Each year, the neighborhood where Mike and I met has a tree lighting ceremony to kick off the Christmas season. There are live musicians. There are carolers in matching sweaters. There are horse-drawn carriages and hot chocolate and light up toys and balloon animals and magic in the air. There is a gorgeous Christmas tree that they light up after a (poorly-executed) countdown. And most importantly, there is SANTA. Which means that littles come with their parents from miles around to view this main in his jolly red suit.

We went and it did not disappoint. Sugar Bear donned her gay apparel for the event–her Sugar Bear suit (naturally):

Mike enjoyed it too, especially after he found himself a coffee, cutting it dangerously close (in my opinion) to the actual lighting of the tree.

Afterwards we strolled around blocked-off streets and eventually found ourselves at our favorite little Irish pub, the one where we spent so many nights pre-baby, drinking pints and dancing to the live music they always offered. It was fun and bizarre and appropriate all at the same time that we brought Sugar Bear to this place. I love it not only for the nostalgia and the delicious Shepherd’s pie, but also because their servers are all Irish and there is just something so wonderful about talking to people with beautiful accents, isn’t there?! It’s the closest I may get to Ireland for a long time, thanks to the wee lass we brought along for this adventure.

She was so excited to be at her parents’ watering hole of yesteryear:

And as all good parents do when taking their baby to a bar, we enjoyed our sleeping Sugar Bear, a few pints, a warm and cozy booth, and the promise of a magical Christmas season ahead.