Natural Consequences
Shortly after lunch, the phone rang. My youngest son vomited, so the after-school teacher asked me to come pick him up. I received the same call two and a half years ago on the first day of school with my oldest son, but I insisted that it was just nerves and declined to come get him. Indeed, he was just fine later on. Still, I remember the shock in the school secretary’s voice when I told her he’d be okay.
My youngest son complained about feeling ill in the morning, and even spit-up a little, so perhaps it was an honest illness. But when I saw the grin spread across his face as I signed him out, I doubted my decision to come get him. Less than ten minutes later, he exclaimed how he was no longer sick, so playing legos would be just fine. Think again buddy.
The rule is that if you are sick, you rest. Books are okay, but television, computer games, and other such exciting, stimulating endeavors are off. No, you may not play legos if your tummy is sick. If you are sick, you convalesce. That’s logical, a natural consequence of being sick.
Meanwhile, I have moments where I’m not certain of my oldest son’s honesty. It is “Apple Valley Days” for the whole month of March, and the kids are supposed to dress as pioneers. The girls have full-on prairie costumes, but the boys can get away with jeans, a plaid shirt, and some cowboy boots. Nonetheless, my son balked at the idea of a costume, just as he was a reluctant pilgrim.
He wore his outfit on Monday and Tuesday, but complained Wednesday morning that dress-up for the mid-week days is optional. Our “room mother” gave the same instructions, that Mondays and Fridays were dress-up days with all other days optional.
Still, I saw that the other kids dressed up Wednesday and Thursday. I wonder if they’ll get extra credit, I thought, and then had to shrug that if my son didn’t do it, he’d just not get the same bonus as the other kids. But I would have grabbed those extra points.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati