back now. I called the after hours nurses line and they asked me to go into the emergency room, but I prefered getting a good night's sleep so I didn't go and I'm doing fine now. It was scarry and I was surprised when I saw that hole in the wall, but I'm ok and have a cool story to share about my most embarrassing moment now! When I called the nurses' line and told them what happened the nurse started laughing at me. I laughed too because it just sounds so funny, in a I'm really glad I didn't hurt myself worse kind of way!

Getting Fruity

I think I am in danger of becoming a northern California granola-girl. Don't get me wrong, I still lather and shave daily - or whenever I get to take a shower- but there's something so nice about not putting on makeup or doing my hair and just getting out the door into the sun. How did I come to this realization? I took the boys fruit picking on Friday.

I actually showered, but let my hair go curly (read frizzy) and the only thing I put on my face was sun block. We packed some peanut butter sandwiches and lots of bottled water (it is already in the 90's here) and drove 30 minutes out to a fruit farm.I knew it was going to be great when we passed a rooster on our way in. We said hello to the girl at the cash register (her name was Gloria. Michael said, "A song!" meaning "Angels We Have Heard on High." This kid is a serious music nut.) and went off to pick some cherries. The boys were in heaven because they could reach them and they quickly filled their 1 pint baskets with the brightest red, unripe, tart cherries. They were all at eye level and they got a kick out of being able to do it themselves. They've been telling everyone about it all weekend. "I pick cherries on the farm!" Michael even got Josh to eat some - they're not his favorite - by saying, "I pick cherries on the farm, Daddy. It's yummy! You eat it!"Last time we went fruit picking was in August, I think. We picked raspberries and I spent the whole time chasing them. This time they stayed with me and I had to coax them from place to place. Michael didn't want to leave the cherry trees. When I wanted to change to strawberries, he did run off . . . back the the cherry trees! I had him taste a juicy strawberry, and then he understood why I was picking those too and stood near me eating them out of my box as I picked them. Sam, ever social, walked over to the other moms and kids and struck up a conversation. "That's my mom over there and that's Mach-ow (Michael)."
The owner of this small pick-your-own farm waved to the boys as he rode by on his tractor. Sam couldn't get over it. "Mommy! The farmer waved to Sammy!" He later said, "I want to stay this forever." So we're going back for peaches next week!
(Don't eat the pit!)
At home, I put the boys down for naps and watched the movie "Emma" on the laptop while I made freezer jam and a strawberry pie. I decided to brush the crust with melted Her*shey Kisses before filling it. It was awesome!

We've been pigging out on cherries, watermelon, and strawberries. As I picked the fruit in the bright sun with the boys running around having the time of their lives, I thought how happy I was. If I am too lazy to plant a garden, at least I can have the experience of picking the fruit and preparing it at home.

When I was childless and miserable at my job in Virginia I day dreamed about living on an acre or two in a white frame farm house with red gingham curtains and french doors opening to a huge backyard with a huge garden and kids running all over the yard and practicing the piano - inside. I would be gardening, cooking, and sewing, all uninterrupted while the kids played for hours on end, of course! So while I'm not ready for Birken*stocks, and I don't know if I could really give up mascara for good, I have to admit that days like this are so fulfilling.

I guess we all have a desire to till the earth, or at least to eat its delicious, sun-ripened fruit!

My Mothers

I had such a happy Mother's Day today. I think every Mother's Day will be incredibly special for me (see below on becoming a mother). We had the standard singing by the Primary kids today, we had a special breakfast before church, and I got to to to Relief Society where we had ice cream sundaes!

But once I was home from church and making dinner, my thoughts turned to my mothers. My own mother is incredibly smart, beautiful, talented, and funny. My mother in law raised the best husband in the world and loves her in-laws like her own.

