The Boy Who Cried Wolf

I keep thinking how I must look for this book at the library the next time I am there.  My princess got in to the habit of faking sick to stay home...or making several trips throughout the day to the nurses office to try and get out of class.  It became a real problem...a problem that has been remedied...but apparently picked up by my middle man.

On Monday, I got a call from the nurse at school (whom I know through work) saying that Landon did not look good at all.  He wasn't running a fever, but since he looked so terrible, she needed me to come and get him.  I jumped in the van and sped over to get my sick baby, who apparently looked so terribly ill.  I went inside and told the office who I was there for.  Minutes later, he walked out and I instantly knew the look on his face...he was faking it.  His eyes were barely open and he was doing something very weird with his mouth.  I was about to shout, "You guys have been punked!" but decided that since there were only two more hours in the school day, I was going to act like the compassionate mother and take my son (who looked to be near death) home.

Once getting out the front doors to the school, his eyes instantly became normal size and he suddenly began to talk 100 miles an hour.  He was healed...and wanted to play the computer when we got home.  I explained on the way back home that he could not play the computer and he was to lay on the couch when we got home because he was so sick.  I gave him some tylenol upon returning home and had him lay on the couch.  I asked him 15 minutes later how he was feeling.  He waited a minute and said, "If I tell you that I am feeling so good, do I have to go back to school?"  Busted.

I sat my son down and explained to him the importance of not only being at school, but also telling the truth.  I told him that I did not want another call home from him unless he was throwing up or had a fever or there would be serious consequences.  No more faking sick.

Well, Wednesday rolls around.  I drop him off at school and he seems just fine to me.  About three hours later, my phone rings.  The school name pops up on my caller ID and I can feel the anger build.  I answer the phone and the nurse says that she has Landon in the office and he looks terrible.  She also, told me that he was very reluctant to come and see her and was a little hesitant to walk in...his teacher made him go down.  Once down there, they took his temp and it was 101.7 and I needed to come and pick him up.  I was relieved that he wasn't faking it (felt bad that he was sick) and rushed to get him.

Later on that day, he looked up at me and said, "Momma, it's very hard to stay at school when you are feeling so sick especially when your mommy doesn't want you at home."  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at what he just said...feel terrible or relieved that he got what I was telling him.

My middle man has strep for the fourth time...and I am still going to look for that book.