Of Rubber Ducks and Bath Time Fun

Lions... Tigers... and Aeryn.

The house was filled with the noise of my three year old daughter telling everyone over and over again that she was going to see the lions and tigers and how I was going to bring her a lion home. I'd been promising to take her for days to give Chloe a break from having Aeryn running around everywhere whilst she dealt with Caleb who had a cold and was permanently crying for our attention. Yet when my precious boy was placed my arms his tiny face turned for his mother, I couldn't blame him - Chloe had that kind of control over me as well.

'Daddy, there will be lions and tigers... and bears, I want a bear Daddy. You can cuddle bears tightly when you want, will you get me one as a treat because I've been good? Mummy told me at night night time that all the animals in the zoo will be so happy to see me. When do we go Daddy?'

I laughed at her request for a bear, only my daughter could want something like that - though I had expected her to want a lion and to have been informed me it would sleep on her bed.

Her enthusiasm was bouncing off every wall in the house as she ran around in her 'Upsy Daisy' outfit , a gift from Sarah and Alex when she'd been brave and 'looked after' a poorly Caleb for Chloe and I. My daughter was priceless. I wouldn't change her or her brother for the world, though I think my gorgeous girl and I would have liked them both to sleep past five in the morning and for Aeryn not to climb over the safety gate on the door frame of the nursery so she could make her way into our room. No apart from those small things, I wouldn't change my children for all the tea in China.

Lifting her into my arms I made my way downstairs, taking my time as she nearly squeezed the life out of me. I let her wander into the lounge, her little legs zooming to the ancient video recorder we'd picked up for Aeryn' now vast collection of videos. Chloe had shown Aeryn one day how to work the machine and now my little princess took great delight in turning on the television and and setting herself up with a Disney Princess. As I heard the faint music of 'Beauty and the Beast' for about the hundredth time this week, echo around the house I knew Aeryn would be quietly sitting on her stool - eyes glued to the screen.

We were going to make today a bit of an adventure, I was taking Aeryn on the bright red buses that London was famous for rather than battling against the traffic. To say she was excited was putting it mildly as we ventured outside into the warm sunlight. Quietly shutting the front door so as to not wake my sleeping wife and son, I checked for the tenth time that morning that I had spare clothes for the little Princess who was bouncing around my legs. I'd made the fatal error once before of forgetting that Aeryn didn't wear nappies any more and had had to make an emergency run into a clothing store and I wasn't making that mistake again.

* * *

Making our way around the various enclosures I found myself with a bouncing excitable little girl on my shoulders. She was demanding that I sing the damn Lions and Tigers song that Dimitri had shown her one night he'd babysat for us. I was going to hurt my best mate for this...

'...we got the lions 

only in Kenya ,  

going to Kenya,  

we got lions,  

we got the tigers,  

only in Kenya ,  

got lions and tigers only in Kenya ,  

we got Norway, 

Kenya 

oh Kenya 

where the giraffes are 

and the zebras 

Kenya 

Kenya 

Kenya 

Kenya 

Kenya 

we going to Kenya 

we can't believe it 

(free snorkel with every visit) ... '

Every time we got to 'Kenya' Aeryn would scream out the name loudly and kicking her legs into my shoulders. I was going to be black and blue by the end of the day out but it would be worth it as Aeryn was beside herself with happiness. People were staring at me as my voice got louder singing the song out whilst lowering Aeryn to the floor so she could dance. Maybe, seeing her reaction, I wouldn't hurt Dimitri but I did plan to make sure everyone on the grid knew the song. I'd have Harry and Ruth singing it by the end of the week. Guaranteed.

After visiting the various enclosures and promising Aeryn that she could have a toy lion, tiger, otter and bear we made our way into the petting zoo. My little girl was off as fast as her legs would carry her. The animals in this area had my sincerest sympathy as little hands came raining down on them battering their fur and feathers.

I froze.

Aeryn had spotted a duckling and as she'd had an obsession with ducklings since she'd seen them at the park a few weeks back. I had had to stop her then from catching one and bringing it home, seemed I was going to have the same problem now. My problem was this, the animals here were tame so as I watched my daughter, the duckling waddled over and actually sat in her tiny hands.

Taking a deep breath I knelt down in front of my princess who was giggling and talking to 'Daffy'. Shaking my head I tried to work out how I could tell her that her fluffy friend had to go back to his or her mother.

Her little face was filled with love and hope as she looked up at me, her big blue eyes so like her Mothers staring into mine... I was screwed and I knew it.

'Please Daddy.... Could we take Daffy home? He doesn't like it here Daddy.'

I tried to look away from her, the face that Chloe pulled when she wanted something was looking right at me but with my three year old' lip wobbling at me. Shit. I was going to be stealing a duckling from London Zoo of all places, the man who could bring people to their proverbial and physical knees when interrogating them on behalf of MI5 and Her Majesty was about to commit a criminal act to keep his daughter happy.

Picking her up, I set Aeryn on a small wooden bench and took 'Daffy' from her tiny hands, placing him in my jacket. If I got caught, I wasn't exactly sure how I would explain how the small fluffy bird had got there. Lord help me, why did I have to have a little girl, she had me wrapped around her little finger and already knew it as well.

I lifted Aeryn up into my arms, and made my way swiftly to the exit of the park. All I could think was Chloe was going to kill me.

Probably after she stopped laughing uncontrollably at the duckling swimming in the bath.