A Trip to London Zoo, After Which a Lion Was Renamed.

Sunday afternoon was a bit rainy, a bit overcast and rather cold. All in all, a very British November day. A day for sitting under a duvet and supping hot chocolate. Or a day to troop about London Zoo, trying to spot the few animals daft enough to be out in the cold and wet. Zoo it was!

Part of the reason for the trip to the Zoo was to tie in with a rather special present, brought all the way from Washington DC for Maia. Dr Kris and her mum Kathy had found a Lion. Not just any Lion, but a thoroughly resplendent feline, all tufty caramel fur topped with a rather 1970s ginger mane. For some reason, prior to his introduction to Maia, Dr Kris and Chris had decided that Bartholemew was, in fact, gay. So, on this rainy Sunday, outside London Zoo, Maia was introduced to Bartholemew The Gay Lion*.

As soon as she saw him, Maia was smitten. A huge cuddle, followed by much affectionate face squeezing cemented the friendship. This was one very loved Lion. However, she struggled somewhat with the name.

Our zoo tour took in the giraffes ("One, two, three!"), some red bush pigs and piglets ("Babe!") monkeys, capuchins, a skunk, a Lesser Spotted Shrew ("That is a mouse"), a sloth ("We should leave him alone. He is tired"), some mangrove fish in mud ("This is not my favourite")... In fact the phrases "This is not my favourite" and "We should leave him alone" came up rather alot. If this makes it sound as though she didn't have a good day, it is not meant to - she really did. She just appreciated the animals, then decided it was time to move on to the next ones.

Dr Kris and Chris decided that a spotty cat called a servin was their favourite, while I went for the giraffes. I think Maia decided that her favourite was the elephant. Odd, given that we didn't see any elephants, but if she wants the elephant as her favourite, then she can have it...

Throughout the day, BTGL (forgive me, but Bartholemew The Gay Lion takes SO LONG to type!) was perched in the puchchair wearing various coats cast off by Maia and, later, Maia's Princess Rabbit tiara.

We rode on a roundabout, stopped for milk and cookies (Maia spent most of the time flirting with Chris and eating the majority of his crisps), coloured in a paper butterfly or two, bought a Nemo balloon and were almost the last to leave.

Maia kissed Dr Kris and Chris goodbye, was helped into her carseat, grabbed BTGL and promptly fell asleep.

When she woke up, I asked her what her lion was called. She replied "Barf-on-you". And so he is duly renamed.

A great day.

*I would like to point out that we are, after all, equal opportunities stuffed toy owners. Some of our best friends are man-made fibre, not suitable for under 3s.