A Comprehensive List:

Things that excite/amuse me as of late . . .

Little boys who, after church, put on their baseball cap and end up looking an awful lot like Forest Gump.

Dress-up.
Preferably involving a troubled princess and her cat in danger of fire.
Along with a fireman to put out the fire.
(You will notice the carpet in our playroom needs a cleaning...)

Children who forgo the dressing up part of dress up and just utilize the props.
In this case, a doctor examining a cat who recently underwent some trauma during a fire rescue.

Beautiful, blurry, messy-faced babies.
With eyebrows piled high and deep.

Tents made from rearranged furniture and king-sized sheets.
Are there any other kind worth having?

Handsome firemen.
That is not really a new development.
Though age-preference has changed.

Sidewalks that are freckled like this:

Skies that look like this:

Weather that inspires this:
(If you look closely at Bethany you will notice it was a face-painting day)

Boys who get along so well when they play make-believe.
(My apologies to my husband if 'make-believe' is not an acceptable term for man-child play.)

A cat that bites me when I poke at him too much with my feet, just for fun...

...but endures like a champ when a child obnoxiously waves toys in his face...

...and watches one of his little people like a hawk when he feels she is too close to the street.
This is his concentrated stare.

Also, little girls who sit (yes, sort of close to the street) and watch the rain while trying to collect it in a small cup.

Trying to use the blurred/broken spot on my camera lens to make Scout a pirate.

The fact that Scout actually likes love and attention from the kids...
but pretends he doesn't.

Riding bikes in the rain.

Soaking wet children who love the rain just like their mama.

Soaking wet children who love their stuffed cat enough to bring them out to enjoy the rain as well.

Handsome, photogenic little boys.
(Who drop my camera and damage it, therefore creating the permanent black spot which is no fun to have unless being used to make a cat a pirate.)

Freshly popped popcorn tossed and topped with whatever we feel like that day.
This day it was melted down dark chocolate and peanut butter and a bit of organic powdered sugar. I like to say organic because it reminds me that at least it wasn't as bad as it could have been. :)

A ballpit that eats my children.

A James that has an incredibly infectious laugh.

Buckets of balls.

And (unrelated) buckets of tears.

Cats who curl up in laundry baskets.

Boys who do the same.

The fact that I can't cook without the counter turning into this:

The fact that I still love to do it anyway.
(The fact that I take pictures of the process and the finished product amuses JC)
Mexican lasagna. MEXICAN LASAGNA excites me.
But...um...all that cheese does not. Well, okay, it does. But, you know...it probably shouldn't.

Leaving notes to my hubby on the giant whiteboard.

And, since the start of school is coming up, watching it turn into a timeline of to-do.

Back to the cooking...
Chicken that looks like this as it simmers.
(and judging from the last two cooking pictures, apparently cilantro amuses and excites me lately)

Before we get away from the cooking, texting with my sister Monica about our cooking endeavors, adventures, and...ahem...failures...
(no picture for that...it might be better that way)

Watching JC begin to tear down our playroom while Scout watches in preparation for what will be the move of the century.
And by tear down I mean take off the chair rail. And by move of the century I mean switching the playroom and master bedroom back to their original locations. And by excite/amuse me I mean unnerve/emotionally imbalance me.
That's all about that for now.

Making cutesy hair clips for Bethany.
This is my very first attempt.

Cutesy if I do say so myself.
My first batch.
I think this kind of craftiness is rather addicting.

(As are the girls' outings with my dear Ali that provide all the supplies for such craftiness. It is all rather dangerous - - and wildly fun - - if you ask me)

Laying out some of Bethany's school clothes so that she may choose what she would like to wear in her first days of kindergarten.
Along with applicable hair clip choices.
I think that this may be some kind of sickness...but a rather enjoyable one...

Watching her wait like this while I got it all set up.

Watching her mull over her choices, excitedly examining her new hair clips.

Every.

Single.

One.

And then scratching her head at the options...taking plenty of time deciding. It's a big decision, after all.

