A YUMMY Birthday Celebration...

We had a little Birthday Celebration tonight... Lilley-Kate chose to have CHEESEBURGERS at Wendy's... so we had an "impromptu" little party with our friends (the Hardts)... it was a fun time... CHEESEBURGERS all around and girlie pink cupcakes for dessert (along with FREE Frostys for everyone-compliments of the Managment)... everyone in the place sang Happy Birthday and clapped after Lilley-Kate blew out her candles... she was THRILLED... doesn't take much to make a 6 year old happy!!! Good Friends... YUMMY CHEESEBURGERS... all for our FAVORITE GIRL!!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY Lilley-Kate!!

(BTW... I actually had the PANCO BREADED FISH SANDWICH... and can I just say YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it!!!)

A VERY SPECIAL DAY...

6 years ago TODAY (at 8:57AM) a dream came true... after MANY YEARS of hoping and wishing... we were THRILLED to welcome our "Little Sack of Sugar" (she weighed just over 5 lbs. at birth)... Lilley-Katherine...

Every day since has been an ABSOLUTE JOY...

To our "Favorite Girl"... WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!!

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY!!!

Love, Daddy... Mommy... Nick... and Abbie too!

Time To Move Along...

Well... ANOTHER morning waking up to MORE of the "white stuff"... we have received about 3 1/2" MORE overnight and are expected to get 2-4" throughout today... We are under a Winter Weather Advisory/Watch until 6AM TOMORROW... UGH... I've had quite ENOUGH of this...

So Mr. Winter... you've got my permission to... GO... SKEEDADDLE... I need SUNSHINE (the 2 days we had over the weekend just weren't enough)... I'm not a "cold-weather" kinda gal... I need HEAT... so PLEASE... MOVE ALONG!!!

Weekend Wrap-Up...

WHEW... this weekend FLEW by!!! It seems like I blinked and it was Sunday evening already! Saturday Michael worked... and then had a dinner meeting in the evening... Lilley-Kate had a friend (Kylee) over Saturday evening... Kylee's big sister Lauren was having a birthday party... so it was the general concensus that Kylee should spend the evening here with us... the girls had fun... they played games... we danced to MIKA... and they played "Prom Queen"... it's so funny to just kinda "eavesdrop" on little kids... listen to the things they say to each other... Sunday arrived SUNNY but COLD... I had Michael take the cars to get rinsed off (I can't STAND how dirty they get... from all the slush and salt on the roads)... we were rather liesure getting started today... we made a trip to Wallies and got Lilley-Kate her birthday present... a FISHTANK! She has wanted one... she picked out everything for it and she and Daddy set it up in her room... it has to run for a couple of days (according to the directions I made Michael read)... then we will get her some fish... I'm thinking Tetras or Guppies... we'll see... Made pancakes/sausage for dinner tonight... watched BB9... got another auction ready for listing on Wednesday... This week will be busy as I'll be getting ready for Lilley-Kate's birthday party on Saturday (I CANNOT believe she is going to be 6!!!)... Going to run the vaccum and get things set for tomorrow... Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Seven Random Things... TAG

WOW... I've been TAGGED by JAYME for Seven RANDOM Things... here they are... and THANKS Jayme!

1. I am the ONLY left-handed person in my family (including my parents/grandparents/aunts-uncles/cousins/siblings/spouse/children/in-laws)


2. I am NOT a "cold-climate" kinda gal... for me... the HOTTER... the BETTER!!!
3. I pride myself on my PUNCTUALITY
4. I HATE clutter
5. I'm not as "cold-hearted" as people think I am
6. I LOVE watching TV
7. I consider myself to be more "spiritual" than "religious"

I really don't know 7 other bloggers to TAG... so if you would like just play along!

A Special Day....

Twenty-One years ago today I made the BEST decision of my life... Happy Anniversary Honey!

Weekend Wrap-Up...

We had a fairly quiet weekend here at According to Lala... FINALLY we had SUNSHINE (I was beginning to wonder if I was seeing things when we woke up Saturday morning to wonderful rays of sunlight shining through the curtains!)... Michael continued the painting process in our bedroom... and spent some time outside with Lilley-Kate (and snapped the FABULOUS picture in the previous post)... I worked on some eBay paperwork... got a towel order done... and kinda lazed around (my bones have been hurting more than usual lately)... Sunday we woke up to MILD temperatures and RAIN... washing away a lot of the snow... Michael continued painting our room (2nd coat)... Lilley-Kate colored... we read some books... played Barbies and had a picnic in the family room... I got a Sock Monkey order done for a customer... and got my auctions ready for my Wednesday listing... had a late dinner (leftover chili) and watched Big Brother... Michael is watching "We Are Marshall" on TV... I think I'll browse eBay for a bit and then head up to bed... Hope everyone had a WONDERFUL weekend!

