Sam had his two front teeth out today, so here's his Christmas greeting:
PS - the mustache was his prize pick at the dentist's office. I think it adds to the overall experience, don't you?
PPS - over a foot of snow today = happy kids :^)
There was a young mother
Who lived in a house roughly approximating the size of a shoe.
She had four lively and clever children
And quite often had no idea what to do.
She fed them and washed them and put them to bed
But somehow
They wound up hungry and dirty and tired again.
There were days filled with chaos, laughter, and tears
Dishes, more dishes than could ever be counted
And laundry in piles that continually mounted
A wild ring around the walls at a consistent three feet
And something hiding in the back of the fridge that’s starting to stink.
But despite all the messes, despite all the fights,
Those four growing children were a daily delight.
They noticed the things she’d grown too tall to see
And reminded her of God’s love, his strength, and unfailing mercy.
It was in one of those moments
As she knelt by the bed
Begging God for more patience and more love in each day
That he whispered something quite unexpected instead.
“Don’t you feel it?” came the voice, quiet and pure
“Something’s missing,
“Someone’s missing
“What you need is one more.
“Here by my side is one noble and true
“Finished with those first lessons
“And waiting for you.
“Is your heart ready?
“Are your hands open?”
She heard the voice ask.
Then she turned her eyes heavenward
As if to ask are you sure?
She paused to gaze on each face before her,
Perfect and bright, whether angry, sad, or hungry,
They were her joy.
“But how?” she asked quietly
“I already have four.
“How can I do it
“When there is one more?”
The answer, unwavering had been as before
When she knew that her family still needed one more.
“My daughter, if you do as I ask
The blessings will come.
Starting, as you well know,
With the birth of this one.”
And so she said yes
And the man by her side,
Though puzzled as she was by the chaos wherein they reside
Trusted God when He said
One more needed to come
And so in springtime, dear family and friends
Another Bunker will be born.
Love,
Steven, Meredith, Sam, Jake, Will, Abby, and ?? (Mar 2011)
story time at Casa Bunker...and the boys in their Daddy nightshirts...
So, I'm in YW at church and I'm working on my personal progress (again). Oh, the irony.
So, one of my faith value projects is to plant, care for, and harvest a vegetable garden. In the 3 years we've lived in this house, I've wanted to do exactly that. But I just never have.
But this year, I had a reason. I thought and thought about what to plant. I'm the only one in our family who likes tomatoes. I'm the only one who likes squashy veggies. Are you sensing a trend, here?
So, I'm like, if I'm the only one who's going to even eat this stuff, why am I planting again?
Oh, yeah. Personal progress.
Then I had a brilliant idea. I like salsa fresca. For reals. I do. Who doesn't? So instead of the zucchini you can't make into bread because nobody eats it and then it's like 3 feet long and you can't even give it away...I've planted a salsa garden. Tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro. It's in a 4 x 4 square.
My little helpers helped me prep the site last Saturday...My garden grows with kid-power! Wish us luck!
The other days the boys were out in the yard. They collected all the neighborhood vehicles (bikes, push cars, etc) and lined them up and played with them. Our neighbor has one of those little kid bubble lawnmowers that my kids like to fight over. All of them. All the time.
Will was distressed that he wasn't getting his turn with the lawnmower. I reminded him there were lots of other vehicles to choose from....but that was not what he wanted to hear. Next thing I know, he's gone to the backest back of the back yard (behind the shed) and retrieved his Daddy's lawnmower and pushed it over the divets of our very bumpy backyard all the way to the front yard.
MY lawnmower. He announced triumphantly to his older brothers whose little bubble mower definitely paled in comparison. That's Will.
One morning I woke to find that Steven had done Abby's hair.
NICE.
She was the crankiest she's ever been that day. Seriously.
Bad hair days will do that to you.
Note to self: Daddy does not do hair... appropriately.
This is Abby dressed to impress for library day (hence the nametag). For those of you who don't know, Abby is not a fan of anything in her hair (we call them pretties). Many times I find she has ripped them out and eaten the little elastics in the car, leaving behind two massive pigtail bumps for when we go into the store. But here she is with some clips, looking very cute...
Oops...now she's discovered the clip...
and now she's bringing it to me...
"Mom, we talked about this..."
