my son loves to be outside, loves to run around, and loves animals. so natually, we took him to the national zoo yesterday. the weather was absolutely perfect! didn't even need jackets.

observations from our trip to the national zoo:
1. real life tourists: one family of 4 was all wearing cut off jean shorts. the family right next to them all had hats, gloves, scarves, and jackets with faux fur around the hood.

2. lost child. this poor little 3-4 year old is SCREAMING bloody murder for his mom and running around in circles. i was the only person to approach him and ask if he was lost. of all the people walking up and down the same path as us, you'd think someone would have approached him a little sooner - or at least looked at him. i don't know how you could even enjoy the panda exhibit with his shrills in the background.

3. beer. they sell beer. at 3+ locations. ideal for summer visits.  

4. pay for maps. i really like this 'green' idea (because i care about the environment, i'm an avid recycler, and i drive a v8 suv that gets 14mpg)... it costs $2 for a map to the park. the $2 goes to back to the zoo and the maps don't easily turn into litter. actually, the whole property was extremely clean.

5. reminded me of disney. not in the over-the-top, overwhelming, why-did-i-do-this-to-myself way. it reminded me in the sense that moms just want their kids to be happy - and it is crucial that they capture that happiness on camera.  even when their children are absolutely miserable and it's 90 minutes past nap time. here is an example before and after.

i absolutely couldn't wait for halloween to be over so that i could be overjoyed in the festive holiday spirit. i even left my parents house early during thanksgiving weekend (which is like a mortal sin in my family) so that i could come home and decorate the house for christmas.

but when i woke up on monday morning after christmas, i swore that if i had to look at that christmas tree for one more day, i just might lose it. i'm not sure why, but i was so anxious for christmas to be over. i love my family. i love the lights and the decor. i love seeing the joy in my son's smile on christmas morning. but i was so over it. it didnt take long before i was barking orders and asking that boxes and bins be carried up from the basement.

after all was done, my three year old looked at me and said "mom, why is christmas over?"  so sweet and innocent. for all he knew, mommy was basically throwing his dear pal santa out with the trash.

i tried to explain to him that christmas only comes once a year and that it's a special occasion. i told him about holidays and winter breaks... he didn't get it. at all. he looked at me with the same confused face as when i tried to explain why the ipad doesn't work in the car because there is no wifi. c'est la vie.

we are always looking for a date idea that is different than dinner and a movie. one of my favorite bloggers and bestest of friends recently posted awesome ideas for dates during the holiday season.

her ideas must have worked because she just GOT ENGAGED!

Holiday Date Guide: Let’s See a Show Edition
Suburbanette’s Holiday Date Guide: Ice Skating Edition
Holiday Date Guide: Christmas Lights and Sights Edition

speaking of getting engaged, has anyone ever made engagement chicken?

it's only the day after Christmas and Target already has their Valentine's Day merchandise out.

Portable North Pole

this is one of the best personalized videos i have found this season - and it's totally free!  my son has watched his video 20+ times this morning! they are pretty funny if you make one for a naughty adult too :)
 
check out Brennan's video!

and i was definitely out of place.

i don't really even think that richmond is in the "south," but after spending the afternoon shopping at Bass Pro Shop, i'm in total culture shock.

i have driven past several times on my way down 95 to my parents' house. today was the first time i actually went inside. i have never seen so much camoflauge in my life. i was completely overwhelmed. basically, Bass Pro Shop is like a mini amusement park for hunters/fishers/men.

aside from being absorbed by the antlers and large fish mounted on the walls, i was totally shocked by the amount of men dipping while shopping. seriously. men walking around with fat lower lips and carrying mountain dew bottles - spitting their chew through the entire store. i saw one guy who set down his plastic bottle full of saliva and black tar on a display table so that he could try on a north face jacket. seriously the grossest thing ever. 

 i get it.  you're men. you're rugged. you're tough. you want to bring your pack of hunting dogs in the store with you.  i get it.  being inside those walls was basically like being in the wilderness.

on a positive note, there was a pretty tasty restaurant inside where my mom, B and i had lunch. they also had a winter wonderland set up for the kids with free pics with santa! my little man was so inspired by the decor that he picked out a fishing pole and told santa that he wanted to go fishing for christmas. too cute! i snagged a pole without him seeing :)

Check out this YouTube video from this week's giveaway sponsor!
Enter to win a $75 gift certificate towards salon services!

enter to win.
bonus entries (each entry will be x2 this week! Merry Christmas!) -  comment on our facebook wall and tell us...

1. what is your favorite flavor of Josie's Frozen Yogurt?
2. which salon service from Reflections of You do you need? (I need a color service- bad! my roots are showing!)

$25 Gift Card to Josie's Frozen Yogurt - Fairfax
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$75 Gift Certificate to Reflections of You Salon - Fairfax
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*$75 gift certificate toward any hair services. Not valid for retail. expires March 1st 2012.

_I got a text message yesterday from a neighbor: "your son's power wheel is here". what a life saver! if we had pulled up in front of the house and this huge 150lb box with a GIANT COLOR PICTURE of what was inside was sitting on our front porch... i'm not sure how i could have kept it a secret. first, there was no way i could move that box on my own. second, there is no hiding what was inside! (ps, it's a suzuki quad racer - power wheels are so 1990s)