every night since sunday, as the boys are going to bed, i've told them to sleep as long as they like; they dont have to go to school in the morning. and every morning they've both gotten up, got dressed, asked for breakfast and headed off to school after a night of coughing and delirious talking about cards and how 'its just not fair' and how 'he really shouldnt do that, you know'.

2am on tuesday morning, the smaller one came into my room, pleading for a drink of water. he laid down beside me, asked again, sat up, coughed, covered his mouth, and somehow i had enough time to jump out of bed, move the heater, tip out the lemons, and pass him the bucket. i realise that last part makes no sense, but if you've been in my room, you'd understand.

after i cleaned the smaller one up, reasoned with him that he should sleep in his own bed because if he slept in mine, i'd get sick, and then who would look after him? i went back to bed to listen to the coughing again and tried in vain to get back to sleep. i had told him again that he should sleep for as long as he could and wouldnt have to go to school. he was happy with this. said thankyou, and coughed his way to slumber.

then the morning came. the bigger one gets up, gets dressed and laughs his way through toasted tv, the smaller one comes in to me

'ive been thinking'
'mhm?'
'i have an excursion today...'
'...and you think you might like to go'
'yes'

so off they went again for the second day.

when i picked them up from school yesterday, the big one had a letter from his teacher saying he'd been coughing all week and had a hard time concentrating, and perhaps it would be better if he stayed home the rest of the week. he nodded sadly and said that yes, he thought she might be right. so we headed off to bed that night, again, with the knowledge they could sleep as long as they want and didnt have to get up.

so what happens? 7 o'clock comes along and they're calling out to me, begging to get up. NO i said, you're sick, you're staying home. by 8 they were both up and dressed and asking for breakfast. the big one ate it all up and went outside to ride his bike and the smaller one stared into the general direction of the tv. he's not well, i thought.

you're staying home
no, i want to go
you're staying home
im fine mum, i want to go to school

so we're at school. i've replied to the letter from wednesday and informed the teacher to call me if she believes he should come home. the smaller one and i walk into his classroom and he brightens up as he shows his teacher his sharing...(oh, thats why he wanted to go) and she says to me 'he's not well'. and i say i know, but explain that they're both telling me every morning they want to go to school. we make a compromise. he does his sharing (admiral akbar, weequay, gonk droid, crepe suzette and mrs evergreen; the oldest toys in your house) and we leave.

i decide to check on the big one. its 930, he's probably fine, but just incase.

'hi, im x's mum' (he has a new teacher, first time i've met her)
'oh, yes, i got your letter. he's at the office, he wasnt feeling well'

so we're at the office, he's laying down in the sick bed, we get in the car and head home. i make them stay in bed until 12. smaller one calls out every half hour or so 'is it lunch time yet?!?!'
in the 47 minutes they've been out of bed, they've ridden bikes (x), scooters (e), stacked the scooter and grazed knee and elbow (e), eaten sandwhiches and drank juice. now they're playing star wars racer on nintendo 64.

they'll be at school tomorrow

and i was supposed to be going to ikea today!



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