The Day Thomas Went To the Garden Centre

One sunny morning in spring, Thomas’s mummy said ‘Thomas today we need to go to the garden center.’

Thomas was very excited, as he loved going to the garden centre. We all got ready and climbed into mummy’s car. Thomas climbed up into his safety seat and daddy fastened Thomas’s seatbelt. We were even taking our little white dog Penny. Penny was wearing her beautiful red collar with a matching red lead and she was the most excited of us all!

We drove out of the drive way and then joined the busy road that lead all the way to the garden centre. In the car we listened to Thomas’s favourite CD. This was a song of nursery rhymes and we listened to it wherever we were driving to. We all sang along to ‘three blind mice’ for the twenty millionth time.

When we got to the garden center we parked mummy’s car in the carpark. Mummy got Thomas out of his seat and all four of us walked into the garden center.

Mummy and Penny had to go and look for some plants, so daddy said to Thomas ‘Thomas lets go look at the puppies.’ Daddy and Thomas kissed mummy goodbye and headed of to see the little puppies. When they got to the puppy’s cage the puppies all ran over to say hello to Thomas. Daddy looked at Thomas and he could tell that although Thomas liked the puppies, he was not as interested in them as he usually was.
Daddy had a little think and said to Thomas, I know what we should do, lets go see the fish.’

Thomas smiled his big happy smile and said, ‘lets go!’ Thomas and daddy walked through the automatic door to the outside part of the garden centre. In front of them were four huge water tanks. The first had tiny little red and gold fish in it, the second had little blue and white fish in it, the third had big fish in it and the fourth had huge fish in it.

Daddy looked at Thomas and he could tell that although Thomas liked the fish, he could tell Thomas was not as interested in them as he usually was.
Daddy had a little think and said to Thomas, I know what we should do, lets go see the plastic ducks.’

Thomas smiled his big happy smile and said ‘lets go.’ Thomas and daddy walked into the big shed where the plastic garden ornaments were kept. Thomas picked up a great big pink, plastic flamingo that was missing a leg and smiled at daddy. Before daddy could do anything Thomas throw the big pink, one legged, plastic flamingo into the ornamental pond with a huge, wet splash. Thomas looked at his daddy and smiled his big happy smile.
Daddy looked a bit nervous and said, ‘Lets go!’

Thomas took his daddy’s hand and they both walk outside. Daddy said, ‘ It’s a bit naughty throwing pink plastic flamingos into the pond.’

Daddy had a little think. ‘I know said daddy, lets find the fork lift truck!’ Thomas just loved the forklift truck. Thomas and his daddy set off to find it. In the distance they could here a beep, beep, beep. Suddenly from around a corner the yellow fork lift truck appeared. The driver waved hello as he drove passed Thomas and his daddy.

Thomas and his daddy followed the forklift. The driver stopped outside a building and went inside to have a coffee. Daddy and Thomas walked up to the little yellow forklift.

‘okay, I am going to lift you up into the seat but we must be quiet as it is even more naughty than throwing pink plastic flamingos into the pond.’
Daddy lifted Thomas up into the black seat. Thomas sat there in a thrilled silence. Tom just loved the little yellow forklift truck. Then Thomas’s hand shot out and beeped the horn three times, ‘Beep Beep Beep.’

Daddy said, ‘shhh Tom, no noise!’ Thomas just smiled his cheeky grin and beep, beep beeped the horn again. Daddy quickly took Thomas down from the forklift just in time before the driver reappeared to see what all the noise was about.

Thomas and his daddy just tried to look innocent. Not too easy when you have just thrown a pink plastic flamingo into the pond and beeped the little yellow forklift’s horn three times.

‘Why don’t we go and find mummy and Penny.’ Suggested daddy. Thomas thought that this was a great idea. When they found mummy and Penny, they saw that mummy had bought a beautiful lemon tree with four bright yellow lemons on it.

Mummy, Daddy, Thomas and Penny all went back to the car. The new lemon tree was put in the seat next to Tom and strapped in with the seat belt. The whole car was filled with the aroma of the lemon tree. Thomas liked it very much

As they all set off for home mummy said ‘ Did you guys here how much noise the little yellow forklift was making, all that beeping.’
Daddy turned around to look at Tom in the back seat, Thomas and his daddy started to laugh. They knew what the noise was all about.

The End