2014 Year End Review (Lissie 3.75 and Xavier 2.5 updates)

I just looked at last year's Year End Review and am amazed that the majority of the things I said then still apply to now.

Oh, my crazy wonderful children. You keep me on my toes, and I'm (mostly) loving every minute of it.

Let's start with Lissie. Oh, how sweet and silly and smart that one is. She hates getting in trouble for anything. Doing anything even slightly wrong makes her very upset. Even if you try positive criticism, the waterworks are inevitable. She always wants to be good and do the right thing. But, oh, how she loves making us laugh with her jokes and sense of humor . And how bright is she! Her teachers are impressed with her problem solving skills and her ability to solve 50+ piece jigsaw puzzles in a matter of minutes.

She loves pretend play, and could imagine whole scenarios for hours on end. She pretended to have an entire school day once - complete with lunch, playtime, circle time, and nap - the whole recreation lasted over an hour. She also still loves to create concoctions in her play kitchen - after she peruses her precious cookbooks for inspiration.

Yep, Lissie still loves all things food related. She analyzes everything she eats, wanting to know exactly how it's made. She says she wants to be a "cooker" when she grows up, and she already loves to be a special helper in the kitchen. There are very few foods that she dislikes these days. In fact, I can only think of a handful: lobster, crab, asparagus, and turnips. She loves most everything else. Yes, even brussels sprouts and beets!

More Lissie loves:
* Spanish and watching Dora
* Sitting in the front of church for Mass
* Dress-up clothes, especially dresses that are so long they touch her toes (ala Elsa)
* Listening to music and singing
* Sleepovers at Lola's
* Running

And then there's Xavier.

That crazy, silly boy. He can be in the best mood one minute and take quite a turn for the worse the next. His tantrums are awesomely frustrating and amazing at the same time. Gotta love the Twos!

But, man, he can turn on the charm like you wouldn't believe. His giggles are seriously infectious, and his coy smile is extremely heart-melting. Oh, man, that boy is Trouble.

And his sense of humor that he must have inherited from his Lolo! He loves telling jokes and performing silly antics to get a rise out of his audience. He can't help but make everyone smile at his goofy, goofy ways.

Ah, and the potty training. He turned 2.5 a few days ago, the perfect time for me to finally do what I've been putting off for half a year. I've known he was ready to take the leap, but I wasn't mentally prepared for it myself. We're only a few days in, and he's doing impressively well. He can't wait to be out of diapers and, quite frankly, so am I.

He's also talking. A lot. The language explosion hit us like a ton of bricks a few weeks ago - right when I was starting to get anxious about his speech. But now? He's speaking in full sentences and telling you more than you want to know about everything.

More Xavier Loves:
* His turtle and his "nini" blanket.
* Chocolate and yummy treats.
* Causing all kinds of mischief.
* Going to school.
* Doing everything all by himself.

And what happens when you put Xavier and Lissie together? More often than not, they get along wonderfully. They enjoy cooking together and having tea parties. They love running around and chasing each other. They share a room now, and I can hear them talking to each other and giggling for a while before they finally settle down into sleep.

Yes, they have their share of arguments. "It's mine!" can be heard throughout the house several times a day, but it hasn't been too unbearable. Yet. Haha.

Oh, those two. Can't help but love 'em. So, so much.