Nicolai’s big present was a Shiatsu back massaging bed pillow complete with built in reading lamp, arm rests, and cup holder. Naturally, all members of the family had to test the therapeutic effectiveness of the massage and I think it is safe to say that Nicolai received the most relaxing gift of the season.

Jeanine could not have picked a more perfect present for Maya this year. It was hard to tell who was more excited with the American Girl doll horse.

Nicolai flashes Kyle a look of approval for the soccer jersey he has just received. It is rare for me to get a photo of these guys together when one does not have the other in a headlock.

Jeanine received a home made wooden bird shelter and bird feeder from Maya who looks on wearing her new pajamas (please notice the matching set for Elizabeth, her doll).

Maya made me a wonderfully illustrated Christmas card which we read together.

Tomorrow we leave for Indianapolis to visit with family and friends. This evening, we got a headstart on present opening after attending church and dining out at our favorite Chinese restaurant (another Christmas tradition).

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, the kids were cooking Zeppole Balls supervised by my spouse. These fried dough balls covered in honey and sprinkles are a Christmas tradition with the Calabrias. Maya was in charge of rolling and cutting the dough. Nicolai and Kyle took turns frying them and Jeanine is shown here, drizzling them with honey.

Kyle drives to the hoop in a match against Sudbury. The team won by a nice margin and Kyle finished with 6 points.

I have been so busy with work (and photography) since we moved to Massachusetts that I have had little time to work in my shop. Today, I was able to find a couple of hours to organize some of my tools. Once I get everything the way I like it, I find the shop much more inviting and am more inclined to jump into new projects.

Jeanine and I joined Maya, her classmates, and their parents at school this morning to hear the stories they have written this year. Maya captivated us with When the Water Splashes, the story of how she learned to dive. Her writing style is creative, humorous, and in a certain way sophisticated. I am going to credit her mother and grandfather for these particular gifts.

Walls for the new shed were poured today. We plan to store the tractor, snow blower and collection of bikes here during the seasons they are not in use. This will free up enough space in the third bay of the garage to add other junk that will make it impossible to walk through.

Work has begun on an addition to our house. We are adding an elevated three-season sun porch to the back of the house, replacing the old deck with a new one, and adding a storage shed underneath the deck. Demolition and excavation has been completed and concrete footings will be poured today.

Spotted this raptor on the way into work this morning. I will have to check with our resident naturalist for an identification. Head to tail I estimate to be 20-22 inches.  Jeanine has weighed in and the answer is a red-tailed hawk.

This ball, suspended in a powerful stream of air, never fails to engage the kids. Anyone care to guess how long Nicolai waited before deciding that the real purpose of this exhibit was to help children practice their soccer heading technique? Answer: Less than 10 seconds.

In the discovery section of the museum, children can pop their heads right into the middle of the animal displays for an up-close look. Here, Maya is searching for an elusive chipmunk. I can only wonder if the parents of the chipmunks will bring their children out to see this strange-looking human inside a plastic bubble

Jeanine observes an Australian Walking Stick (can you find it) while I photograph her from the other side of the terrarium.

Today was my choice for family night and I picked a day-time excursion to the Boston Museum of Science. The kids all groused about going. As soon as we arrived, however, they became totally engrossed in the exhibits. Kyle and I toured the Body Worlds 2 exhibit which Jeanine and Nico had already seen. This tour-de-force presentation of the plasticized human body is absolutely awe inspiring and should not be missed by anyone with a chance to see it.

Later in the morning, Maya, Jeanine and I watched Kyle in action. His team battled back from a huge early game deficit only to lose their one point lead in the last 3 seconds. They were able to inbound and get a shot off before the buzzer, but unfortunately it did not find the net.  Kyle pictured here, scoring on a breakaway.

This morning, Maya attended her very first basketball practice. In the background is “Coach Stefan” who was also Kyle’s coach last season. He is without a doubt one of the finest coaches any of our children have ever had and I am really excited for Maya. Here, she is taking what I believe is technically a jump shot. 

It is hard to argue with results, Kyle’s team (a subset pictured here) played three back-to-back games with no rest to win the championship by a single goal in the final game.

Kyle’s indoor soccer team competed for the season championship this evening. I explained to Kyle yesterday, that the hair dangling in front of his eyes reduced his reaction time hoping he might consider the merits of a haircut. Instead, he opted for gathering a small fountain of hair in a rubber band which proved an equally effective solution, if aesthetically ridiculous.

The evening commute was not to be out done. I was lucky to reach the Sudbury river before the light was gone.

Intense fog on the way into work this morning. I love this particular vista and am determined to capture it in every season. Click on the photo for a larger version.

This evening, Nico’s indoor soccer team played for the championship of their division. They won their semi-final match by a score of 3-0. In the finals, regulation play ended in a 1-1 tie. Sudden death overtime also ended in a tie, so the championship came down to penalty kicks. Nico was first to the line for his team and scored with a perfectly placed shot to the lower left inside post. Westford, their opponent responded with a score. Next Greg also drilled a goal to the lower left. Westford responded in kind. Unfortunately, our final penalty taker missed and Westford’s did not so the team finished second in a very close contest. Never the less, Nico had a great game and we were both proud of his efforts.

On Mondays and Wednesdays we do not allow TV. As a result, I often find the children more willing to let me take their photos on these evenings. Last night Maya and I had a lot of fun together.

St. Lucia is an Italian saint who has been adopted by the Swedes. She is associated with the idea of light. In the middle ages, December 13 fell on the longest day of the year. This holiday celebrates the fact that the days will now start getting shorter. The candles and (yellow) saffron bread represent light, the bare feet represent charity, and the red sash represents the wound she suffered at the hands of her fiancé after she gave away her dowry to the poor.

Today we celebrated St. Lucia Day. In Swedish tradition, the oldest girl of the family wears a white dress with a red ribbon around her waist and a wreath of candles on her head while serving coffee (hot chocolate in out case) and special saffron bread to the rest of the family.

Child #2 was half asleep while eating breakfast (literally). There is a fork with scrambled eggs on it approaching his mouth as I took this photo.

Our tree angel has been with us for more than a decade. Every year, I struggle to get her positioned just right. This year, for the first time, I think I was successful. Nicolai was in charge of our first fire of the year and did a nice job starting it from scratch (my use of a propane torch to start fires, while extremely efficient, is viewed with varying degrees of contempt by most of the family). Family night concluded with chocolate fondue over pound cake, apples, pineapple, and tangerines. The family was too impatient to permit a proper photo of what was a beautiful dessert.

Jeanine was in charge of family night this evening and selected tree trimming for the activity. Please note that Maya was dressed in her night gown. She announced this morning that she wanted to relax all day and that she would not be changing into day clothes. Earlier in the day, Jeanine and I went on a long walk during which she introduced me to a hidden trail by an abandoned railroad track which traverses a number of beautiful marshes. Sometimes, I can not believe we live in the midst of such beauty. I was without my camera unfortunately, and therefore have a good excuse to make the hike again.

Another breakaway, this time with a defender breathing down his neck. After the game, we went out for lunch, did a little Christmas shopping, discussed the value of a younger sister to post college dating strategies, and I explained the terms or our estate plan to him (yes, a very strange combination of topics and activities).