April 12: Hooky

My daughter returned to school today after a week's vacation, courtesy of Spring Break. Needless to say, she was less than pleased to have to return to her classroom; even started with the "my stomach hurts" shortly after awakening from her slumber. It was a tough call for me, as her allergies really started acting up the day prior and the sniffling, sneezing and mild swelling around her eyes convinced me there might be a good chance she really wasn't felling all that great. But, her stomach? I guess I have to teach her that when you're laying it on thick, you need to make sure all parts of your story line up. So, off to school she went. No sooner had I sat in on a few meetings for work do I get a call from the school. I pick up and it's my daughter. She proceeds to tell me that her stomach still hurts and her allergies are bothering her. Well, I knew one out of the two was true. So, I suggested that perhaps I come pick her up and bring her home. Of course, she wholeheartedly agreed. I decided to first talk to the office lady to get her take on my daughter's condition. She confirmed the allergy part, saying her eyes were slightly puffy and her cheeks quite red. So, I went to get her. When I arrived, she did look a little uncomfortable due to her allergies, but no sooner did we pass through the school doors to the outside when I noticed a little more pep in her step and an increased energy level. She was all smiles too. From there, the conversation sounded a little something like this...

"honey, do you really not feel good?"
(happily)"Yes, Daddy."
"Really? You seem like you feel okay?"
"Well, my stomach just hurts a little, not a lot."
"Hmmm. So, could you have stayed in school?"
(long pause)
"You can tell me the truth, honey. I'm not going to get mad."
"Yes. I could have stayed in school."

So, basically, I just got played by a child. Funny thing is, I wasn't mad. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't ecstatic about her intentionally skipping out of school for a half-day, so let's not go calling the Truancy Officer quite yet. It's just that in a way I could understand. As a kid, I always dreaded returning to school following a long break. It would keep me up the night before, just worrying about the next day. Don't know why, but I suppose my daughter has inherited that same behavior from me. And, I don't recall my folks ever giving me a hard time about it, so I certainly wasn't going to be harsh with her. We simply talked about it, why it was wrong and she promised me she would never do it again. Well, we all know that's a promise she's not likely to keep in the long-term, but for now I think she'll stick with that promise...primarily because there's only a few more months left of school.