Laughable, Lovable Lily!

Lily gives Momma a smirk after her new haircut

Lily with her two greatest admirers: her brothers, Tim and Joe

Lily Su Grace Messina - 2 1/2 years old

Lily models some wonderful clothes from her cousins, Kara and Alyssa. From her snowman sweatshirt all the way down to her favorite Elmo slippers!

It's Tigger!

Lily has changed so much since we adopted her a little over a year ago! She has changed the most in the last six months since we moved to Norway! She loves to sing and dance and hop. Oh, how she hops! I love it most when I am trying to change her clothes or wash her hair in the shower! Tigger was the most appropriate outfit for her this Halloween! She is constantly jabbering away in English, giving a running commentary of all that is going on around her. It's like having a pint-sized female Howard Coselle around me at all times. She has a few Japanese words that have stuck in her head, which amuses me as she wasn't really even speaking when we lived in Okinawa. She was obviously listening though! She attends Norwegian classes with me once a week and although she is drawing the whole time, she will sit and repeat everything Pastor Sam says under her breath. She says hello and goodbye very well. She kept telling everyone "Ha det!" in Italy (goodbye in Norsk). By the time we taught her ciao, she was back in Norway. She has a little friend from Lillegym that is from Argentina and she is starting to say hello and goodbye to her in Spanish. Of course, we still use a few Chinese words with her and I am starting to push some Chinese language learning DVDs her way. She can say hello and goodbye and I love you in Chinese as well as a few other random things she has kept from her past life in China.

Lily is in love with Seasame Street, Winnie the Pooh, Blue's Clues and she also likes to read Clifford books. She is an avid drawer and is mastering drawing snowmen right now, also a favorite book topic for her. She was able to get a hand-me-down tricycle, which she rides around in the basement. She loves it! She usually has a play phone tucked under Bob (what she calls her short arm) and a purse or two slung over the handle bars as she pedals back and forth on the wooden floors. She continues to love her little kitchen and can't resist making hot tea and a meal of hotdogs, french fries (or fred fries, as she says) and eggs if you are in the room with her.

Below is a video of Lily on a road trip where the boys (with virtually nothing to do) decided to teach her how to do the pro baseball salute to the fans...with "Peace Out"....unfortunately, she has a little issue getting her two fingers up so she needs bob's assistance which slows her down a bit. Rich was not thrilled when his two year old daughter kept doing this little act all over Europe. However, I thought it was a riot.