The adventures of Midnight

For those of you who have known him a long time, it will come as no surprise when I tell you that Jarom is not a man who is full of holiday spirit. This has been a point of contention in his marriage with Alixa, who enjoys putting up decorations and participating in all of the shenanigans that accompany each holiday. For example, she is adamant that as soon as they spend a Christmas at their own house they have to get a real tree, while he steadfastly refuses to accept that as a possibility. Up until now Jarom has won many of these battles, mostly because of their poverty and vagrancy. Now that we have a home and a job, he fears he will begin to lose more and more often. It is only a matter of time til there are dozens of boxes in the attic full of cheap trinkets with labels like “Thanksgiving”, “Christmas”, and “Flag Day.” Jenna has only accelerated the process, because who can resist a cute little kid dressed up for a holiday?



And this is how we came to be the proud owners of Midnight. Midnight is a little stuffed bat. He was found by Jenna, along with a little stuffed Turkey, while Lix was doing some shopping at a local craft store. Jenna was permitted to play with them during the shopping trip, and by the time Lix was done, she was unwilling to part with them. A compromise was reached, and Midnight was chosen to stay with her so that she could more properly celebrate Halloween. Since his purchase, Midnight has barely left Jenna’s hands, much to Mr. Eagle’s chagrin.

Midnight and the turkey, in Jenna's death grip

On the way home, still in the death grip

A slighter looser grip while eating a snack

A few days ago Lix and Jarom traded babysitting nights with Nate and Kenz and had a wonderful date night at one of their favorite places, Outback Steakhouse. It had been a while since they had gone out to eat by themselves, and they very much enjoyed it. And Lix loved the new fire-grilled steak option at the restaurant. They’ll probably try to make that a monthly habit.

This was from the zoo trip a few weeks ago. Gross, right?

Last weekend Jarom finally got around to installing the new faucet that was purchased to go with the newly repainted bathroom. It had been sitting on the bathroom floor for about 2 months, and Lix’s patience had run out. So he spent the morning on his back trying to loosen and tighten things at awkward angles inside the vanity, and trying not to throw up when he pulled the foot-long tangle of hair and gunk from the drain. But he seems to have done a decent job. The sink looks great and there are no leaks to speak of. And there is more room on the bathroom floor now that the box is gone. Perhaps there is hope that he might one day become a handyman around the house.

Jenna may have a sticker problem. We are planning an intervention, but she won't ever sit still.

Jenna continues to be the most entertaining thing around here. She is becoming more vocal, and loves trying to say new words. While she doesn’t actually say many of them, she at least makes distinct enough sounds to be able to tell what she is talking about. She now says book when she wants to read, and says choo-choo when she pulls her train around the house, and says Kenna anytime she is getting in the car because that is who she is usually going to see. She is quite helpful around the house, and loves to lend a hand unloading the silverware from the dishwasher or helping her dad put his shoes away and take off his socks when he gets home from work. She still has no idea that a younger sibling is on its way, and demonstrates that unawareness by jumping on her mom’s tummy all the time. Alixa loves it. Oh, and for all of you who have asked, Alixa’s due date is April 22. That puts her around 13 weeks pregnant.