What talking about?!

Happy New Year to everyone! 2009 was definitely a challenge for us, but thanks to Lily it was also a wonderful year full of new surprises and funny developments. I think some of the most entertaining ones all have to do with the things she now says. Some of her favorites include: "I don't know," "nothing!" "what talking about?" The timing of all three of course lends to the amusement factor. Some examples:

"Lily...what are you doing inside the cupboard?" (insert sounds of rummaging) "Nothing!"

"Hey, kiddo - it's time to get ready to go" "What talking about?!"

"Lils - what's the square root of pi?" "I don't know!" (To add to the cuteness, this is often accompanied by a slight shrug and up-turned hands moving up and down)

She's also surprising us more and more with the level of articulation she is capable of. This Christmas she displayed a real appreciation for candy canes, which she referred to as "Candy Lands." One night, while driving past the corner antique store's Christmas display, Lily said "Look, Mommy! Candy Lands! Can we get some?" When I said no, we were going home for dinner, she replied "maybe on Sunday, we can go to the store and get Candy Lands....would that be fun?" all said while nodding in affirmation. She typically helps Chris go grocery shopping on Sundays and when I discuss weekend plans with her I ask if something sounds fun. Hearing her pull it all together in her raspy little voice was beyond precious and it was all I could do not to pull over and hug her then and there.

She also uses her new found articulation to her advantage. She was playing with my new iPhone (she's already an expert YouTube-Hello-Kitty-video-watcher) when I needed to send a reply text to Chris. I asked for my phone back so I could send Daddy a message when she held out her little hand and said "No! Don't touch anything!" When I reminded her that is was actually my phone, she looked at me thoughtfully and said "we share it" (again while nodding in affirmation) and then went right back to Hello Kitty. Clever girl, using that sharing thing against me.

Lily has also become extremely opinionated when it comes to her clothing. I used to be able to buy whatever I thought was cute and put together stylin' ensembles for her. Let's just say those days are long, long gone. Nowadays it's all about Lily's emerging sense of style, which more often than not involves a "dress" (this can mean a skirt, long shirt, or actual dress), which she deems necessary for dancing...which means they are necessary daily since dancing is a part of every day. On Christmas Eve she put together this lovely combination: polka dot tights, tutu, "Santa I've Been Nice" t-shirt from Great-Grandma Kate and her all-time favorite, pink sparkle shoes with all the sparkles rubbed off of the toes. I was able to get her to wear a turtleneck underneath for warmth, but the rest was all her. She was by far the most original child at our church's Candlelight Mass.


Speaking of Christmas, this year was especially magical for her. She loved it last year, but was IN LOVE with it this year. Every morning started with "I need to see my tree!" We were NOT allowed to turn it off for even a minute, and Lily felt it was her duty to make sure it was continuously lit and well-appointed. Every day she carefully examined the ornaments both at her level and from the vantage point of the kitchen stool. It was a job she took quite seriously. She also faithfully watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Polar Express (aka "the north pole movie") as often as we could tolerate it. On clear night she loved walking around Olympic Manor to see the displays (well, she rode in the BOB with hot chocolate while we pushed) and never, ever got tired of seeing the houses lit up. Rather read bedtime stories, she preferred to pick carols out of a book and have me sing them while she danced...particularly ironic since when I sing along with the radio she says "no Mommy! Don't do that! You're not good at it!" which anyone familiar with my dulcet tones knows is true. On Christmas Eve and Christmas night we hosted both sides of the family and our dear friends and felt so lucky to have such a huge, family Christmas and to have the season culminate in her surrounded by people who love her.

This is getting to be a long post, but there are a few more fun snippets...
- She certainly knows who the President is. Every time she sees him on the news or even hears his voice, Lily immediately yells "OBAMA! OBAMA!" In pure enthusiasm, she may be his biggest fan
- We started playing Beatles Rock Band together. Lily likes to sing despite not being able to read the lyrics. She typically gets a 51% on accuracy. Not bad!
- Still dance...and particularly ballet...obsessed. We took her to see the Nutcracker this year and I got a box so we wouldn't bother other people, which turned out a wise move. She spent 75% of the time dancing by herself in the alcove, and the other 25% bemoaning the fact she wasn't allowed on stage and making sure we knew the dancers were "on pointe!"
- Why walk when you can run? Doesn't matter if it's just from the living room to her bedroom, she prefers to cover all distances at a sprint
- Still a cuddle bug to my delight, she often makes sweet demands like "tickle me!" and "hug my tummy!"
- We've taken to calling her "the Stowaway" since more often than not, we put her to bed in her room, but she magically appears between us in our bed. Crafty and cuddly, it's hard to kick her out.
- A burgeoning cook, she loves to help in the kitchen. Most tasks we find for her result in some sort of mess. Is it worth the hassle? Oh yeah - without a doubt.