Merry Christmas to All!

Last night, after putting the little tykes to bed, we did what families have always done through the ages... put together all those hard to assemble Christmas gifts that "Santa" brought to the house while the kids were sleeping! Fortunately, not many batteries were required this year.

My wife's father has been extremely busy in his woodworking shop out back of their house in Stillwater, OK. He built a play kitchen for the Festival of Trees auction in November, yet still had time to build a new Thomas the Tank Engine train table, a baby doll high chair, and a baby doll rocking cradle this year. Amy got the kids an art easel, so I had to assemble that last night. Thankfully, we already bought the first bicycle in September, so I didn't have to assemble one of those last night.

While putting those things together last night, we had the Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946) on in the background. We've all seen that movie a million gazillion times, but it always brings a smile to my lips every year. I loved it when a friend of mine described it once as "Hard Core Yuletide," because that is a perfect description. Many people, of course, also know it as "Capra-corn," and that label also fits.

Several things about the movie struck me for the first time last night, however. And isn't it funny how you can be completely familiar with a movie, yet still see something new every time you see it?

The first thing that struck me (and keep in mind that we spent the majority of the evening watching A Muppets Christmas Carol (1992), rather than put up with the interminable commercial breaks on NBC, so we came in towards the end of the movie, when George was being counseled by Clarence the angel; if I'm going to sit through the entire Wonderful Life movie, I'm gonna do it by watching my own copy on DVD) was that Pottersville certainly seemed like a lot more fun town than Bedford Falls. Doesn't it seem that way? Pool halls, bars, dancing, girls... it's like Vegas without the gambling! Sure, people were miserable living in Potter's housing projects, but they had fun going out at night!

The second thing, and this is more of a reach, is that perhaps, just perhaps, the American male preference for the Girl Next Door over the Blonde Bombshell was first captured here, in Wonderful Life. Think about it: Ginger or Mary Ann? Veronica or Betty? People have been asking those questions for ages, but here you see Violet versus Mary, Gloria Grahame versus the truly classy Donna Reed. Which would you rather have as your wife? As your girlfriend, even? Which one is going to stand by you and not cheat on you with your brother or best friend? It's gotta be the Girl Next Door, in my book. Which also made for an interesting movie starring Elisha Cuthbert in 2004, but that's beside the point.

I just think it's funny that something new always presents itself on the upteenth time watching a movie. For the very first time, I noticed which book Clarence signed to George at the very end of the movie to let him know that Clarence did, indeed, win his wings by helping George not commit suicide. What was it, you ask? None other than Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. That doesn't even make the trivia section on IMDB, so there's no telling if that book had special meaning for Frank Capra or anyone else associated with the movie.

Well, beyond the movies and the toys, we did have a wonderful Christmas this year. It was the very first time my wife and I hosted Christmas in our own house, and it worked out great! Our son turned over a new leaf today, or at the very least was on his best behavior this afternoon. He was very nice to everyone, hugged his little sister without being told to do so, and wished everyone a Merry Christmas on his own, without any prodding. He wasn't whiny, didn't fight a lot, and played with his new toys without getting upset or too possessive about any of them. Well, other than the new remote control Cat bulldozer from Grandpa. He really likes that one. But for a three-year-old, he did great today!

My wife's dream for peace on Earth, or at least peace in the household, was granted today. For that, I am extremely grateful! Here's hoping that everyone else experienced similar joys and peace today, and that everyone got what they needed during this holiday season. Merry Christmas, everybody!