It doesn't sound much but little things are the best : W got to open his presents sat on our bed in his PJs without the old Monday soundtrack of me screeching 'Do your teeth! Properly! I'll do packed lunches! What do you mean your homework is due in TODAY?!"
We had presents (W), a cuppa (me) and a cuddle (all) and bounced out of bed bright and not-so-early at about 9am. We packed a picnic and headed to the zoo which, predictably, was empty - of people, not animals.
It was so quiet that the animals actually seemed pleased to see us. W got sniffed by a wallabee. Monkeys jumped on the car. K got swamped by a flock of lorikeets. The squirrel monkeys surrounded us, even a new mother carrying her baby monkey. A cockatoo said hello. The penguins chased our fingers and the sea lions gave us a fantastic display of jumps and spins when we clapped. The zebras blocked the car in a move that clearly said 'you're the first car we've seen today - stay are marvel at our stripes puny lesser-spotted humans'. The staff were happy to fill time too - we had a private cockroach viewing and the keepers happily answered our barrage of questions about snakes.
At picnic time, the cafe area was blissfully quiet. We brought out the birthday cake and then realised that we had better not light the candles for risk of setting off the fire alarm. Too embarrassed to sing Happy Birthday we struck it lucky because the lady sat alongside with her little girl was an opera singer.
W might be the only child in history to have his 8th birthday marked by blowing out unlit candles at a zoo while a professional opera singer sang Happy Birthday.
