Two Years!

Lucinda and Malcolm are two years old!

The difference between the babies we had a year ago and the little kids we have today is astonishing.  They have learned SO MUCH in the past year.  Among the amazing things they are doing now:

• they can count to 10, sometimes higher if they are in the mood.
• they recognize most of their letters and numbers by sight.
• they know all of their colors.
• they will proudly tell you they are two! 
• a year ago they had no words other than mama and dada.  Now they understand absolutely everything, and speak in full sentences.  They can even carry on limited conversations over the phone, much to their grandparents' delight.  They also know the words to at least a dozen books and songs.
• a year ago they were barely walking.  Now they run, jump, dance and climb all over the place.  They do the hokey pokey, complete with synchronized jumping.  They think it's hilarious to fall down.  They can dunk a basketball.  They play hide and seek.  They can get up onto our big bed all by themselves and love nothing more than to jump, jump, jump once they're up there.
• they fight a lot over toys, but if they're separated, they ask about each other constantly, and get very worried about where the other one is.  They always make sure the other one has what they have, and they love to bring things to each other.  This weekend they each told me the other is their best friend (although the next minute it was mama or dada... two year olds are not known for their consistency).

At two years old, Lucinda Jean...

• weighs 25 pounds (46th percentile)
• is 33.5 inches tall (51st percentile)
• wears size 4 diapers, 18-24 month and 2T clothes and size 6.5 shoes.
• she is so thoughtful, and hates for anyone to be left out.  When we sang "happy birthday" to her, she insisted that we sing to "Calco Too!"  and then to mama, and dada, and bay-cat, and everybody...

• is getting into imaginative play.  She's started hosting tea parties, and she talks to all of her dolls and stuffed animals.  She'll make you soup or a sandwich in her play kitchen if you ask for something to eat.
• Lucinda is silly and talkative and particular about lots of things.  She smiles with her whole face, especially her eyes.  She is both adventurous and a little bit shy, depending on her surroundings.  She's very smart and a very fast learner.  She repeats everything.  She is calmer than her brother and will sit for extended periods of time and focus on one activity, but she also loves to be chased around the house while squealing in delight.

• favorite color: purple
• favorite food: cheese
• favorite game: hide and seek
• favorite book: whichever one's closest.  She loves books and loves to sit in our laps while we read to her.

At two years old, Malcolm Walter...

• weighs 31 pounds (89th percentile)
• is 36 inches tall (88th percentile)
• wears size 5 diapers, size 2T clothes, and size 8W (!!) shoes
• he is sweet and the more cuddly of the two, but is also  "all boy" in so many ways.  He loves trains and trucks and any other type of vehicle.

• Every night, he stands in his crib after we leave until someone comes back to give him one last hug.  He'll wait 30 seconds or he'll wait 30 minutes.  Either way, he stands there quietly and patiently until we come in and pick him up for a hug.  Then he curls into us and burrows his head into our shoulder and asks to hear the "choo choo song" (the theme song for Thomas) one more time before he goes to sleep.
• Malcolm is so enthusiastic and excitable.  He throws himself into things with all he's got.  He's fast, and loves to run and to be chased.  He knows what he wants and will not hesitate to throw a tantrum if he doesn't get it.  But he's also quick to laugh, and loves to anticipate funny things that are going to happen.  He finds things just as hilarious the 100th time as the first.  And he's such a little ham.  He was the life of the party at his birthday party.

• favorite color: blue
• favorite food: bananas
• favorite game: hide and seek
• favorite book: Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site.

We had a Mickey & Minnie themed birthday party for them over the weekend, which I'll blog about soon.  For their birthday today, we gave them a big train table, and they played happily together with it for hours!

Our house can be crazy a lot of the time.  There's constant running, jumping, frolicking, shouting and laughing.  And there's a fair amount of whining, crying, and fighting, too.  But I wouldn't trade the chaos of our little family for the world.  We are so very blessed.