I don’t know… do you think he’s teething? Nothing poking through yet but he’s definitely on the verge. He’s also been sick and constipated which all adds up to very little sleep in the Ishida house – at least for me and Samuel.

Yes – I’m talking about you kiddo.

In hindsight, it was probably a little crazy, but Kei and I decided to take the boys to the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in downtown Portland. We should have expected it to be crowded. It was mild and dry evening in Portland which is a rare event in November so it seemed most of the city was out to see them flick the switch on a 50 foot Douglas Fir. It was a nice family event though and something fun to help get us in the spirit.

Warning – low light means blurry photos but I think it contributes to the atmosphere.

We took the Max (light rail) to avoid having to find (and pay for) parking.

Did you know that it’s perfectly acceptable to park your stroller in the handicapped space? It’s true! Ok, maybe not, but the train was practically empty. Really.

Thomas had to ride on Kei’s shoulders to see Santa and I held Samuel as long as I could before I handed him off for Kei to carry him in the Bjorn. That kid is heavy! The result was a daddy who was definitely carrying his share of the load. 

I should mention that the tree was lit just after 6pm so we were there from about 5:30. It’s very dark at 5:30. In fact it’s now dark at 4:00. Sad, but true.

Downtown Portland is so pretty at night, especially at this time of the year. I have to make a point of going back sometime soon to take more photos.

This is what we were waiting for – the top quarter of it anyway. Thomas was most excited about the star on top of the tree “It’s yellow mummy! I like yellow”.