Sam turned two years old while we were on vacation, and his main concern was that he needed to wear a party hat on his birthday. Although he did take his hat off and on throughout the day, he did wear the hat for part of the time that we visited Ketchikan.
We weren't allowed to have open flames on the ship, so we had Sam blow out candles while we visited a park in Ketchikan. He asked us to relight the candles (and sing "Happy Birthday") about six or seven times.
It was a strange experience visiting Ketchikan. This town is rather poor and not in very good condition - and it felt strange to be tourist (from an extravagant cruise ship) in the town. In one sense, I almost felt guilty being there; it was like I arrived to gawk at the poverty and simple life of the town. And at the same time, I was glad that I could be there and help bring a little bit more money into their struggling economy.
One of the things I found most interesting was this totem pole, which has a huge undecorated portion. This undecorated portion is a symbol of high habitat (for the fabled bird at the top of the pole, I assume) and also marks the high status for the clan crest. I'm not an expert on totem poles, but I'm interested to see how many other undecorated poles exist.
One of the things I found most interesting was this totem pole, which has a huge undecorated portion. This undecorated portion is a symbol of high habitat (for the fabled bird at the top of the pole, I assume) and also marks the high status for the clan crest. I'm not an expert on totem poles, but I'm interested to see how many other undecorated poles exist.To end Sam's birthday, we walked into our stateroom to see that the attendants had left Sam a special surprise: a towel folded into the shape of a monkey. Although the washcloth/head of the monkey fell off after a few minutes, Jer re-capitated the chimp so that Sam could have a little conversation with his new friend (see clip below). Sam loves this video, and cracks up every time he watches the last few seconds of the clip.
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4 comments:
He is getting so big!
I am delighted that you guys were able to go to Alaska! I'll always consider it my second home and just looking at your beautiful pictures made me a little homesick!
Sam is ADORABLE! I love how you guys celebrated his birthday and that he wanted to do it again...and again. So cute.
I love these pictures, M.
The first picture when you all had just woken up? Love it. You guys are such a cool family.
I also love the "action shot" where Sam is blowing out his candles.
I think two is a fun age. I obviously don't have kids, but from my nine (holy cow) nieces and nephews, I always thought two was when they really were a lot of fun (I never got the "terrible twos" thing).
Thanks for the comments! Tara, I thought of you quite a bit during our trip! You and Bryson were lucky to live in such a pretty state.
I also think two is such a fun age, e. I think this is my favorite stage so far (although, admittedly, I say that every time Sam masters a new skill and becomes more independent). It's cute to have him talking and parroting everything we say. We've seen no "terrible twos" so far, although we're only about a week past his birthday. :)
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