"Making" a New Friend...

A Sweet Wish...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Snow Day...

Well... today was the kids second SNOW DAY... we caught the edge of a "major" snowstorm that went through our area and ended up with about 7" total in the last two days... My husband decided to take the day off (and SURPRISE... the rest of the week) and avoid the TREACHEROUS commute this morning... He and Lilley-Kate spent about 2 hours outside this afternoon playing in the snow (after all the shoveling was done)... Being an "indoor kinda gal"... I watched from the kitchen window... LOL... We are hoping for school tomorrow!

Tuesday Night "Tele"...

While the snow and ice fell outside... we were cozy and warm inside watching our "Tuesday Night Shows"

The Biggest Loser... I have always LOVED this show... but am finding myself a bit "disappointed" in this season... remembering past seasons... it doesn't SEEM that the contestants are "dropping" weight like in previous seasons... and none of them have shown a noticable face "transformation" (in past seasons by this time in the show someone would always "thin out" in the face and their appearance would significantly change)... I still love the show... just don't feel it is "up to par" with seasons past...

Big Brother 9... I have watched EVERY show/season of this reality show since it started... This looks like it will be an interesting season... I'm a bit disappointed though that BB seems to concentrate on casting a "younger" house... I would like to see a more "realistic" representation in the house... I LOVE the fact that there is a TMZ reporter in there!!! It'll take me a couple of episodes to get everyone's names down... one of the things I like best is that BB is on numerous times a week!

Change of Scenery...

One of my DEAREST FRIENDS has recently become a BLOGGER! She "suggested" that I update my "look"... so I have upgraded my BLOGGER status and will slowly be changing things around a bit... I'm not a huge one for change (of any kind really)... when I find something I like... I typically stick with it... but change IS good right? Time will tell!

Money Making Monday...

FABULOUS!!! I had 100% in sales!!! ALL my auctions SOLD... I am SO EXCITED!

Last week I helped a friend start her eBay selling adventure... and for her first ever auction cycle she did FABULOUS selling 9 out of 10 auctions!

eBay is going to make some changes soon... increasing selling fees and final value fees... hopefully though is won't effect my "bottom line" too terribly...

One step CLOSER to my GOAL!!!

WaCkY Wednesday...

WHEW... am I GLAD today is OVER!!! What a WACKY day... started off my MOTHER ringing me up (that is the WACKY in Wacky Wednesday)... had a nice chat with her... then my friend Mrs. Hardt rang me up (I had no sooner hung up from my Mother when the phone rang again)... chatted it up with her for a bit... then my SIL rang me up (again... no sooner had I hung up with Mrs. Hardt and the phone rang AGAIN)... typical chat with my SIL... the "potstirer"... THEN off to Lilley-Kate's school to volunteer at the Scholastic book fair... that was fun... THEN a conference with the Reading/Language teacher over Lilley-Kate's DIBEL scores... and a MID-YEAR conference with her Kindy teacher... WHEW... THEN finally back home... to fix dinner... Pancakes and SAUSAGE (and yes... my MOTHER DID remind me about the dietary restictions on ASH WEDNESDAY... and I TOTALLY forgot!!!)... Michael had calss tonight (winding down his Master's Classes... I watched a show that I had TiVod last night... Listed on eBay (took last week off to help a friend start her eBay experience)... and NOW am TUCKERED OUT!!! WHEW...

Tomorrow is another FULL day... but we are expecting some bad weather overnight... so I may have to adjust my schedule if we wake up to snow!

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!!!

Dear Coach BELICHICK...

Hello... let me take this opportunity to first tell you I DO NOT consider myself a "football fan"... I don't have a "favorite team" (although there is ONE TEAM in particular that I DO NOT "cheer" for)... and quite honestly much to my husband's frustration... when I DO watch football I usually "cheer" for the team that has the "prettiest" uniforms (you know with "us women"... it's a VISUAL THING)... anyway...

