Monthly Archives: December 2008

Christmas at the Petersens

Santa did all right this year:

Nate: Legos were the theme this year. Nate and I put together his “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Castle” lego set after all the presents were opened. It was quite the intricate, time-consuming, and fun project.

Sami: She got her wish—a Metallic Rose Nintendo DS and a few games. The games were a virtual babysitting and teaching game. Seems like they are both kinda like have a tamagotchi in the form of a DS game. She also enjoyed using the DS “Picto-chat” with Nate (basically IM for DS users—you can also draw pictures).

Jasmine: Dogs, dogs, dogs. She really wants a dog, but, with a baby sister/brother on the way, a wish for a dog is a bit in vain. She did get a few dog-related gifts (a Wii dog game and big dog book), but no real dog. Forecast is months/years of hearing about a Shih Tzu until she finally gets one. Maybe Diana and I will have to reconsider the whole “no dog” thing…

Abbey: Well, hate to say it, but Abbey was introduced to a bit of disappointment with Christmas gifts—she didn’t get want she wanted. She g0t this. Oh, well. She dealt with it okay, all things considered. I told her it was the American Girls’ “Bitty Twins” older sister. She has had fun with her Dora the Explorer TV Adventure Globe.

The Family: We got a bunch of boardgames for Christmas, too—Cash-a-Catch, Dominion, Nefertiti, and Taluva. Of the four, Dominion is destined to be our most-played game of all. It is a fairly quick game and easy-to-learn—a great family game.

Best Music of 2008

2008 wasn’t packed with great albums, but there were a few that I really liked. Here they are (other than the first three, in no particular order):

  1. Everything That Happens Will Happen Today by David Byrne and Brian Eno.
    By far, this album has gotten the most listens by me this year. Love it. Best of David Byrne since Talking Heads. I’m looking forward to more collaborations with Brian Eno—hope they come.
  2. Furr by Blitzen Trapper.
    This was a late entry—it wasn’t until I saw it on All Songs Considered‘s “Best of 2008” that I listened to them. Loving the retro ’70s sound of this band.
  3. Viva La Vida by Coldplay.
    I’ve never been a huge Coldplay fan, but this album was blasting in my car stereo a lot this year.
  4. Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes.
    Haunting folk music. Can’t say that I’m in the mood for this all the time, but when I want some good folk harmonies, I can’t go wrong by the Foxes.
  5. Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket.
    About five great tracks on this one. Not nearly as good as “Z”, but My Morning Jacket is always interesting to listen to. I think the creative process for this album was akin to eating ginger at your local sushi-ya—I look for MMJ’s next album to be a bit of a “return to form.” But, who knows? I guess that is what makes them so interesting…
  6. For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver.
    I’ll admit it—I’m giving into the crowd on this one (seems like it is on every “Best of” list), but it is a good listen. Not in steady rotation by me, but solid.
  7. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend.
    I tend to hate stuff that gets too hyped. This band was definitely hyped, but, by and large, lived up to it. I still prefer my African sounds a la Paul Simon’s Graceland
  8. The Symphonies: Dreams Memories and Parties by Emily Wells.
    I saw her, along with a handful of other women singer-songwriters, at a concert in SLC this year. She was a one-woman tour-de-force. I like her blending of hip-hop and classical music.