Petty

Lying is not something that I like to do. I usually struggle through the truth or find a creative way to remain truthful. Even on simple little questions like, "how do I look." If you're a good friend and I know you want the truth, the truth you shall get. This would be followed with something like "here's the thing".... and then a gentle offering of helpful information. If I think you are looking for positive affirmation instead of the truth I will pick out the things that are positive. "Those shoes are rockin' " or whatever it is that I can say. When it comes to my kids and their attendance at school, I am all but forced into lying. There are, I think, three things that are excuses for missing school. Being ill, of course, but not for more than 3 consecutive days or a doctors note is required. One of these days I'm gonna loose it on that one too and ask the school to pay for my 50 dollar copay, especially when they say, "yep your kid is sick, here's your note." Great thanks, there's 50 bucks I'll never see again. Anyway, some sort of family emergency or a death are also considered excused. To avoid having to lie when the kids will just be out for 1 day to start a trip early, I will say they have an "appointment." They do, in fact, have an appointment. The appointment is with me and unexcused absence averted.

However, when I took the kids out for 5 days in February for a family vacation I was having a hard time getting creative with that one. I might have been able to try the 'ole "field trip" excuse, doubt it. I should have maybe plead my case of a "family reunion" or I might have been able to pull of the "family emergency" thing. After all, it would have been a family emergency if we were unable to go on our vacation! On those instances though you have to plead your case to the principle and she has to sign off on it. Did I do any of those? Nope, I just stuck with the good 'ole fashion truth, "vacation." We had a lovely time and when we got back the kids responsibly checked the school website for posted make-up work and went to all of their teachers to figure out what they needed to do. How much make-up work did they have for missing an entire week of school? Hardly any! What did I get in the mail as a result of our wild abandon for the rules of school attendance?

I received one of these nice little letters for both Emma and Jared. The letters were also accompanied by a letter from the principle in the school saying much the same. This second letter gave me a little, call the principle within two days, or else kinda line in it just in case I missed the severity of the situation. I made Nathan call because I knew that if I did, I was gonna let them have it. There would have been all kinds of ranting about, nanny state, my rights as a parent to do whatever I want concerning my kids' education. Their inability to have critical thinking skills as evidence by my kids get straight A's and are in no danger of dropping out or failing. There would have been threats of pulling them to home school which means less subsidies for the school...etc. You name it, I was gonna say it. With the worry of me getting myself getting carted off to jail, my husband conceded and made the call.

There were lots of "oh, I'm sorry" "those don't come directly from my office" "I know your children are excellent students" BUT "I would advise not missing any more school for the rest of the year unless you want truancy officers to show up at your door." "Sorry, it's the law." Oh how lovely! Just makes me wanna say, "oh yea, try me!" Petty misdemeanor for taking my kids out of school for a few days! Come on! If I'm gonna get a record, it has to be for something better than that! So, if anyone gets a call late at night asking for money to bail me outta jail, It's because..... I took my kids on vacation!