I took this photo at Kei’s company picnic last week held at PGE Park, the home of The Beavers baseball team. It was a big event with carnival games, mini golf and clowns making balloon animals.

Thomas had a lot of fun apart from one small incident that may have scarred him for life. I let him go in a bouncy obstacle course by himself (think bouncy castle but with one way in and one way out). He seemed to be having a great time until I suddenly saw this look of immense terror on his face. The Beaver mascot (man in large Beaver suit) had decided to join the kids in the obstacle course and suddenly Thomas found himself trapped in a confined space with an enormous furry creature that looked like it could eat him.

Thankfully I was able to pull him out quickly but the damage had been done. We were not allowed to go within 20 feet of the mascot for the rest of the night and soon after we put Thomas to bed he woke up crying and asking if there was a Beaver in his room. Poor kid lives in Oregon where the Beaver is the state animal. Let’s hope he can put this incident behind him.