The kids have got bikes, Ben's got his Thomas set, and I tried out my new ice-cream maker. Success all round!

Santa's been! Despite Ben's chicken pox making him look like he'd got leprosy, the kids enjoyed their bikes and Tim enjoyed Joel's Nintendo Wii before we all collapsed in a rather drunken heap on the sofa.

Better late than never, Nicky decorates her Christmas cake.

There's a champagne bar in Leeds - me and Neal decided to go visit it only to find it full of city boys and menopausal desperados. Still, nice champagne...

Ben was a shepherd - he had a teatowel on his head and everything!

The annual staff Christmas party in Wakefield, with Fotopic staff from far and wide! We started at Henry Boon's, went on to Louie's Cajun restaurant and then ended up in Fernandes Bierkeller until about 1ish. Nairn brought out a pile of glowsticks halfway through the dinner, which provided some rather amusing diversions before most of them ended up round Richie's neck.

Nicky was helping out on the Toddler Group fundraising stand, and Ellie got her face painted.

Cooking a Christmas Dinner for 10 with a centrepiece of a Yorkshire Goose stuffed with a pheasant stuffed with a chicken, Ben and Ellie ripping open lots of prezzies (including a Barbie Scooter), and then drinking large amounts of wine. Hurrah!

As she's joined Foundation Year, Ellie got a part in the school nativity play as a star in the night sky.

The annual excuse to get ratarsed, this time at Cowshed in Wakefield. We had a good showing of Fotopic staff and moderators, including Sam who came up from Tenby, and some of the London folks; finally got to bed at 3:30am full of beer and dreading the following day's hangover.

An evening with the gang from I-to-I.com, at Café Noor in Leeds. Features a cast of thousands and lots of sparkle!

With the family back from Australia and various relatives being in the area, Ruth hosted 'Second Christmas Day' which is becoming a bit of a tradition in the family. Good to see family we haven't seen for a couple of years, but gosh was some wine drunk!

Christmas at the Wrenthorpe house: up at 5am for Ben, 6am for Ellie, but Nicky managed to keep them upstairs until 7:30am before giving up and the carnage began. Features a remote-control Dalek terrorising Ellie, among other things.

Kieran's sister Laura turned 21, and there was a bit of a family 'do' at the Masonic hall in Dewsbury. Ellie and Ben charged around, ate lots of things which weren't very good for them, and looked general 'cute'. But before all this, we tried to do some Christmas shopping in Leeds and Wakefield...

Our daughter's first Nativity play - she was an angel telling the shepherds about the baby in the manger. Although to be honest, it was less a nativity and more watching the playleaders try and herd cats

A horrendous hangover was mended by a huge joint of beef and some lamb, and we managed to fit 11 people around our table! Then in the evening we put up the Christmas decorations and trimmed the tree.

Lots of Mexican food, Nick drinking jugs of strange cocktails, a lot of hats, and sooB the bandido.

Nicky was helping out on the toy stall, Ellie made a Christmas angel, and Ben had a bun. Yum!

Stress stress - Christmas is here, Nicky's working in the workshop until all hours, but it's a laugh innit (and hardly unexpected, it seems to have gone a bit mad round here this year).

Christmas presents arrived from Dad and Mandy in Australia - Fremantle Dockers tops, coffee stars, and a mad tie for next Christmas. Freo way to go...

Well, Ellie started it out at 6:30am and we wandered downstairs to find Santa had been Tim was with us (in body, although not really in mind given he'd been on the lash until 2:30am) which was really nice. Then off to cook goose!

Cooking in preparation for Christmas day, a paella for tea, a Christingle candle (which Ellie used to set fire to her hair), syllabub, and wrapping presents. In short, a typical Christmas Eve really!

A rush of blood to the head when the kids had gone to sleep ensued in me and Nicky putting up the Christmas tree, and then attempting to take some arty shots which worked, sort of.

Beers in the office, followed by more beers at the Pickled Pelican, followed by a dinner and dance at Barbarellas.

We started at around 4ish with alcohol in the office (and Nicky wrapping mugs again), followed by a coach to Leeds to the Fab Cafe. After lots of sugar there (and an attempt by Gaz to snort sherbert) we went off to TigerTiger for dinner. Mmm, yummy raw steak. Mmm, cocktails.

This is only about half the event, because the heavens opened and poured loads of rain on us. Because the Ridings Shopping Centre had closed as well nobody really had anywhere to run, and sadly it all turned into a damp squib.

Grandma Rowbottom is home, and didn't have Christmas in the UK -- so we had another Christmas Day at Ruth and Brian's house in Wrenthorpe, with turkey, sprouts, and stuff. And more presents! Ace!

This usually takes place when the post resumes - Dad and Mandy sent over some more Christmas prezzies, which were duly torn apart and worn!

Ellie's second Christmas, where she worked out how to unwrap presents! Santa brought her a rocking horse, a wendy house, and a play kitchen - among other things. Then to lunch, where Joel cooked for Ellie, Nicky, Mum K, Grandma T and Tim. Yum!