MOAR names

So every now and then I like to talk about baby names for the imaginary second child that we will have next year one day.  New names have been added to the list.

For a boy:  Nathaniel William, which is really long I know, but I have my heart set on William for the middle name.  We would call him Nate.  My top favorite is still Calder though.  BT suggested Caleb but I knew a very bad boy named Caleb once and it's not one of my favorites anyway.

For a girl: Charlotte Rose or Anne, which I like a lot, maybe more than Juliet.  We could nickname her Lottie or Charlie, but I would want call her Chuck myself.  Though I think Lottie is a very cute name.  I liked Evangeline, but that was nixed by BT. 

Sophia is out since it was the number 7 most popular name in 2008.
Oh and check out this site, The Baby Name Wizard.  It lets you chart names and does cool things.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all!  I hope that 2010 is great for everyone! 

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all!  I hope your holidays are happy and full of family and the holiday spirit.

"'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Muppets take on Charles Dickens' classic tale "A Christmas Carol" with their own special twist of course.  Starring Michael Caine as Ebeneezer Scrooge and the cast of the Muppets in various role, this is a fun take on the old story. It follows the Dickens story fairly faithfully and most of Scrooge's dialogue is straight on.  The addition of Charles Dickens (Gonzo) as the narrator is funny.

It is a musical as Muppet movies usually are, though the songs are less memorable.  I like particulary "It feels like Christmas," a jauntly little tune.  The special effects are well done for 1992 and the Muppets are so great.  Michael Caine makes an excellent Scrooge and I love Miss Piggy's Mrs. Cratchit.

Favorite Christmas Books

Christmas time is upon us and I've been doing some lovely holiday reading.  So in particular order, are some of my favorite Christmas reading.

1. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Barbara Robinson) - I loved the movie growing up.  We had it on tape and use to watch it all the time.  I read the book a few years back and now I try to read it at least once during the season.  It's about the Herdmans, a group of bad children, who take over a Christmas pageant and end up making everyone think about the true meaning of the Nativity and who learn themselves the meaning of Christmas.

2. Skipping Christmas (John Grisham) - My favorite holiday book, I listen to it every year for about 5 years now.  I love how the Kranks try to "skip Christmas" with hilarious results and how no one wants to let them and everyone acts very selfishly until the very end.

3.  A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens) - Of course, this is a perennial favorite.  There is much more to this little novella than any adaptation you will see (though my favorite is A Muppet Christmas Carol) and the redemption of Scrooge is so classic.

4. The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry) - Another lovely classic, it's the story of two people willing to sacrifice something they love for each other.  So much goes into the act of sacrificing something that it makes the realization at the end very poignant.

5.  A Christmas Story (Jean Shepherd) - The famous movie is actually based on four short stories by Shephered.  I love the extended version of what happens to Ralphie that this is a great book to listen to during the Christmas season.

So there are my favorite re-reads for Christmas.  What are some of yours?