Zoo Lights!

 Here are Paige and Virginia with their outdoor playhouse that Mimi and Pops got them for Christmas.  They love it!  Too bad they haven't been home enough with decent weather to get to play in it much.

Last Thursday Ben and I came home from work a little early, I picked the girls up and off the four of us went to Zoo Lights at the National Zoo.  When I picked Paige and Virginia up from school I learned that we were getting to take their class "pet," Cooper the (stuffed) dog, home with us for the weekend.  You're supposed to take him places with you and write stories and draw pictures about what he did.  So, obviously, we took him to the zoo with us.

It was a pretty chilly night so we bundled up and off we went to wander around the zoo.

Paige, Virginia and Cooper in front of the entrance.

 Paige and Virginia found some cheetahs.

 Some of the animal houses were open so we went into the "Think Tank" and saw this orangutan.  She was just hanging out laying right by the window where everyone could see her.  The other orangutans were asleep, like most of the zoo animals.

 Paige, Cooper and Virginia in front of a bear.

 We even went into the reptile house- here's my proof that I went in there.

 After the reptile house we went to the restaurant for dinner.  We ate a yummy dinner and then went to stand in line for the train ride.  We stood in line for about 45 minutes for a 3 minute train ride, but Virginia and Paige were happy and that's all that mattered.

Virginia and Paige waiting in line for the train.

 Still waiting in line.

 Still in line- checking out the tiger.

 Finally on the train!

 After the train ride it was about time to head for home.  Paige and Virginia wanted to go back and see the "monkey" so we headed back to the Think Tank.  While we were gone the orangutan decided it was time to go to sleep so she covered herself with her blanket and curled up right by the window and went to sleep.  How sweet does she look?!

Then we went to the Great Ape house for a few minutes, but most of the apes were sleeping or just sitting around.  After the Great Ape house we headed for home.  We all had a good time and I have a feeling we'll be heading back next year.