I really love my...

Johnny Jump Up!

Surprise!

Look who's pulling up in his crib?  We had to lower the bed yesterday in hopes of avoiding a major spill.  Now he feels like he's in jail though.  At least I can sleep again.  It was nerve-wracking to try and sleep thinking that any moment I might hear a huge "thump" and see my little monkey not in his bed where he's supposed to be, but on the floor.  Phew, crisis avoided, for now at least.

White Christmas

Kara and I went to the Alabama Theatre last night to see "White Christmas". We had gone years before and didn't remember it being that crowded, so we showed up about 20 minutes before the movie opened, and boy were we wrong. I bet there were 500 people there. We ended up sitting in the balcony- which ended up being really fun.
Kara and I bonded over the fact that this is not only our favorite Christmas movies, but one of our favorite movies of all time. The musical numbers are what make it so wonderful for me. I decided at age 9 after watching this movie that I wanted to be a choreographer when I grew up. Here is my favorite number from the whole show. It stars Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen, who is the greatest dancer to ever come through movies, if you ask me.







I also love this number, " Abraham"











Here is some trivia from the movie for all you White Christmas freaks like myself.

• Danny Kaye was a last-minute replacement for the originally cast Donald O'Connor.
  
  
•  The first film produced in Paramount's wide screen process "VistaVision".
  
  
•  The TV camera in the Ed Harrison Show scene is a real one (a classic RCA monochrome; the cameraman is hiding the telltale logo with his hand), but the call sign atop it was real as well - it was that of Channel 4, NBC's (and thus RCA's) flagship station in New York, which changed its call sign to WRCA-TV the year of the film's release. (They adopted their current WNBC-TV calls in 1960.)
  
  
•  The original idea was to reunite Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, as they had been successful in Holiday Inn (1942). Astaire refused, as he had "retired" at the time, so the part was reworked for Donald O'Connor. O'Connor pulled out, and the part was reworked for Danny Kaye.
  
  
•  The photo that Vera-Ellen shows to Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye of her brother, Bennie, is actually a photo of Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer.
  
  
•  An myth persists that all of Vera-Ellen's costumes, down to her robe and sleepwear, were designed to cover her neck, which had been damaged by anorexia. This is untrue. Seeing her in the premiere footage for A Star Is Born (1954), she is wearing a low cut gown and her neck is clearly visible.
  
  
•  The Vermont inn is the remodeled Connecticut inn set from the movie Holiday Inn (1942) which Bing Crosby also starred in singing songs written by Irving Berlin.
  
  
•  The song "Snow" was written by Irving Berlin a while before the film was made but with a different lyric and title and indeed subject (it had nothing to do whatsoever with snow): it was called "Free" and it was recorded by the composer.
  
  
•  The "Sisters" comedy act that Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye perform was not originally in the script. They were clowning around on the set and the director thought it was so funny that it was written in.
  
  
•  Even though Betty was the elder of the Haynes sisters, Rosemary Clooney was actually seven years younger than Vera-Ellen in real life.
  
  
•  Vera-Ellen did not actually sing any of the songs for the movie. Trudy Stevens sang all her songs (with the exception of the song "Sisters", on which Rosemary Clooney sang both parts). Vera's own voice is heard singing only in the "arrival in Pine Tree" scene at the railroad station where the quartet reprises the opening lines of "Snow".
  
  
•  For The song "Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army" there is a small section which say's "Jolson, Hope And Benny all for free" This is a reference to three wartime entertainers; Al Jolson, Bob Hopeand Jack Benny. The original words were "Crosby, Hope and Jolson all for free", with Bing Crosby in the film it would seem rather weird and it would most likely break the mood.
  
  
•  Released in 1954, it became the top grossing film of that year.
  
  
•  Rosemary Clooney was not allowed to record her voice for the soundtrack album because it was being released by a record company (Decca) other than hers (Columbia). She was replaced on the soundtrack album by Peggy Lee.
  
  
•  The song, "What Can You Do with a General?", which Leonard Maltin calls Irving Berlin's least memorable tune, was originally written for an unproduced project called "Stars on My Shoulders".
  
  
•  According to Rosemary Clooney, the "midnight snack" scene in which Bob Wallace expounds on his theory of what foods cause what dreams was almost entirely improvised.
  
  
•  Many of Bob Wallace's more unusual turns of phrase were lifted straight from Bing Crosby's own speech patterns.
  
  
•  The train scene had to be shot at Fox, the only studio to house a standing train set.
  
  
•  Although this movie musical has been a beloved favorite for decades - especially at Christmastime - there has never been an official "original soundtrack" album released in any form. Decca controlled the soundtrack rights, but Rosemary Clooney was under exclusive contract to Columbia, who would not allow her to appear on a competing label. As a result, Decca and Columbia each released their own White Christmas albums in 1954, although neither is an official soundtrack. Decca's album featured the movie cast minus Rosemary Clooney, with Peggy Lee taking over Clooney's part. Columbia's album had Rosemary Clooney singing 8 songs from the film. Both albums have been issued on CD in recent years.
  
