Development

It has been a busy week here. Ever since Lix and the kids got back from Delaware Bo has been oh-so-close to figuring out how to walk. He loved to do it, and would make you hold his hand so he could wander around practicing. But he couldn’t quite convince himself that it was okay to let go of your hand, or the couch, or whatever else he was clinging to. So Jarom decided to step in and give Lix a hand with the teaching. He watched the kids for a little over an hour while she was at the gym and managed to get Bo climbing down the stairs feet first and taking 4-5 steps at a time. Lix claims that she did all the prep work and that Jarom just happened to be around when things clicked. You know, just like you loosened that lid with all the effort you put into it.

What Bo would look like if he was a girl.

The boy loves to swing. Thanks Nate for building a swing set.

Jenna likes it too.

 But it isn’t about who gets credit for Bo’s accomplishments [Jarom]. It’s about being able to celebrate that the boy finally managed to do something before his girlfriend Reese. And now that he has figured out how to take a few steps you can hardly get him to stop moving around. It is quite adorable and incredibly fun to watch. And I guess with all the attention that we’ve been paying to Bo lately Jenna has gotten a little jealous. So she has started to do all the things that Bo does. She will ask to have a turn walking between Jarom and Lix, stumbling a little like Bo and sometimes falling on the ground before making it all the way. It’s pretty funny. I don’t think that Jenna appreciates Bo’s improved motility because it means that she has to spend more time relocating her puzzles and books and other toys in a vain effort to keep them away from him. He is quite the terror in the playroom.

Speaking of great accomplishments, on Saturday Lix went through all of her old jeans and put them each on, just to prove that she could. Its been almost a year, but she has finally lost all her pregnancy weight, plus a few pounds. Jarom is very proud of her. Unfortunately, Jarom weighs exactly the same amount he did when Bo was born one year ago. To reward Lix for all of her dedication and effort, Jarom decided that it was about time to update the countertops in the kitchen. This was a deal that was made while house hunting, because even though Alixa loved this house she wasn’t completely thrilled with the kitchen, especially the counters and the sink. So on Monday they headed to Granite and More to choose a granite countertop, a tile backsplash, and a new stainless steel sink. Installation is scheduled for Monday, which is just in time for David and Kristi, who will be staying with us for a few days on their way out east to Delaware.

We were playing hide and seek. She isn't so good with hiding.

 The last new thing around here can be found in the backyard. We’ve already got some hawks, a blue jay family, and about a dozen squirrels living on or very near our property. But on Saturday as Jarom was mowing the lawn he stepped in a little hole. His first thought was that we had a mole, which upset him greatly. This is because we had a mole in the backyard in Virginia, and Jarom hated him. But he didn’t think too much of it until this afternoon, when he was watching a pair of rabbits hop around the back yard and it occurred to him that they had probably made a little nest in that hole. So he wandered out and did some investigatory journalism and sure enough, he found a den full of adorable little bunnies. He called Jenna and Lix out to take a look and hold one. The idea was briefly floated of bringing one in as a pet, and then bringing one in as food for me. Jenna was in favor of both ideas, while Lix was against. While I won’t deny that a bunny would be a welcome change of pace from my usual mouser, even I wouldn’t think of breaking up a bunny family this close to Easter. I might be an animal, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a heart. So the bunny went back into the den with all the brothers and sisters, where we’ll check on them for the next few days until they are big enough to head out on their own. These little ones just grow up so fast; sometimes I wonder where all the time went.

Sorry for the yogurt on her face. We were so excited to see the bunnies we didn't quite finish our dinner.

 And as long as we are chatting about Easter bunnies I should mention that the Winns celebrated the resurrection in style. Bo and Jenna got all dressed up cute for church and there was an egg hunt afterwards. Unfortunately we got rained on pretty heavily so the hunt got moved from the backyard to the living room, but Jenna still enjoyed it very much. Bo slept through it. Jenna got a gaggle of Disney figurines and she has barely stopped playing with them. Included in the group was Mulan and Jasmine, so we had to rent their respective movies this week so that Jenna would know who they are.

Easter Sunday. Dressed so pretty for church.

They wouldn't really cooperate for a shot together. This is the best we got.

Studs

He was so tired at church, he just laid down in the hall.