Abby is very nearly 17 months old. Can you believe it? I know, you can't believe it. You can't even imagine it really because it's been so stinkin' long since I posted a picture. I'm sorry. Old computer - new computer blues. Right now the old computer (the picture computer) is buried under an assortment of laundry - what surface of my house isn't? - as well as a vaccuum hose and who even knows what else. So, since a picture's worth 1000 words, I guess this post will have to be a couple thousand to make up for its picture-less-ness. And yes, that's a word - look it up.
Abby went to nursery on Sunday. God bless the nursery leaders they didn't say no. She is as big as a 2 year old after all - and she can stick up for herself. Steve dropped her off and she went right in. We lingered longer near the nursery hall (this is code for ditched Sunday School) and she never cried, they never brought her out. A friend of mine in the nursery said a little boy pulled her pigtail - she didn't even cry. She squawked at him, pulled away, and went and found another toy to play with. Steve picked her up smiling - albeit with disheveled hair - and happy. (no months of tears or mommy on a toddler chair for weeks - just a happy kid going to her class - where they have toys!) only my girl.
The other night she wanted to play with her brothers while I was making dinner. No dice. They wanted to play big boy games and she isn't. Big or a boy. So I brought a bucket of lego blocks into the kitchen and set her on the floor with them. This way she would stay by me and away from the big boys. She pulled the lid off and I waited for the inevitable. (that's the part when my boys dump the entire contents of the bucket on the floor.) Abby pulled each block out one at a time into a pile on the floor. Then she pulled out one of the lego men in his orange hard hat, looked up at me, smiled, and said, "baby!" She happily played with said insulted lego man for the entire time I made dinner. only my girl.
I took her crib apart last night. It's going to spend some quality time at Casa Adams. I put her on the crib mattress on the floor and prepared myself to pull up a rug while I laid by her and waited for her to fall asleep. That is, after all, the way I'd done it three times before. She thought since I was in there, we should play. I got up and went in the hall, preparing myself mentally for the 3000 return-her-to-bed trips I would have to make. But she stayed. I hope you understand the gravity of this - especially considering her older brother Will still thinks an unlocked door is an invitation to not be in bed. Sam and Jake must still get out of bed 1000 times to see what I'm doing, to get a drink, to go potty, and all the other things that are not GET IN YOUR BED! She STAYS!! It's like a miracle. A pink, pig-tailed, rosy cheeked miracle! only my girl.
Who knew pink could be so sweet?!
"happy birthday to you.
happy birthday to you.
happy birthday, dear grandma.
happy birthday to you."
love, abby kate
For those of you who don't know, my boys (specifically sam and jake) don't eat. oh, if it's a dessert, they eat it. but if it has anything smelly (garlic, onions) anything saucy (enchiladas, spaghetti) or anything in a strange form (not balled up hamburger that's on daddy pizza, but flat hamburger on a bun, for example) it will not be eaten. These are the words typically found in our house:
"Mom, what is that disgusting smell?"
"Mom, that smells gross, I'm not eating that."
"Mom, what's in that?"
"Mom, do I like that?"
"Mom, I'm not eating that."
"Mom, you know I don't like that, why are making that?"
"Mom, is that Daddy dinner or kid dinner?"
"Mom, is there kid dinner tonight?"
For the most part, I have to exempt Will from these protests, though that has been of little comfort given the fact that Will used to eat dirt wherever he could find it. So, the fact that he liked my cooking wasn't really saying anything.
So imagine my surprise at being the mother of a little pink eating machine. Her first time in a restaurant she INHALED an entire big kids size portion of mac and cheese. She eats pancakes two-fisted. The other night I made chicken pot pie, it was pooh-poohed by boys who went to bed without dinner because there was no alternative kid dinner that night, and she ate hers and theirs. In addition, Abby eats like she knows something we don't - like the end is near and this is the last decent meal she'll ever eat. To illustrate, some mac and cheese photos, a la Abby:
A crown, some presents, a bit with a cake, all these doth a birthday make!
ps - the crown was still in the car on sunday morning, so the birthday boy insisted on wearing it to Sacrament Meeting. I think Heavenly Father understands...
pps - right after the video stops, Will leaned down and licked the cake. guess that was his piece!
Because Will's birthday was on Sunday, we celebrated in two parts. The first included going to Ogden Union Station (http://theunionstation.org) where they have a train museum...in a train yard...with real trains.