But, perhaps inspired by our discussion of the pioneers in Relief Society today, my thoughts turned to my great and great-great grandmothers Lydia Knight and Johanna Oscarson. I was making some banana bread with our brown bananas when the thought occurred to me that these women went through times when there was no extra food to be used up in some creative and indulgent way. Do we really NEED banana bread? It's just a way to justify buying 10 bananas at once at Costco. I thought about how they took care of their families without husbands around - without electricity and mixers and ovens and church DVD's to keep their kids busy while they made Sunday dinner. I thought about what they would have eaten for Sunday dinner during those hard times.

As I dumped butter into the mixing bowl, I thought about Lydia Knight's story of the tithing and the butter. She had just arrived in the Salt Lake valley and had only one cow with one little patch of grass for it to eat. They churned butter and decided to give it all to their bishop as tithing with the faith that their little cow would produce more milk and give them more butter to last through the winter.

I am grateful for the women in my family who I don't know but who I cannot wait to meet and thank one day. Their sacrifices have blessed me with the light of the Spirit, the peace of the gospel, and the faith to face the unknown.

So, happy Mother's Day to all of you who are in the trenches with me right now, and to those of you who have paved the way to give me all of the blessings I enjoy. I hope I can continue in your tradition of sacrifice and bring honor to you and blessings to my posterity.

Bugs

I just weeded the backyard and found the ant nest! I put 2 ant "traps" out there and hope they all die a quick death and leave my house alone.

Michael just smushed a ladybug across the patio and then said, "Oh, the ladybug is sad." Sam added, "cause you crushed it."

Thank You, Dr. Leo Marvin

Two weeks ago - after one week of potty training - I decided that I no longer wanted to spend my days as an edgy, stressed out person with no sense of humor who I wouldn't want to hang out with. I decided I wanted to stop and enjoy my life. No one in my family is deathly ill; I am making friends here; I have plenty of room for my kids to run around; I have red curtains I made hanging in my kitchen; I have a backyard; I have two adorable sons; I have a devoted, funny, kind husband. Why not stop stressing out and enjoy my life a little more?

That's when I decided to follow Dr. Leo Marvin's advice from What About Bob and "take a vacation - from my problems!" Some people would call this selfish or lazy. I call it delightful.

Here's how I did it. I stopped worrying about the following:
1. How my clothes fit
2. Where the potty training accidents occur
3. Whether I made it out of the house every day
4. If there's dust on the furniture and shirts in the ironing pile
5. If the toys are all put away at night
6. Having the boys watch t.v. so I can get something done
7. Trying to entertain my primary class with boredom-defying lessons
8. Whether I gave equal attention to each of my boys
9. Whether the boys liked and ate their dinner
10. If my boys got enough exercise that week

Instead, I started thinking about and doing the following:
1. How my Father in Heaven sees me
2. Michael is amazing for potty training at 28 months
3. I love living in a house instead of an apartment
4. Getting more sleep makes me happy and calm
5. I like taking time to enjoy reading a book and doing my hair and make up
6. Getting something done without breaking up fights every 2 minutes
7. Teaching my primary class to appreciate what the early members of the Church did
8. Giving more attention to my husband
9. Making meals that Josh and I enjoy eating
10. If I got enough exercise that week

The result? I was thoroughly relaxed and calm. I really felt like I was on a vacation. My bedroom turned into a sanctuary from baby land. I sat in my backyard and read a book in the sunshine. My boys liked some of the new food I made and didn't starve to death. I had more energy. The ADD kids in my primary class weren't there today for my non-entertaining lesson. I discovered that non-iron shirts really don't need to be ironed and the layer of dust on the furniture didn't cause any allergic reactions.

Alas, after two weeks of this hiatus, my house is so messy I can't stand it so I am going to scrub it all tomorrow! Then I'll catch up on the shopping and prepare an interesting primary lesson.

The prognosis: I will keep ebbing and flowing and trying to find a balance between vacation and responsibility, while remembering that taking a break from stress makes everyone happy. So, old Bob and I agree, Dr. Leo Marvin is a genius.

Now if I could only hire a cleaning lady I'd be set for life!