Stuck in the Middle with YOU!

I've been getting to know one of my middle children a bit better.  

Liliana has always been a... well... uh... a... challenge. 

Since she could walk we've tagged her as Hurricane Lili.  I joke that she's a Cat 3 storm... you know, not enough to kill you, but enough to make you think the end is really near.  

Last weekend, with all the dramatic pausing and articulation she could muster, Lil declared, "Mama, I was born wild.  I was born fast.  I was born... Cheetah."  She's been on a Cheetah kick for a few weeks now.  

It all started when she told me that monsters were living inside her.  "Liliana, Jesus lives in you, not monsters," I corrected.

"Well, Jesus may be in there, too, but so are Cheetahs.  And cheetahs are fast.  They are fast like monsters." 

Currently, Liliana is designing her Cheetah costume.  Not for Halloween, mind you.  He goal is to dress as a Cheetah and move into the wild with them.  She feels the costume will make up for the unfortunate fact that she is half girl. 

Before embracing her inner Cheetah, she decided to get married.  I fear I have failed in my attempt to teach my girls to marry someone with money.  (And when I say money, I mean a set-aside-fortune, not a I-had-a-really-good-year-and-was-able-to-save-a-few-bucks.) Yet, I digress...  

Lil is obviously unconcerned with money or looks.  This chap must have a beaming personality...

 

I guess he married her for HER money.  After all, she's a doctor.  While not in surgery, Liliana makes sure her husband gets plenty of rest:

plenty of yoga:

and plenty of entertainment:

Yes, we Lewis girls know how to treat our men.  

The marriage lasted a short while.  I didn't tell her, but shortly after I found him floating around in the pool getting all cozy with someone else.  Jerk.  

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So Liliana is quite the outdoors girl.  She loves to kayak.

Maybe she loves the idea of kayaking... We tether her kayak to mine in case she gets tired.  I guess she's figured that one out.  

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She's also learning to read and write.  She does this every day and I smile when I find what's she's written.

(She's onto something here, folks...  The Bible is true.)

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If only I could find the fun in everything...

"Sure, Mama! I'll eat the crust. Heeeyyyy!!  What if my lips looked like this?"

And why can't she sing at McDonalds?  Everyone deserves an ice cream microphone...

We topped off that ice cream with Ugly Soup (it's amazing... search this blog for the recipe and make it for dinner tonight) cooked by Chef Lili, herself!  She did most of the cooking and most of the eating.  5 bowls. No joke.

And during all that cheetah-ing, singing, marrying, and cooking, my sweet girl still makes time for the little people.  Meet Barbie, her beloved chicken:

After brining Barbie inside to play, Liliana decided the hammock was the perfect place to play with her chicken.  Duh...  

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Of all the things Lil does, my favorite is what she does with my camera phone when I'm not looking.  The pictures and videos just crack me up.  If you have a six year old and a smart phone, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  Here's one of my favorite videos.  The "Get off my furniture, you guys!!" in the middle is proof that I had no clue a music video was in production.  

Steady as a creature...  heehee.

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Lili, Lili, Lili, I really, really, really, really LOVE YOU!