For those of you who don't know, Will loves trains. We regularly empty the train section at the children's library of all its books. He especially loves steam engines. Our original plan was to go to Heber to ride the train, but after discovering that they rarely give tours and most of the winter trains are diesel, not steam, we opted for the museum.
Steve and all the boys went (I got a call last minute to play for a funeral in our ward). As you can see, they had a great time. NOTE: there are a train bell - on the floor - in the museum. Apparently the boys were ringing the life out of it by the time Steve (and the ancient docents) got to the bell where the sign said: please don't ring the bell. Oh well.
And yes, Will is wearing a birthday crown. Happy Birthday Will!
This is Abby's favorite perch at our beater piano where she likes to climb, even if the chair is pushed in and she is then wedged under the keyboard, and sing and play...
Dear All-
I have a fabulous sister-in-law who is the craft goddess to my anti-craft. She is creative and talented. I am, well, creatively challenged. She designs and makes fabulous things. I dream about designing and making fabulous things and then wake up and remember, oh yeah, I'm creatively challenged.
And guess what? She's gone ETSY and now you can all partake of the goodness. Her things are one of a kind and guess what - she'll make them just for you. Go to her ETSY site
www.etsy.com/shop/mdjust4you
And if you see something you like order it. If you see something like something you'd like (it's just the wrong color or whatever) go to her blog http://mdjust4you.blogspot.com and leave a comment for her. And she'll get back to you.
Keep in mind, she's just starting out, so not all of her stuff is up yet. But check back often and you'll be glad you did!
Much love to you all!
(and a big whoop-whoop to Marianne, Crafting Goddess)
Meredith
ps - yes, Marianne, that was a whoop-whoop. I'm getting my Provo on, and all that. Wait until you hear me say mountain. UGH.
Here's little video to show our little lady as she usually is - on the run! I'm not smart enough to rotate it, so I apologize for the crick in your neck caused from repeated sideways viewing.
ps - will thought he'd hidden the balloons from her...alas.
I woke up the other day and realized I'm losing my baby. We now have a little lady - 14 months tomorrow!
So in his valentine booty from preschool, Jake brought home fun dip. After a few false starts in the delivery system, he plunked himself on the dining room table, dyed his mouth and fingers green and proclaimed "Mom, fun dip is GOOD" Then he asked me if they had fun dip when I was little. Yeah, I answered. When Grandma was little? Probably not. That's too bad, because fun dip is GO-OD! I had to snap a picture.
so, Steve and I have been looking for a cheap, used (but playably in-tune) piano for our family. This search has been prodded along (and not gently I might add) my Sam who just have to have piano lessons - even if some girl at school told him they are only for girls.
so one night, I went into their room to find this creation on the floor. What is it? I asked. Jake answered, I made you a piano, mom! Thought it up and built it all by himself. We love Jake.
ps - as of today, we think we found one and will (hopefully) have it this weekend!
So, Will LOVES trains. This all started during the Christmas season and the daily viewing of The Polar Express. Now, any show that has a train in it is Will's favorite. We have train books, train movies, train everything. He even begs me to watch train videos on Youtube. For his birthday (3/21) I'm taking him to ride the Heber Valley Railroad - he can't stop talking about it. He asks me everyday when his birthday is. Here's Will playing with his geotrax trains while being attacked by Abby Godzilla - who just likes to tear things up!
So this is the last snow I can remember us getting - it was in December. Now it rain-snows. That's right. Utah, land of the greatest snow on earth and it's been averaging about 40+ everyday. I probably jinxed myself when we bought snow gear for the kids for Christmas. Sorry Sam's sideways - but I had to include this picture - because SAM LOVES SNOW. If he could he probably would be up at Sundance or Brighton everyday with Uncle Stephen, where apparently they're getting the snow without the rain.
after much prodding from grandmas - you know who you are - today was picture/video upload day. I hope you all appreciate the effort this took. See, I've converted almost exclusively to laptop, except for pix. Those go on the desktop. Which is, as you might guess, on the desk. Which is, as you might also guess, the dumping ground for virtually everything in my home. So, to upload pix, I had to clean the desk - to unearth the computer. So, yesterday was a cleaning frenzy and today you all reap the benefits - enjoy!
So, as is our usual custom at casa Bunker, as I'm trying to feed, bathe, dress, and then dump my kids in bed by myself every night, I usually start making up silly songs - to pass the time, to move slow movers along, to quell the crying, and keep myself sane.
no - do not ask me why insanity keeps us sane. just accept that it does. i know i do.
be that as it may, i started singing an alphabet song to the tune of the dinosaur abcs for all you privileged enough to be familiar with the pbs show dinosaur train. it went like this...