  
•  Though Rosemary Clooney couldn't be on the original album due to contractual conflicts, she recorded the song "Sisters" with her real-life sister, Betty Clooney. On the official album, Peggy Lee recorded the song and sang both parts via overdubbing, a new technology in 1954.
  
  
•  When Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) appears on the Ed Harrison TV show, he is briefly shown - as if the audience is watching him at home - on a 1950s television set. The brand of the television is DuMont, one of the first manufacturers of TVs in America and the name of TV network from the 1950s. Jackie Gleason, Morey Amsterdam and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen were some of the notables that began on the DuMont Network, which ceased operations in 1956.
  
  
•  Third of three films to feature Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas".
  
  
•  The "Ed Harrison TV Show" that Bing Crosby appears on is a reference to the "Ed Sullivan Show" that featured known stars, new talent and vaudeville acts. Ed Harrison was played by Johnny Grant who did not have a long acting career in the movies, but was the honorary Mayor of Hollywood, California who officiated over the unveiling's of Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame from the early 1960's until his death in 2008.
  
  
•  Premiered at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
  

In the News this week...

Since the world news in so dang depressing, check out this Wise version of some local news stories, sure to make you smile, or at the least not die a little inside from depression.  How could you not smile at this...

Raughley is wearing the sweater his late Great Grandmother Nannie made for his Daddy when he was a little boy.  The boy knows good vintage fashion already!

Uncles William and Patrick arrived safely home from Tuscaloosa after much celebrating of Heisman's and potential BCS wins.  R enjoys a little lap time with Uncle W

And our other jealous son enjoys some "Lap" time with Uncle P

The Steeple Arts float won third place in the Mountain Brook Christmas Parade.

Now finally, for all you skeptics out there who think R looks more like his mommy (although I love the comparison don't get me wrong) check out these pics from the Saginaw Christmas Party yesterday.  They look like little twins!

It's the facial expressions.  For Sure

I love these pics.  A sweet father son moment.

And I could be wrong but I think they have the same ears.

This is Howard and Emily with their long time employee and friend, Boss.  What a guy, don't you wish you could pull off such a great hat?

8 months old!

On Monday, Raughley hit another milestone, 8 months!  At this juncture, he is eating 4 solid meals a day ( I aim for a protein, fruit, veggie and oatmeal) and he started picking up finger foods- his fav is cheese.  Who doesn't love sliced cheese.  Well, someone in our family is really loving Raughley eating solids for sure.  I have to fight to keep him from licking every inch of R's body.  He does do a pretty good job of cleaning the high chair.
   So I heard a rumor from one of the mom's in R's nursery that babies can drink cows milk at 9 months, and that the 12 month rule is a marketing scheme by the formula companies... any thoughts?  That sure would be a money saver for us! R is drinking 3 bottles a day of formula, and doesnt seem to be slowing down any time soon.  All the better to fill that little 16 pound body up with!

I sure do love oatmeal!

Yumm!

Picking up some cheese...

and putting it in my mouth!

What a nice brother, sharing his food!

I'm not sure I like this too much!

This is what happens after breakfast when he plays with his toys...they become scattered all over the room, the boy has a good arm!

Nutcracker

Saturday Kara and I went to see The Nutcracker performed by the Alabama Ballet. In my opinion this is a must do Christmas tradition.  Especially because we have in our city one of only 6 places in the world allowed to perform George Balanchine's version of the ballet (others include NY city ballet and Philadelphia Ballet. This is one of the ballet's performers, Lindsey Sara Barber, in the Nutcracker.  She is so fun to watch, definitely my favorite dancer this year.

Busy Christmas Season

It's the most wonderful time of the year because....

I got to have lunch with Lindsay, her mom, grandmother, mother in law, and grandmother in law at BCC on Saturday.

Jon Mark and Cartwright showed up towards the end!

Sunday Raughley met Santa Claus for the very first time!

He didn't cry, or pull his beard!

So happy to meet the big guy!

We had a grandparent lunch at Old Overton to celebrate.

Then, that very same day it was off to Steeple Arts for the Christmas party!

Raughley was mesmerized by all the little girls in their party dresses

and even met a friend his own age!  He was so nice and tried to share his paci...

Miss Bea leading the girls in a Christmas song.

Miss Bea, Miss Monica and Miss Emily, with Raughley.  Chase used to come to these parties when he was a baby, and I came to them as a little girl.

All the Steeple Arts family with Mrs. Coates.

Finally, to end a busy Sunday, R and I went to Sugar's house to see a dress fitting with Linds.

So happy to be with his Godmother!

After that, he came home and crashed, the holidays can really wear you out!