I just wanted to ask you a question... SERIOUSLY... WHAT ARE YOU 12??? I mean HONESTLY Coach BELICHICK... how DISRESPECTFUL could you have been... not only to the NY GIANTS... not only to your OWN TEAM... not only to the FANS... but to the game of FOOTBALL itself??? How difficult would it have been for you to stay ON THE FIELD... WITH YOUR TEAM... until the game had OFFICIALLY been determined to be OVER??? I mean I understand nobody likes to LOSE... but to storm off the field like a 5 YEAR OLD who wasn't allowed to win a game of CANDYLAND... leaving YOUR TEAM to stand out there essentially "ALONE" showed me personally just what you thought of THEM, the FANS, your OPPONENTS, AND the game of FOOTBALL itself... a GAME which essentially ALLOWED you to CHEAT (yes Coach BELICHICK... my husband, who IS a Football Fan told me ALL ABOUT it... you KNOW... the SPYGATE thing) AND keep a "perfect" season intact, would at least garner a BIT of RESPECT from you... Because quite HONESTLY Coach Belichick... you should be VERY GRATEFUL that I was not/am not the "head honcho" in Football... because IF I was/had been... YOU would be FINED for leaving the field before the game OFFICIALLY ended... AND... your "perfect record" would never have been... because I would've FORFEITED ANY GAME that you had "SPIED" on... but... LUCKY YOU... I am NOT in charge... I wish I was though... Because I would DEFINITELY make the uniforms PRETTIER!

Very Truly Yours- Lala

Not Enough FORTHOUGHT...

Well... CONGRATULATIONS to the NEW YORK GIANTS for winning the SUPER BOWL!!! The best part of the SuperBowl is the commercials IMO... anyway... someone wasn't "thinking" ahead... Why didn't the VICTORIA'S SECRET commercial feature Giselle Bunchen??? THAT would've been HILARIOUS!!! Given the fact that the EVER-POPULAR Tom Brady was QBing the game for the Patriots...

OH WELL... hope everyone had a great evening!!!

"The" RATTY Gray Sweater...

I think... no... I'm pretty sure I KNOW that I have an unnaturally freakish attachment to THIS sweater... it's "known" in this house as "Mom's ratty gray sweater"... nothing fancy really (it was actually a Christmas present that SAT in a closet for about 5 years before I even wore it!)... just a lightweight wool blend sweater that has started losing it's buttons and has a small hole starting under one armpit... but can I tell you... I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT... LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! ANTIME of the the day... AND even night... I may be seen in this sweater... SPRING, SUMMER, WINTER, FALL... doesn't matter... if I'm chilly... feeling tense (I KNOW... THAT is the freakish aspect)... I will don my ratty gray sweater... and I INSTANTLY feel warmer/less tense (DARE I say CALM???)... I have even been known to anxiously watch the dryer timer on washday... like a child waiting for their favorite blanket... counting the minutes until my beloved sweater is "mine" again (smelling all fresh and clean)... I think it's pretty hilarious (and maybe pathetic in a hilarious kinda way too)... if I've been so achey that I have to lay on the couch for a bit... Lilley-Kate will appear and cover me with my sweater saying "Here Mommy, Your sweater will help your bones feel better"... if it's late into the evening and my husband presents me with my nightly cup of green tea... he may also have MY SWEATER draped over his arm... KNOWING that my tea ALWAYS tastes better when I'm wearing my sweater... I've never understood parents who INSIST on taking/weening their CHILDREN from a "favorite thing"... soft doll... stuffed animal... old receiving blanket... favorite shirt/dress/nightgown... because SECRETLY (ok... maybe not so secretly) I KNOW what it is like... to have someTHING "special" that makes most everything "better"... it's my "soft doll", "stuffed animal", old receiving blanket, favorite shirt/dress/nightgown... it is MY RATTY GRAY SWEATER...

An interesting NOTE... ONE of my MOST FAVORITE things was given to me by two of my LEAST FAVORITE people... go figure!

WELCOME February...

Well... February has arrived... and encased everything in a blanket of ICE... we woke up this morning to slippery surfaces and slushy streets... all the schools in the area were either CLOSED for the day or on a 2 HOUR DELAY (that would be us)... by the time we headed off to school the temps had risen an bit and the ice/rain mix had turned to all rain...

February will be a FUN month... Valentine's Day... our Wedding Anniversary... and Lilley-Kate's birthday... and it's a LEAP year too!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!