"a for abby katie
b for bunker baby
c for cutie katie
d is for
at this moment my mind goes blank as to what d descriptor could be used for the beautiful child swimming away from me in the tub so in silliness i said...
d is for dog."
Will laughed. mom is so silly.
Jake laughed. seriously so silly.
Sam? Sam said and I quote: "Mom, that is off-topic."
The joys of the first grader.
I sang it again for good measure...mom is seriously so silly.
ps - for those of you who've seen the movie UP, may I just share: not long ago my boys looked out the back window and saw the neighbor's dog, Koda. They then said to me, "mom, why is Koda wearing the cone of shame?" to which I responded, "you know, I really don't know." Because really, can you imagine my boys repeating any explanation I could've given for neutering to people at church? REALLY?
So, as you all know my boys are the world's pickiest eaters. It's true. Each uniquely picky, which adds to my culinary woes. Be that as it may, they all have one thing in common. They love dessert. Anything that even closely resembles dessert.
But Abby? Abby loves brownies.
My boys beg for dessert. Sometimes Will helps himself and then answers the question "what are you eating" with a perfectly timed "nothing" as parts of it are still rolling around in his mouth.
But Abby? Abby stands by the counter where the brownies are and cries. "What's wrong?" you ask. You pick her up, you get her a drink, take her in the other room, and two minutes later, she's back in the kitchen with the brownies.
Now I know she's only 1 and brownies should probably not have been part of her education yet, but brownies are an important part of mother-daughter bonding. This and mexican food. And one day (if I haven't acquired the willpower to give it up completely) Dr. Pepper. So yes, I've let her mooch brownies.
And now? Now she wants brownies. All. the. brownies. All. the. time. I have to hide the pan so she can't see it or I just have a whiney baby with a perpetual chocolate smile.
There is barely a bite left in the pan, now. Her work is almost complete. Maybe no more brownies for a while. Sorry dessert-loving boys!
So, we all went to Missouri for Christmas this year. Steve's parents recently built a home in Gallatin, MO which is very near Adam-Ondi-Aman (no idea if that's remotely close to being spelled right, but I digress).
After a through-the-night 16 hour car ride across Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri, we finally made it. The kids did great - being as it was the middle of the night, they just slept the whole way. Steve and I were pretty beat, but managed to catch up (kind of) after a nap or two...or ten.
Steve's brothers Chris (and his family) and Mark were also there. The kids had a great time getting to know new uncles, aunts, and cousins. Since we didn't bring the camera (I know, shame on us) I have no pictures, so you'll have to read through the rest unillustrated.
So, Sam and Jake went with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Christ, Aunt Valerie, and cousins Noah and Charlotte to Liberty, MO. Mom and Dad stayed home with Abby and Will because we were planning to go to Nauvoo the next day. I wasn't feeling totally great and I wasn't sure the little ones would do well with a 90 minute (each way) car ride on Monday followed by a 4+ hour car ride to Nauvoo the next day.
Sam and Jake came home with lots of stories to tell about Liberty. Even as little as they are, I really think they sensed the gravity of what happened there.
Then, about 2:30 the following morning, I woke up with severe chills and 102 degree fever. Steve woke up his parents to find out how to get to the ER, and we drove to the booming metropolis of Cameron (no, it really wasn't) about 30 minutes away. It was dead as a doornail. Upon arrival, it seems that not only did I have a 102 degree fever, but also a racing heartbeat - like 145 or something. Apparently this is not normal. Only small children couple racing heart rates with high temps and most people outgrow it at age 12. Except me. They hooked up an EKG to be sure. They ran lots of tests to rule of everything else that could be causing high fever and lower back pain, only to confirm that I had a severe (raging was the Doc's word) kidney infection and was severely dehydrated. They pumped me full of fluids, painkillers, and antibiotics. They sent me home with scrips for more.
Needless to say, we didn't make it to Nauvoo. Steve's mom generously agreed to help us with th kids. Sam went to Nauvoo and was in Carthage on 12/23 - the prophet's birthday. He came home with lots of new found knowledge, and again, a reverance for where he had been. I was impressed.
