ZooLights

After a nearly five hour delay plane delay, I finally arrived home late Friday night. So much for my plans of coming home in the early evening so I could cuddle on the couch and watch Christmas cartoons with the boys. By the time I staggered into the door I was travel weary, annoyed by people and ready for bed. 

A solid night sleep rejuvenated my holiday spirit, which was a good thing because on Saturday we headed out on a family adventure.  The boys only knew that they needed to pack an overnight bag and were reminded to grab both coats and gloves but were unaware of our destination. I love our surprise little getaways!  

After getting settled into our DC hotel we bundled up and walked a few blocks down the street to the National Zoo, which was beautifully illuminated for the season. The boys were in awe of the colorful lighted decorations. Even the tree branches on the colonial trees were covered with beautiful little twinkle lights. If you ever end up in DC near Christmastime, you really should visit ZooLights.  

Thanks to a Groupon I snagged on Black Friday, we enjoyed unlimited train, carousel and sledding rides. Needless to say, my youngest engineer was quite fond of the choo choo train. He and I spent a lot of time riding the miniature train while Scott and Robby explored other sections of the zoo. 

Timmy's delight with the train must have been evident because the Conductor took note and invited him to sit in the front of the train. My little guy's smile shone almost as bright as the holiday lights, especially when he was encouraged to ring the bell on the train. He was so excited he was practically giddy.  

After the sun completely set and the cold began to increase we headed back to the hotel for the night. Timmy quickly fell asleep, no doubt dreaming of driving the train, and we curled into our beds and watched Elf on television. (I planned the adventure so I was the one who picked the movie.)  

Our little getaway was the perfect way to rekindle the holiday spirit after a brief hiatus.