Today`s instalment

[LissacFrance]

Time to stop work, so here you are.

No book entitled family and friends can ignore even the youngest member. Quite recently Ian was asking his son what he had had eaten at school that day. "We had trees for dinner.” Ian, speaking in a tone at least one and a half octaves higher, cleared his throat and asked, “What sort of trees?" At the same time conjuring up all sorts of images of tyrannical dinner ladies forcing his son to eat trees. "Green trees and white trees". "Oh, that sounds nice." The conversation was abruptly ended as Zak resumed reading one of his books. Ian looked at Zak and realised that his son appeared in reasonable health and that perhaps he need not worry too much. Later in the evening Joanne was telling Ian how pleased she was that Zak had eaten both Broccoli and Cauliflower at school that day. (Green trees and white trees. Zak aged 4) It must be a very strange school indeed that Zak attends. I've just learned that one of his favourite school meals is Pig in Blanket. It is difficult to imagine what else there might be on the menu. Toad in the hole doesn't bear thinking about. We also had our moments as parents, foster parents. On one occasion we had left our own daughter and foster child in the care of Janet a much-valued friend, whilst we went to a meeting with other parents. On our return we discovered Janet sitting in the armchair, a full ashtray on each arm, a cigarette in each hand. "Is everything alright?" "Yes", she replied. We were not convinced. "Any problems?" "None that the police couldn't eventually sort out" she sighed. It later transpired after a few more fags that Uriel had been playing with Janet’s nephews and they had crawled under the fencing into a works yard. That in itself wasn't too bad, but Uriel had climbed into a mobile crane and had set it in motion and then could not stop it. Eventually, someone called the police, who had no success either and they in turn were obliged to call the site owners to put a stop to the careering machine. "Yes, it's been a different sort of evening", (Janet aged 26)

[sassy59]

Oh my word! Poor Janet but I had to laugh. Children are funny and naughty in equal measures it seems. I know my three were and the three grandchildren. Wonderful though. Xxx❤️😂

[Izb1]

I agree with Sassy this made me laugh too, although I suppose it isnt funny and at the time poor Janet must have been worried to death and hopefully no real harm done x

[Ergendl]

My friend worked as a dinner lady at a special school, and often used to persuade the children to eat broccoli and cauliflower by explaining they were little trees.

The story of the mobile crane had me laughing too. My late husband Bob used to drive crawler cranes, and they can be tricky beasts to handle. What were the site owners doing leaving the keys or starters primed?

[LissacFrance in reply to Ergendl]

Presumably the keys were left for workmen in the morning before the Boss arrived. The lad in question was our first foster child. We continued with fostering for a further 10 years, not same lad, but with abused adolescents. After 10 years our own daughter was the same age and too much conflict arised, so we upped sticks and moved to France, a long way from local Social Services and late night trips to A&E with overdosed kids.

[Alberta56]

Oh Lord! Poor Janet. xxx