So, I stayed down most of the first day everyone was gone. The second, I found out that my stomach hates tramadol - the painkiller. So, I traded pain for nausea and vomit. Fun - HUH!?
Then, everyone returned home and we had Christmas Eve - our kids were in bed asleep by 6:15 - it was beautiful.
During the night on Christmas Eve, Will woke up to find that Santa had come. Since he can readily identify the letter W as belonging to him, he quickly found his stocking, which Santa had filled with candy and took it to his room. There, he proceeded to quietly devour the entire contents. When the rest of the kids got up and Steve and I emerged from the basement, we found will, in a nest of chocolate wrappers and sporting what looked like a black eye but was really a lovely chocolate smear across his face. Happy Christmas to Will.
The kids were really excited about their gifts and since it was like 4:30 or 5:00 when we all got up, Christmas morning ended with naps around.
We left the following day 12/26. After taking nearly 30 minutes to get out of the driveway (snowed a ton Christmas day in MO), we got on the road headed to Lincoln, NE where we would get on I-80 home. When we got there (nearly 4 hours later) we discovered that I-80 had been and would be closed "indefinitely." At which time, we turned back the way we came and drove almost 3 hours back and then more to get on I-70 to go home. We celebrated Abby's 1st birthday at 10:30pm at a Cracker Barrel in Junction City, KS before we all collapsed in our two queens at the Holiday Inn across the street.
The next day we drove all the way across KS, all the way across CO (where we stopped at a Safeway in Vail for dinner that more closely resembled the snow-gear-clad version of LAX - no one spoke English, there was a taxi stand out front, and everyone wanted to know where the cigarettes were), and then through Price all the way to Provo, UT arriving about 15 hours later at about 11:30 pm on 12/27. Long drive does not begin to describe the experience.
After a week recuperating we're all getting back into the swing of things. Sam, Jake, and Steve got back to school on 1/4 and the rest of us are trying to get in a regular schedule too.
So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
Okay, so for all of you who switched to 9am church today and hated it, please don't continue with my exuberant discourse on the glory that is 9am church.
My children get up between 6:15 and 6:30 - ON A GOOD DAY. On a bad day, five is the first number on the clock. For those of you who know me (at all) you will know that I am not now nor have I ever been a morning person. For example, when I was a teenager early morning seminary was taught at my house. AT MY HOUSE. I struggled to be showered and on-time. We will not at this time comment upon my consciousness state during the hour-long class, but suffice it to say I probably looked like a seated version of the self that five minutes earlier had been snuggled in my bed.
And speaking of snuggled, that is why I hate morning. You're all warm and snuggled and asleep in your happy place and then somewhere in the freezing cold darkness all that is jerked away by a small mostly naked person who tells you he's stinky. Stinky diapers at 5:15 in the blessed AM are worse than alarm clocks - and that's saying a lot.
So, back to 9am church.
Before this week we had church 1-4. What this meant is that the kids (Abby excepted) really didn't have time for a nap before church. They consistenly did have time to completely thrash the house and frequently cause me to draw errantly with eyeliner on my face. No, that's really not funny...it's horrible. Stop laughing.
Then, we get home from church and I'm making dinner in my church clothes as fast as I can so we can feed the masses and send them to bed before the atomic bomb that is overtired children goes off. So I'm stirring, I'm yelling no, take your church clothes off, I'm cooking, and yelling no fighting or hitting or even acting like you might fight or hit and PLEASE TAKE YOUR CHURCH CLOTHES OFF until the kids go to bed at like 5:30 or 6:00 and I collapse in a heap.
But not today. (She types with a supremely triumphant smile).
Today, because the children got up in the 6:00 hour, I had time to get everyone fed and dressed for church (including me) and we were early. During sacrament, only 1 out of 3 boys complained he was hungry and bored and could he please have a snack. And Abby fell asleep. It was like bliss. Plus, since we were the first ward in, the chapel was not yet 1000 degrees, so we sat comfortably in our church clothes instead of peeling them all off and sitting red faced and sweating in our back row pew.
Today, we got home from church before 12:30 and before 1:30 everyone was fed and in bed for naps. Everyone - Daddy and Sam included. And, as I post this, I'm sitting in a house that is as quiet as a tomb - except for the click clicking of the laptop keyboard.
Now, once everyone wakes up we can do happy family things. Eat dinner calmly and rationally and go to bed without tears or bloodshed.
I am in bliss.
I LOVE 9am church!