Catching my boys being silly together with their toys while Bethany and I were being silly with our clothing and accessories.

Sitting with my little girl and choosing what she will take in her lunch for the first week of school. Complete with drawings.
If they won't give me the option of half day, I will make up for it by packing the best lunches ever, darn it. (Though she did inform me that only one of the three strawberries I drew actually resembled a strawberry in any way. ...strawberries are hard, man.)

A few more things...

This ENTIRE website...
http://thepioneerwoman.com/
Especially the cooking part.
No, wait, especially Black Heels to Tractor Wheels...the love story part.
Okay, especially the ENTIRE thing like I said before.
I meant to save that Black Heels story reading for two weeks from now when JC is out of town hunting for several days. I figured it would be a nice thing for me. And it would have been. But I made the mistake of reading just the first chapter. Couldn't stop.
So, instead, one of the nights that JC is gone, I am going to watch a movie that is just for me. That he would not enjoy. That I would never have seen if it weren't for his hunting adventure.
I just...have no idea what it is yet.
Hmm. Perhaps my kind friends and family will help me with this conundrum.
Criteria: Must have at least one female main character. May sound sexist, but for a really enjoyable story, one must be able to relate, yes? Must not have more than one explosion, scene involving drunkenness and/or yelling, or near death experience. I would outlaw these things altogether but I seem to remember even Anne dealing with this stuff at one point or another so I will try to not be so condemning of such things. Must have at least a little love story no matter how cheesy or, on the other end of the spectrum, abstract it may be. I actually prefer the later but I appreciate them in all forms. Must not involve horrifying situations even remotely resembling kidnapped children, scared children, neglected children, or people being lost at sea. No car chases, for the love of all that is holy. I love stories that make me contemplate and characters that make me sink into them. But I also love light-hearted and sparkly. :) (which would be why 13 Going on 30 makes my list of favorite alongside some much more respectable choices)
So...someone tell me what to watch that weekend.

This recipe:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/grilled-chicken-with-lemon-basil-pasta/
which I shall make for myself the same night I watch the movie in question. After the kids go to bed. With homemade pasta. All for me.

Sandals. Just sandals in general. I have lived in them all summer (as one should) and have enjoyed it immensely.

The prospect of the season to live in boots coming up. Now if I could only incorporate leaving my house into my schedule, I would have the opportunity to justify purchasing all manner of boots.

Our elliptical machine.
Is it called an 'elliptical machine' or just an 'elliptical?' I don't know.
"I don't know much...but I know I love youuuu."
That is what I say to our elliptical...machine...

This show, Top Shot, that my husband has been watching. It is like a reality show for gun...men?
Gun...people? I don't know, but it is amazing the things people can do with all different kinds of...weaponry?
Obviously, I don't qualify to even comment on that show. But I WILL say this: I have, unfortunately, watched a few different reality series in my time and I have never ever seen such class in one.
I am pretty darn sure we should leave the men up to running everything. No matter what anyone says, I think they can do it all with ten times more class than we can.
Except running the home. Obviously, we are made for that.
Home.
Not reality tv.
Home.
Not the government.
Home.
Not reality tv.
But I already said that.
And it's a good thing this blog here is private because I am sure I would anger an awful lot of people with that display of opinion there.
ANYWAY...

Also, Smallville.
After Lost ended and a piece of me died, we decided we needed to have a new show. So, we decided to get on a superhero kick and watch something a bit lighter and amusing but still interesting and a bit tangled. And that it is.

And, last but not least, Slow Death by Rubber Duck.
I can't talk about it at all or I will never stop. It is an extremely informative and exciting (in perhaps a twisted way) book. I am so tickled by its existence. And my life is officially changed.
That is all.
Read it.
READ IT.

The fact that someone has made a movie based on Eat, Pray, Love.
That is all.

Okay, this feels unfinished but it is time to wrap it up.
Now tell me what movie I should watch.
Yes, you.

And...wish us luck. Bethany starts kindergarten in less than two days. She is SO excited.
Heaven help me!