So the boy is two and spent his birthday on a day trip to the zoo with Mummy, Daddy, Nanny P and Granddad Atu!
The Zoo was an "experience"!
To be fair if you keep telling a two year old "We're going to the zoo on your birthday" and he's never been to a zoo before how on earth is he supposed to know what the heck a "zoo" actually is?
The animals were secondary really. To be honest it wouldn't have mattered if they were there or not, he just loved running around in big open spaces, playing in the play area and dragging Granddad Atu about by his hand saying "Come come, in there" and taking him off places.
It was a cold February day on Monday so if the animals were actually out and about they weren't doing a great deal. One red panda had been curled up in ball so long my Dad insisted it was actually a brush left by one of the zoo keepers.
The lions however were "active" And by active I mean having a bit of nook just as we got there to view them.
Of course being the mature sensible people that we are, myself, hubby and my parents all got the giggles. The boy was blissfully oblivious thank goodness but matters weren't helped by my father shouting out to the lioness who was being mounted
"There you go love. Lie back and think of Africa!"
The lioness didn't look that bothered to be honest and I couldn't decide if she was bored or exhausted but either way she looked like she was about to have a fag and a flick through a Woman's Realm!
I have to confess I've never been much of a fan of the zoo. I always found you spend half the time peering into seemingly empty cages and pens desperately trying to find an animal to look at.
"Oh look there's it's tail" as a monkey disappears back into the warmth and safety of it's den lobbing a banana skin at you as he goes.
I once, to my shame, got out of going to the zoo for the day with my parents by telling them the local one had closed down. I was about 12 and quite frankly couldn't be arsed to trudge round all day only to be rewarded with a glimpse of a tigers bum! This was long before the internet and they didn't phone them up for some reason, they just took my word for it, so we didn't go!
However going to the zoo now does sound more inviting to me than to my pre-teen self so I have bought a pass for entry all year. The boy is free until he's 3 and all the NCT girls have passes too, so we are looking forward to a summer of animal fun.
Although not as much fun as the lion had...