The tree and the tree gatherers.

We walked to Nat Bailey Stadium to get a Christmas tree and Russell brought it home in the bicycle trailer. It was short and squat - pregnant, we decided.

We took some walks, and, children being children, Russell, Naomi, and Jane had to splash in the puddle in the schoolyard at Emily Carr. It was a very wet, shusy snow, but, and I said, white.

Russell and Jane stayed with us. Jane, due in mid-January, has to try the needle thing to determine the her unborn child's gender. I think the needle went in circles, which indicates a girl. She has a 50% chance of being right!

The back yard, to show that we did have a White Christmas.

David Kellett has a nice smile.

Naomi came home from Victoria for the holidays which was great. She's here with her Uncle David.

I went with Ros to her high school's Christmas concert - somewhat reluctantly, I must admit. But I was delighted by the energy and level of talent displayed by several bands, choirs, and a dance troup. Here the dancers are doing a "Bollywood" style East Indian dance... great fun.

Curtain call. A great pageant, the best ever, as it is each year.

And this was Grandpa's big part. Unfortunately I couldn't see his face, but his voice was strong and he made no mistakes. After his lines came Anna's.

Part of the pageant where the children take the stage

The pageant underway. John Innes is Joseph, Shaena Jennings is Mary, and Brian Heinrich is Gabriel (with the Mohawk).

Megan Kao, one of the sheep is costumed by Grandma.

Simeon checks his part for the last time.

Russell, Simeon's helper, got into costume too, with help from Ann Fletcher.

Simeon and Mary (Shaena Jennings).

Here is Jack with Jane and his co-star, Lesley Godwin, who was Anna.

On Dec. 16 came the Christmas Pageant, with Dr. John Robert Kellett appearing as Simeon for the umpteenth time. And he's great in the role, thanks to the tender care of the wardrobe person (Joan Seidl) in black, and his dear wife Margery.

I'm not sure what these teachers are doing. The macarena? Or maybe it was the "Y-M-C-A" dance. Yes, I think this is the "A" part.

More teachers at the Hamber party, Satoko and Chong Fu.

Actually, this was the first party, Ros' Eric Hamber staff party at the Italian Cultural Centre. Her fellow teacher Marta, I believe.

One of the excited kids. Like me, he can turn his tongue over - a genetic trait.

One of the first parties of the Christmas season. We sang carols at Max Todd's home in Kitsilano. Max is a teacher at Hamber with Ros. Lots of children there running about, very excited.

They had a left over float from the Santa Claus parade of a few weeks ago too, to get us into the spirit. I sort of like Cambie Street having so few cars on it, since I mostly ride my bicycle to work

We are slowly getting Cambie Street back after the Canada Line subway has been laid way underground. This was a street party on Dec. 9 to celebrate the partial completion of construction, which won't all be complete for a year or so. Make sense: woman on stilts to celebrate a subway underground...

This one of Margery came out nicely. What a great mother-in-law.