All she wants for Christmas

Alena's appreciation for country music took hold at an early age. I think it was at her first birthday party she danced to Faith Hill's "Mississippi Girl." Needless to say, as with most hobbies or interests, it has continued to grow with time.

Her list of favorites continues to grow ... Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Pickler. Her repertoire includes dozens of songs and sometimes I hear her singing along to a song I myself don't remember even having heard. She's becoming a bit of a country music encyclopedia, as she could tell you who sings most any song that comes on a country music radio station and what the artist's last hit was to boot.

Granted, she is a country music listening fool. We typically have the radio on after the morning news and she sleeps with a radio tuned in on her dresser as well. Still, she sometimes amazes me with the music she knows and that there are songs she can identify upon hearing just a few notes.

With all this country music love, there also comes dislikes. Kenny Chesney's "Blink," for example, can't come on without her commenting how she doesn't like "this" song. And George Strait, sorry, she's not a big fan. We learned this after watching the CMAs this week as a special afternoon treat compliments of Tivo.

At first I wondered if her tastes in music just resembled what mom and dad like. I now know that's not so. I'd take Brad Paisley to her Carrie Underwood any day. And dad would opt for, well, just about anyone over her latest favorite ... Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift is everything a little girl would appreciate. She's cute, has long blonde hair, wears cool cowgirl boots and has the girliest dresses going. And probably, most importantly, being a high school senior, she's not much older than most of her fans.

At 17 she's released two albums, the latest of which contains only songs she wrote or co-wrote. Granted, Taylor Swift doesn't write the world's most earth shattering or thought-provoking songs, however, I have to give credit to any 17 year-old who's got two albums under her boots and writes most all of her own material.

Needless to say, Alena is Taylor Swift obsessed. I can't even count the number of times she's put Taylor's latest single on her little CD player and paraded around the living room singing along. She has a costume dress she has dubbed her "Taylor Swift" dress and a Taylor Swift poster in her bedroom.

Dad claims he now knows the reason little girls are the way they are ... Taylor Swift. I, on the other hand, maintain Taylor Swift cannot be blamed for little girls' attraction to frilly dresses, sing songy melodies and all things pretty.

Taylor's most recent object of girl envy is a sparkling guitar. Covered with Swarovski crystals, it was first seen in her most recent video for "Our Song" and made an appearance at the recent Country Music Awards. You can't see it and not notice it. Needless to say, Alena noticed it, noticed it some more and is all about it.

Saturday while discussing a trip to see Santa and explaining how little girls and boys tell Santa what they want him to bring on Christmas morning, the question was posed to Alena.

"What will you tell Santa you want him to bring you for Christmas?"

"A Taylor Swift guitar," was her response, needing no time to consider her options.

Yes, Santa is working on it.