but what do you think it means that Zoe keeps opening all of the magazines in our house to the American Express ad with Tina Fey and her daughter?

That she and Tina Fey’s daughter (who’s name I can’t find at present on this here interweb) are destined to be friends, and that as a result Tina Fey and I must also become friends?

That’s what I thought too.

Edited to add: That’s right, her name is Alice Zenobia! That just cinches destiny all the more.

that I don’t know if anyone will find as funny as I do, but here goes.

So Zoe’s middle name is Calamity. If we were to have another child, and it were to be a boy, his middle name would be Danger. If we were to have another child and it were a girl, her middle name would be…. we don’t know. From time to time B and I mess about trying to come up with another suitable name that would fit with the others, because you know, you have to plan ahead.

This Sunday during church, while Zoe was thankfully diverted by another little kid during Sacrament Meeting and his awesome mom was watching her, B and I used that time to be totally irreverent and come up with the following list of possibilities, all the while trying not to let our increasing giggles escape our row.

Kapow

Speed (rejected because it would seem like we were copying Carla Speed McNeil)

Peril

Fightfight

Bastion

Arsenal (also rejected for copying straight from Hopeless Savages)

Sniper

Commando

Katana

Shadow

Gunslinger

Winchester

Slingshot (my total favorite)

Fist

Face

Dropkick

Roundhouse

Inspecktor

Chuck Norris

Requiem

Technician

Serengeti

heehee.

Did you know? It is! And I’m excited.

A couple of my friends have posted recently about Christmas songs, and I thought I’d be a copycat. I love Christmas songs. I grew up with a Daddy who loved them so much that my mom had to put a rule in place that he couldn’t start playing them until July 1- there is no such rule in my home, although I don’t play them constantly all year round. I do, however, have a playlist of over 100 Christmas songs, so you could say I’m dedicated. Songs about Christ’s birth are obviously high on the list, it’s the whole reason for Christmas- and I could listen to them all year round, but there’s plenty of just plain Christmas songs that I love too, and, if I’m honest, I listen to them pretty often too.

I thought I’d share some of my favorite Christmas songs, for your edification, although I have the sneaking suspicion that I’ve done this before, perhaps last year. If I did, don’t tell me, I’m too lazy to look it up, and pointing out other people’s mistakes is rude.

My favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night. I’m pretty ok with any version of it, but if it’s sung by someone who can actually pull off the high notes, all the better. My favorite version is Josh Groban’s (his new Christmas album is awesome- although O Holy Night isn’t on it), but Christina Aguilera’s is pretty good too. If she’d just stuck to the straight singing and didn’t throw in her trills it would have been much better. I also really love Tracy Chapman’s version- she deals with the high notes by changing the melody, and it’s really beautiful.

For pure listening pleasure, I go to Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2- Bono just belts and the music is awesome and it makes me happy.

Christmas by Blues Traveler is another feel good song, I mean, how can you not love this sentiment:

” As if a cold and frozen soul is warmed to love

By love’s own hand

So goes the prayer, if for a day peace on earth

And good will to man

At twenty below the winter storm it billows

But the fire is so warm inside

And the children while nestled in their pillows

Dream of St. Nicholas’s ride

And how the next day

they’ll get up and they will play

In the still falling Christmas snow

And together we’ll celebrate forever

In defiance of the winds that blow

My God in heaven,

now I feel like I’m seven

And spirit calls to me as well”

Ah, I love it.

Low’s Christmas album is one of my favorites for quiet, lovely Christmas music. I highly recommend it, although I realize it’s not on my computer at the moment. I need to find that CD! On the other hand, Brian Setzer Orchestra’s Boogie Woogie Christmas is my favorite for totally raucous Christmas songs to dance to.

I was going to write something about how I think my love of non-Christ centered Christmas songs has something to do with my love of pop music and how both transcend culture and language and any one can sing them, but that’s about as far as I’m going with it in my head, so there you go.

What are your favorite Christmas songs?