1.  Oh, the weather outside is

frightful,

But the fire is so

delightful!

2.  Silent Night, Holy Night

All is calm, All is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild.

3.  Once again as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more

4.  I’m gettin’ nuttin’ for Christmas
Mommy and Daddy are mad.

I’m gettin’ nuttin’ for Christmas
‘Cause I ain’t been nuttin’ but bad.

5.  Oh, there’s no place like
home for the holidays
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam
When you pine for the sunshine
Of a friendly face
For the holidays, you can’t beat
Home, sweet home

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  Here’s wishing you a blessed and very happy New Year!!

This post doesn’t have anything important to say.  You’ve been forewarned.

I checked out the two-videotape version of Pride and Prejudice from the library last week and decided to watch it today while I folded and sorted bottomless baskets of laundry.  I love the story and I’ve watched different versions of it many times.  The one I watched today was the 1980 BBC version and I’d never seen it before.  I liked it, but thought it lacked a certain spark, so I kept thinking about it today and tried to come to conclusions about what I like and dislike about each version.  (It was too cold to leave the house and thinking about laundry all day is depressing.)

1980 version:

It took me a good while at the beginning to be able to tell the characters of Jane and Lizzie apart, but at least they actually look they could really be sisters, unlike the other two versions.  I like this Mr. Darcy alright- his serious and arrogant side is very believable and well-acted, but the kinder side of him seemed less than genuine.  My biggest complaint with this version is that Elizabeth Bennett, though spunky, seemed to lack as much spirit and inner passion as I like to imagine her to have.  I guess she’s probably the most accurately Victorian of the the three Lizzie’s, but a little too cold for my taste.  Oh, and the Mrs. Bennett is great, but the father didn’t seem as warm as in other versions.  Cheesy montage of clips set to music, but the best I could find:

1995 version:

I actually haven’t seen this version for a while, but I like it a lot.  Who doesn’t love Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy?  I didn’t like the casting of Jane in this one, but Lizzie’s character is extremely likable and genuine.  I definitely prefer it as a whole over the 1980 version.  I can’t remember enough details about it to say anything very intelligent, but now I definitely want to watch it again.

2005 version:

I really love this version.  Maybe I’m not a purist because the characters are quite modernized in their expressions, rather than the fiercely traditional Victorian restraint.  I love Keira Knightley’s portrayal of Elizabeth Bennett– just the right blend of charm and passion and spunk.  I would totally love to hang out with her, if I could wear pants.  It still bugs me that Jane and Elizabeth don’t even look related, but they are both well-developed characters.  I love the dad in this movie, as well as Mr. Collins and Mr. Bingley– all well cast.  And I really like this Mr. Darcy’; he portrays all sides of his character  earnestly.  (Whenever I watch a period movie like this, I find myself talking Victorian vocabulary in my brain for the rest of the day.)  Except for the last 10 seconds of the movie, which are far too cheesy for my taste, I could watch this movie over and over again and still feel the suspense of it.

And while it’s true that I spent too long watching the movie and almost as long writing this post, I’m not to blame.  It’s totally Jane Austen’s fault.  Any other fans out there?

No internet. Kill me now. My modem sounded like the garbage disposal. Probably won’t be online until later in the week. (I’m dictating this post to my sister over the phone.)

General Conference book talk will be, “Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit,” Vicky F. Matsumori (Conference Ensign, page 9).

Hopefully back on-line soon. Have a good week.

I’ve been conducting a private birth-order study in my own home.  Recently, lovely blog maven Melanie announced that she’s expecting a girl, and she was a little bewildered by the announcement after raising two boys.  My comment to her and our subsequent communication about it has made me reflect on what it meant in our household when pink suddenly appeared in our future and how it has all played itself out.

Grant has always been a high-energy and in-your-face kind of kid.  He loves balls, cars, and most things boy.

Eighteen months later Clark made his entrance. Clark is a darling combination of bouncy and bi-polar (not medically diagnosed, just a parental observation based on swings between glee and despair).  He loves dirt, messes, destruction and all things that make mothers think about electro-shock treatment.

Almost two years later, the ultrasound technician said, “It’s a girl,” and I thought, Yeah, right.  I don’t make girls.

She didn’t have a chance.

And I spent the several next months in denial until I finally broke down and ordered two boxes of girl clothes on eBay.  Then I could blame some other froofy mom out there for the purchase of all those pink items.

She made her cute squishy and lovable arrival that fall, and oh boy was she different.  Both of my boys nursed like they were insatiable vacuum pumps.  She nibbled and snacked and cooed and dozed.  My boys wanted to be held and talked to and fed again.  She would lay on a blanket and blink and rest and smile.

I’m still amazed by how much of her girl side is just in there. She did not learn princess-love and fascination with ballet from her brothers, and it would be almost as unlikely to have gotten it from me, who purposely tried to limit her exposure to such things.  Pink and purple are her “most favorite colors in the world.”  And she likes to tuck her dolls carefully into their strollers while she makes dinner in her play kitchen.

But she has not been unscathed by two larger-than-life brother personalities.  She’s a tough little cookie and knows how to hold her own when challenged.  She definitely has a voice, and she does not like to be interrupted.  When Matt leaves for work, she demands a hug and a kiss and then calls out after him, “Bye, poopy stinky daddy.”  She’s fearless on playgrounds and wants to try everything her brothers do.  Today I was cuddling her and she was being all cute and dainty and giggly, then out of nowhere she says, “Mom, I’m going to pee on your nose.”  Yep, she’s got brothers.

Here she is today after she tried on her Tinkerbell Halloween dress.

Right after I took the picture, I called out to the boys, “Hey guys, come look!  I found a fairy in my office!”  They came running to see, and got in her face a little, and Natalie punched Clark in the nose.

And then a few minutes later she sulked in tears because they wanted to watch the Backyardigans Halloween special instead of Dora the Explorer.

I think she’s picking her nose.  That‘s my little fairy princess, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  (Good luck, Melanie. I hope this glimpse into your future has been educational.)