Cardinal Sin

Today I committed the cardinal sin of motherhood: sending the potentially sick kid to school. Rags woke up this morning, the day after his birthday (9, for Pete's sake! 9!) feeling a tad on the gross side. Super stopped up, a little oogy in general, but hungry enough to have a bit for breakfast, to feel better after some food and liquid and well enough to choose school over a day spent in bed. Plus, he was taking cupcakes for his birthday, so that was additional incentive.

I'm now I'm waiting. Waiting to hear from the school nurse to tell me he needs to go home. One might argue that I should never have sent him to begin with. And that is possibly true. In fact, it probably is true. That said, have you stayed home with a pissed off kid who's decided (and demonstrated) he's just fine, thankyouverymuch, and doesn't want to spend all day in bed?

Anyway, now that I've committed the cardinal sin, I'm subject to the law of 50/50.

For the uninitiated, the law of 50/50 is also known as the law of It Could Go Either Way. Which means you wait all day to hear from the school nurse and it may or may not happen and you're not quite sure whether to feel like the worst mother in the world (if you get The Call) or a reasonable person making an educated call based on what you know of your kid (if you don't get The Call). Here's why I expect to feel like dirt later:

1. I took the day off. Yes, I'm selfish. I took a whole day off and don't want to be interrupted. Sue me. I have a doctor's appointment I've rescheduled twice due to kid events and would actually like to just get it over with.

2. I need to schedule some home improvements, something that requires a simple call but that I rarely actually have time to do while I'm at work. These home improvements are fairly important: we need our trees trimmed before they fall on the house and Rags needs an actual door to his room (we took the other one off when the frame cracked so hopelessly we couldn't open or close the stinking thing).

3. I would really, really, really like to go for a hike alone and I need new pants that aren't ripped and shoes that aren't falling apart. This is the part that makes The Call most likely. I'm doing something alone for myself with very few time constraints.


So, slap me on the wrist. The law of It Could Go Either Way certainly will.