Birdhouse in Your Soul: My Favorite Things

I do like brown paper packages tied up with strings and the idea of white dresses tied with blue satin sashes, and the general tune and verve of that song, but most of the other things listed don't exactly answer as my favorite things...

...in case you're interested, here are some things that do:

Two-year-olds that shamelessly, publicly and vociferously declare their love for me with a hearty "I LOVE MEGEN!" to anyone who will listen (we all have our vanities)...

Four-year-olds that ask 'why', make me chuckle with their newly-found and desperately-guarded understanding of the world, and the memory of all my favorite four-year-olds (Cord, Keaton, Dalton, Brynne, Seth, Anna, Braden, Aric, Tyler and Emma).

Second Graders who slip love notes on my desk and tell me they're committed to membership in my classroom until they become old men...

Parents who labor under the delusion that I am much more talented, kind, intelligent and good than I should honestly be given credit for (trust me, I know in-the-flesh people who do fit that bill--but isn't it nice to have biased, misinformed people in your life who stubbornly refuse to believe otherwise?)...

Christmas music--(currently playing and in all honestly is probably the impetus for this sappy list)...special thanks to Doris Day, Kenny & Dolly, Julie Andrews for some of my favorites :)

Siblings who love me and show it (most of the time)...

Friends who let me be weird, eccentric, provoking and sometimes appear to even find it endearing...

Friends who are always willing to laugh at the ridiculous, strange and peculiar with me...who consistently indulge my subversive tendencies with liberal doses of much needed, humbling laughter...

Good writing, good stories, emulating-worthy characters and books that never get old...

Chocolate....milk chocolate....dark chocolate...really dark chocolate...hard chocolate... soft chocolate...liquid chocolate...expensive chocolate...commonplace chocolate...just chocolate, really (but not that abominable misnomer called 'White Chocolate')....
Bright colors and interesting patterns...artists that create these enviable compositions...

Fun music that makes me want to croon in the shower and appear burdened with a form of loud and wailing Tourette's as I drive down the road...

People who let me laugh at myself and/or embarrassing escapades that I find myself frequently deluged with (and don't make pitying, cringing faces)......Hhhmmm....didn't realize there was so much of vanity associated with my favorite things...