I love your brain

I think I’ve mentioned that Cole loves Christmas. Particularly, Cole loves Christmas Eve at my brother’s house. My brother and sister-in-law started what has become a family tradition celebration of Christmas Eve. My brother loves Christmas, a love inherited from our mom, and he set out to create a wonderful family night for his two girls and for all of the extended family. It’s truly a special night and I don’t think any of the kids (all now teenagers) would trade it for anything. Especially Cole.

The evening’s events unfold almost exactly the same year after year (running on more than ten years at this point), and any deviation would be noticed, and corrected, by all of the kids. It’s successfully a warm, festive, thoroughly enjoyable celebration each year, and the one day Cole looks forward to more than any other, even his birthday!

Besides his love of Christmas Eve, Cole’s other favorite wintertime passion is holiday music. He’ll take it anyway he can. He’s even sat through Americana Christmas, listening to the likes of John Prine and Emmylou Harris (both talents but not generally in his wheelhouse of musical interest. Here are few things we’ve had on playlists this week:

1. Weezer – Oh Come All Ye Faithful
2. Bad Religion – Little Drummer Boy (Really, any of their holiday songs are great!)
3. REM – Deck The Halls
4. The Eels – Christmas Is Going To The Dogs
5. Pink Martini – Santa Baby (One of my favorites – especially Eartha Kitt’s version)
6. Smashing Pumpkins – Christmastime
7. Fitz & The Tantrums – Santa Stole My Lady
8. Dean Martin – Let It Snow
9. Ray Charles – Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
10. Oasis – Merry Christmas Everybody

One on going, pretty much love from start to finish is last year’s Michael Buble Christmas album. That, and Bad Religion’s holiday album, also released last year. Both are pretty great!