Fostering Alice Blog
Friday
It was Charlie’s works “Christmas Do” at lunch time today. I’m not sure exactly why they have it in January – but apparently that’s what they always have done – and its definitely not our place to question why!! Anyway they invite ‘spouses’ to the lunch too – so that means me!! I hate the word spouse!! It just doesn’t sound very nice! I am happy to go along though – it is good to spend time with Charlie’s colleagues. It is a good opportunity to get past the small talk that usually happens when I meet them in passing and actually have time to get to know a little better the colleagues that Charlie spends much of his working days with.
It is nice to be invited to a ‘Christmas Do’, it is something that I don’t get as a foster carer. There have been times when our Fostering Agency have put on events around Christmas – but it’s not quite the same as going out with colleagues and letting your hair down a little.
They opt to go to a local pub for lunch which is perfect – low key, and it means I haven’t got to dress up. Dressing up is not something I do very often and certainly not in the middle of the day when I will have the school run straight after. Unfortunately, it was not quite the time out that everyone had hoped for. The service was really slow. Although we had all sent our menu choices in beforehand, that seemed to have no idea who was eating what. When my meal eventually came – it was the wrong meal, so I had to send it back. Eventually they brought out the right dish but it turned out to be stone cold. I sent it back again. Everyone else was tucking into their dinner while my stomach was rumbling rather loudly.
Eventually my meal came, fortunately it was the right meal at the right temperature. Only problem was that everyone else had finished their meal. I felt very self conscious, and under pressure to finish quickly so they could move on to desserts. In the end I told everyone to carry on with desserts. I was running out of time anyway and had to leave to get to school. The older two were on a 2:15pm finish day and needed collecting from school. So it wasn’t quite the meal out we were hoping for.
I think next Christmas I am going to organise my own ‘Christmas Do’, perhaps with friends rather than colleagues!! I will be choosing the venue and it will definitely be before Christmas not after!!
A Less Ordinary Fostering Family Blog.
