Strange Visitors and Even Stranger Reception

I heard this strange clicking sound, nails on metal doorjamb, and looked up from my work at the dining room table to see what looked like miniature dinosaurs (you have to see these creatures close up--and this is an old picture. They're bigger and the red part on their faces has gotten all hoary).

The ducks had come to tea.
So I snuck out of the dining room and around to the study for my camera. Danny was in the kitchen cooking something. As I went by, I said, "Danny, walk slowly and quietly into the dining room." All children respond to a conspiratorial whisper, so he dropped what he was doing and walked towards the dining room immediately. I continued towards the study.

Then I hear this:

"AAAAAHHHH!"

THUD! (Long practice has trained my ear to this sound. It is Danny falling over from pure astonishment. Unfortunately, this happens to him a lot).

Various rummaging sounds (Danny getting to his feet and probably gathering whatever he had thrown into the air [another astonishment reflex]).

Stomp stomp stomp.

Loud hissing (this from the ducks).

"AAAh, AAAHHH! Get OUT!!!" (this from Danny).

"Danny, don't--I want to get a pic--"

SLAMM.

"Danny!" I wailed. "I wanted a picture of that!"

No response but a true and deadly Danny scowl.

Stomp stomp stomp.

Then, from over his shoulder, as heavy a truth as a rock through water: "Ducks don't belong in the house."

I just stood there, with my camera hanging limply at my side.

Sigh.

I guess it's too much to hope that my children would share my love of the completely unusual.... and they would be really shocked to find out how much that love has helped me survive parenthood.