In which I chillax, (still) confess, and rejoice (or work towards it. *grin*)

As assigned by Katie, I shall now write about things that make me happy. 
(And I will also promptly get all teary-eyed about it. I HATE it when Aunt Flo is in town. Because I turn into the craziest woman EVER. No lie!)
(No, really. You can ask Michael. He'll be honest with you!)

So, here goes -- Things that make me happy/Things for which I am grateful:

• Ice cream (As I am shovelling mouthfuls partaking in its excellence and grandeur.
• Chocolate ... especially truffles. And I have extreme longings for the Nutmeg Cremes that were made by a (unfortunately TOO short-lived) candy shop/restaurant in my hometown.
• My family. Because they love me. Even when I am crazy-PMS-woman. Even when I'm a teenaged punk, being all wannabe-rebellious.
• My friends. Because they often know exactly what I need (Katie, thank you again. You're a total rock star. Luv you!!!). Because they make me laugh. Because they make me think (Yes, Brookie-kuns, that's for you!). Because they're just awesome and everything that's wonderful.
• The Church ... because it makes me happy. I like being a daughter of a perfect Father. I like that familes and marriages don't have to be limited to this mortal state. I like that Jesus loves me, even if/especially when I'm feeling unloveable and insignificant.
• Books. Because they're always there and always the same. Better than a dog, since books don't crap on your carpet or eat out of the litterbox -- but they're steadfast and true!
• Shoes -- It's SO much easier to find a pair of shoes that fit and look great than when you're shopping for clothes.
• Make-up - Same deal as the shoes. Cheap, easy, and makes you look/feel super-cute, especially if you're feeling fat. (YES, I am shallow.)
  (I'm not going to tell how many of my lipglosses have been purchased out of "I wanted to buy a shirt/dress/pants, but NOTHING LOOKS GOOD ON ME!!!!!!" ... I also have shoes that are bought for that reason. ... All before we had kids and I had some cash to burn, but still!)
• Baths - When I need a time-out from being a responsible mom, I put the kids down for a nap, run some hot water, throw in pretty-smelling stuffs, and relax with a book... Often looking at our next point --
• My painted toenails. I've come to realize that I feel MUCH more feminine and much more "me" (rather than "a mom" or whatever) when I've painted my toenails. (Why is this?) It's such a small and inexpensive luxury, but it does me a world of good. Even when my little piggies are ensconsed in socks and shoes, just knowing that I have painted toenails is quite a pancea.

That's the ten that Katie stated was the minimum requirement ... Shall I go on? (YES, I do believe I shall!)

• Mexican hot chocolate (or my cheapo-approximation thereof, which is an excellent cure-all: Make your instant hot cocoa, add cinnamon and nutmeg. Breathe deeply. Enjoy.
  And, hey! No hangover! :P)
• Dancing ... though I haven't danced for a while. I really do miss swing-dancing. So, when I drive the kidlets around and we're listening to my iPod, I try to mentally choreograph what I could have done in high school. And, oh, it makes me long to go dancing. My Lindy-Hopping skills are, sadly, quite rusty, though.
• The smell of new books makes me happy. So does the smell of old books for that matter. It smells of ... promise and potential, in the case of the former. The latter, of age and history and soupcon of mystery. (Did I spell that correctly? I don't spell French words all that well.)
• Walking on the beach -- that whole sand-between-my-toes thing ... Best done in warm weather (at least here) ... and it's a really nice way to exfoliate (TOLD you I'm shallow. Really! Not hiding it from you!)
• Massages - the BESTEST thing about when I was in a bit of a car accident? The acupuncture and massage. Oh, the acupunture was good and helped ... but, oh, those massages were divine. I miss Marilyn. (She was a GREAT conversationalist, too!) It's totally excellent, feeling like your muscles are made of butter. Ah, yes.)
  (So, if I go back to school, I'll either be getting a Master's degree in Library Science ... or get a Massage Thereapy license -- 'Cause it's great to make people feel so good.)
• Blue. It's all fresh and open and ... it just makes me happy. Especially teal.
• Green makes me happy, too.
  
• And yellow.
• And pink. 
• Purple, too.
• I like comics. And graphic novels. And manga. ... Could be because they're books. :P
• I like the smell of coconuts ... it reminds me of summertime.
• I love to read magazines and catalogs ... probably a sign of mental illness of something ... and the piles of them are seriously cramping our bathroom's style ... but I love to read about things that I usually don't know about ... or see what people are wearing (maybe there's something that I like) ... and I can go through most catalogs and appreciate stuff in there, and manage not to feel all down that I can't go out and BUY it all right now (or ever). I think I have the most fun flipping through catalogs and picking out what I'd get my mom or a friend or for Michael. I don't know why, but it's wildly enjoyable and makes me happy.
• Free samples. I love me some free samples. It's like a PRESENT ... and most of them are prefectly-sized to go in a purse or diaper bag or for travelling. And did I mention they're like presents?
• Unexpected compliments. It's always nice and refreshing to receive a compliment. (No, if only I could receive them with more grace. I'm working on it!)
• Kittens. I love cats ... but, oh, I miss when there were kittens ... that stage of before-the-eye-and-ears-opened vunerability ... or the stage of kitten-toddlerhood (where they walked into walls, mirrors, furniture ... the little "mews" ... It just melts my cold, dark heart.)
• I, for one, LOVED the face that my Bunny would make when she was fresh from the womb. While we were still in the hospital, she'd finish eating ... then pull away and take a small look around, then ROLL HER EYES -- like she was saying, "I got pulled out of some comfy uterus to come HERE?!? Geez." or something. It totally busted up my puffy, drugged, exhausted self.
• Or how Bruise was just this little jaundiced sleepy bear. He had a total little-old-man face going on ... which was how I immediately knew that I named him well. The name totally fit him. Phew!
• Cats purring. It's like nature's Zoloft or something. The world could be falling down around my ears ... but give me a purring cat and it's all good.
• Having my kidlets fall asleep on me (just one at a time, now, since they're SO much bigger) is also really relaxing.
• Older SNL skits -- The church lady, especially. I have fond memories of watching Dana Carvey as the church lady with my mom. We brag to each other when we get to pull the "Could it be SATAN?!?" line at church. (I got to use it a couple weeks ago!! Squee!!)
• Snark -- especially when it's so well-deserved. Smart Bs are excellent for romance-novel cover snark. And Eric is excellent for satire. And it just makes me happy.

I do feel lots better now. And I have to go "liberate" my children from that torture I refer to as "naptime." 
Give me strength. :P

And I need to make dinner. *sigh*

Wish me luck!