Maya and her teammates won their U10 Girls Indoor Soccer League championship this evening. Little Warrior was the name given to Maya by her coach at the end of the season.

In addition to the tree lighting, there is a parade with Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, and the Grinch. I ran into many friends as I ran around trying to keep up with the girls who moved through the crowds with the predicatbiity of a butterfly.

Since 1853 the residents of Concord have gathered in the center of town to celebrate the Christmas season. In 1915 an evergreen tree was planted which now stands at least 100 feet tall and is decorated with white lights each year. This evening I took Maya and her friends and Nico and his friends to the annual tree lighting ceremony. It was bitterly cold but spirits were high and local merchants put out the hot chocolate and cookies which sustained the crowds.

This evening, Kyle is taking Chloe to see the Boston Ballet perform the Nutcracker. Chloe recently celebrated her sweet sixteen birthday and this was Kyle’s gift to her. I dropped them off at the Alewife “T” station and they will make the journey downtown by themselves.

Nicolai was hungry this evening and decided to make a batch of brownies with his friend Greg. Several new methods for stirring were investigated. Holding the whisk while spinning the bowl was my favorite. Is there any wonder why I can not lose weight in this house?

One of the stranger photos I have posted over the last 3 years. Nico is wrestling this season with the Sudbury Wrestling Club. During warm ups they engage in some very strange group frog type behavior. Click on the image for a larger view.

I often wonder what my children would think if they knew me when I had hair. At the time of this article my friends concluded that all wrestlers looked alike. Winning this tournament qualified me for a spot on the US team that would face the Russian Junior National team. Also earning a spot on the team was Jeff Blatnick who went on to win Olympic Gold.

Work has been very intense this week with no time for photography which means I need to dip into the archive. Who do you think this stunning young girl is?

Nicoali works on a construction project for his French class. Students must create miniature buildings of different types. They then organize them to create an entire town which forms the basis for numerous class discussions. Nico is building a patisserie (pastry shop). I wonder if he and Jeanine will bake tiny croissants.

 
Of course if the whole vet thing does not work out she can always fall back to being an engineer.

 
Maya has a special bond with animals and continues to feel she wants to be a vet when she grows up. I for one won’t be surprised if this is what she becomes.

 
Maya reunited with her dog after four days apart.

 
My mother has created a Japanese inspired garden which occupies most of the grounds surrounding their home. I find beauty here even in the months where most green things have long since disappeared. This suspended rock is helping to train the branch from which it hangs into a more earthward posture.

 
Jeanine and I went for a brisk walk on the grounds of Union College, where I studied for my undergraduate degree in electircal engineering. Nott Memorial is the photographic icon of the school and although I have done so many times over the years I could not walk by without capturing another image of this beautiful structure.