Zoo Lights

The Credles stayed with us for two nights before taking the train to Florida on New Year's Day.

Chip and I went out on New Year's Eve, to Carlyle's in Shirlington for dinner (our favorite New Year's destination from way back when we celebrated New Years) and then to Old Town Alexandria for fireworks.

I have no pictures from that night; can you believe it? I was with two men; what do you expect? Chris's wife, Sara, was in OBX with her family and hadn't returned yet.  Excuses, excuses, but it's all I have for no New Year's pictures- and it was our first New Year's Eve out in four years! Ugh. I can't even believe it.  We did have fun, though. Memories. Will have to rely on memories.

Alas, we do have pictures from the 30th.  Maybe I took so many on the 30th,  I was pictured out by the 31st.

The Zoo Lights were so cool.

I got the idea from an email from "DCThrifty Mom" (a local mommy blogger) reminding her readers, "Don't forget the FREE Zoo Lights display at the National Zoo, which ends 12/31."

FREE!
Gets me every time.

We'd seen the National Christmas Tree the year before (there's only so many times you need to see the National Christmas tree), but I do love going into D.C. at least once during the Christmas season "Christmas Eve in Washington" being one of my favorite Christmas songs and all.

We were lucky to find THE best parking spot, unlike our fiasco last year when we drove for hours looking for one on the mall.

Everyone was in a good mood (a plus since it was late and you just never know with preschoolers some times).  Plus, we'd already been to MoBo Kids in Falls Church that afternoon. Hey, I don't have any pictures of that either! Chip took some with his phone and forgot to send them.

Anyway, good moods continued, despite the cold. Really cold. Freezing cold temperatures.

We had fun.

I took lots of pictures.  They are not the best quality as my photography course did not include a tutorial on nighttime zoo lights, so to the "auto" mode I returned:

Dan told us these were like the signs at Busch Gardens. Love those little lightbulb moments when kids make connections! The world through the eyes of a preschooler. 

Inside the visitor center, it was nice and warm. Cozy.

We took off our coats (they had restrooms, too), and enjoyed the indoor displays.

Paper mache zoo animals

Dan liked this old tree trunk.

I liked these gingerbread houses.  It was a contest: here's the description from the zoo's website:

This year’s Gin-GRR-bread Habitat Competition celebrates two of our most precious arrivals in 2013 – the birth of two critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs! Let your imagination run wild this winter while you design and build a habitat based on the theme “Stalking in a ZooLights Wonderland”. You may win the grand prize of an exclusive, keeper-led behind the scenes tour of Great Cats!

RULES

• Only one entry per person, team, or household will be accepted.
• Entry must be original - no gingerbread kits allowed. All entries must be solely constructed by the individual or group entering the competition. Adults in the Family or Youth Team competitors should provide ample assistance with operating the oven and/or stovetop.
• With the exception of two ½” strips of undecorated edges on the base, all visible surfaces must be made of edible items.
• Entries must have the individual or team captain’s name and entry number on the underside of the base.
• Entries must include a typed half-page description with the gingerbread habitat. Include any unique features about the habitat and the materials used in the construction process. The top of the sheet should have the title of your gingerbread habitat and the entry number. Please DO NOT include your name in the description of your gingerbread habitat.

This was one of the winners

Hey, are they at the movies?!
Dan insisted everyone sit (in the back, nonetheless) of the theatre inside the visitor center.   

It's not New Year's Eve, but hey, here we are!
This reminds me so much of a picture we took (pre-kids) on a trip to New York one year in Early December. If I could find it without delaying this posting any more, I'd post it to show the resemblance. I remember it because it's in an ornament frame that I just took off the tree ("just" being two weeks ago when I took down the Christmas ornaments; too late to unpack it now).  

The last picture I took in the year 2013!