When you hurl at school you're banned
It was Tuesday morning and I was all gung-ho about getting back into work with all kinds of plans, meetings, etc. I was even wearing non-boring clothes. Tuesday morning arrived early as I got up early to do yoga. Allie joined in.
She headed off to school and I to work. I had just finished my morning coffee when she called.
"Mom, my stomach feels kinda sick"
Since the non-specific stomach ache is Allie's generally weasely fake illness, I was automatically suspicous. So, I said
"Do you have a temperature? Did you throw up?"
"No"
"Well, why don't you hang out until lunch, and if you still feel icky, call me and I will come get you."
"Okay"
I figured I'd be a little tough since only two hours earlier she was laughing at me as we contorted in to various yoga poses. About a half hour later, B. called me from the office. B. is the "office lady" I'm sure you all remember the office lady from your elementary school. I try to like B. but what makes it hard for me to like her is that she calls me "Mom"- I'm not B.'s mom by the way, in fact she's older than me.
This is what B. says to me over the phone: "Is this Allie's mother? Well, hi mom- I have to say our girl made an effort to stay at school, but unfortunately she's thrown up in the girls bathroom. You will need to come get her. She really made an effort mom, but when our kids are sick, they are not to be at school, so you need to pick her up."
So, yes, of course, if she's really sick I wouldn't just leave her at school. So, I pick her up. B. sees me enter the office as Allie, looking green comes out of the nurses room. B. manages a tight smile. I sense she thinks I view the school as my babysitting out so I can continue to be a career woman who doesn't have her priorities straight. Some part of me wants to plead my case that I am indeed a good mother! But, I decide against it. B. gives me a "grown ups hall pass" so I can accompany Allie to her classroom to get her coat. On the way down to the classroom Allie informs me her puke was pink. We conclude it was all the Oceanspray Cran-Raspberry juice she had at breakfast.
When I return my hall pass B. informs me that Allie is "banned" from school for 24 hrs. for throwing up, so the soonest she can return is Thursday morning. Yes, it's in the school handbook, although I don't think they use the word "banned"- I guess B. just wanted to make sure I didn't pass off my sick child to the school system to take care of, cruel hearted woman that I am.
By Wednesday morning, Allie is doing much better. She's kept food down successfully and so by mid morning we go to my workplace so I can do at least a little catch-up. Allie informs my co-workers: "I hurled at school. I feel fine now, but I'm banned for 24 hours."
As it turns out Allie's recovery was short lived. She was throwing up and having severe diarrhea at about 5:00 am this morning, the poor little munchkin. I hate it when she's sick.
Anyway, this earned her a trip to see Dr. B. (no relation to office B.) Dr. B. is really great and calls me by my name. Dr. B. says Allie has Rotavirus, an infection that apparently is common among infants and children that causes vomiting and severe diarrhea.
Allie's sleeping and I've just finished disinfecting our entire house. Spraying Lysol, scrubbing the toilet and cleaning up the carpets.
I think Allie's ban will continue tomorrow.
I just can't wait to get into the office Monday....
She headed off to school and I to work. I had just finished my morning coffee when she called.
"Mom, my stomach feels kinda sick"
Since the non-specific stomach ache is Allie's generally weasely fake illness, I was automatically suspicous. So, I said
"Do you have a temperature? Did you throw up?"
"No"
"Well, why don't you hang out until lunch, and if you still feel icky, call me and I will come get you."
"Okay"
I figured I'd be a little tough since only two hours earlier she was laughing at me as we contorted in to various yoga poses. About a half hour later, B. called me from the office. B. is the "office lady" I'm sure you all remember the office lady from your elementary school. I try to like B. but what makes it hard for me to like her is that she calls me "Mom"- I'm not B.'s mom by the way, in fact she's older than me.
This is what B. says to me over the phone: "Is this Allie's mother? Well, hi mom- I have to say our girl made an effort to stay at school, but unfortunately she's thrown up in the girls bathroom. You will need to come get her. She really made an effort mom, but when our kids are sick, they are not to be at school, so you need to pick her up."
So, yes, of course, if she's really sick I wouldn't just leave her at school. So, I pick her up. B. sees me enter the office as Allie, looking green comes out of the nurses room. B. manages a tight smile. I sense she thinks I view the school as my babysitting out so I can continue to be a career woman who doesn't have her priorities straight. Some part of me wants to plead my case that I am indeed a good mother! But, I decide against it. B. gives me a "grown ups hall pass" so I can accompany Allie to her classroom to get her coat. On the way down to the classroom Allie informs me her puke was pink. We conclude it was all the Oceanspray Cran-Raspberry juice she had at breakfast.
When I return my hall pass B. informs me that Allie is "banned" from school for 24 hrs. for throwing up, so the soonest she can return is Thursday morning. Yes, it's in the school handbook, although I don't think they use the word "banned"- I guess B. just wanted to make sure I didn't pass off my sick child to the school system to take care of, cruel hearted woman that I am.
By Wednesday morning, Allie is doing much better. She's kept food down successfully and so by mid morning we go to my workplace so I can do at least a little catch-up. Allie informs my co-workers: "I hurled at school. I feel fine now, but I'm banned for 24 hours."
As it turns out Allie's recovery was short lived. She was throwing up and having severe diarrhea at about 5:00 am this morning, the poor little munchkin. I hate it when she's sick.
Anyway, this earned her a trip to see Dr. B. (no relation to office B.) Dr. B. is really great and calls me by my name. Dr. B. says Allie has Rotavirus, an infection that apparently is common among infants and children that causes vomiting and severe diarrhea.
Allie's sleeping and I've just finished disinfecting our entire house. Spraying Lysol, scrubbing the toilet and cleaning up the carpets.
I think Allie's ban will continue tomorrow.
I just can't wait to get into the office Monday....
posted by moegirl at
5:27 PM
1 Comments:
Doesn't that just suck? Hope Allie is turning the corner and no one else gets it. (And say "Hi" to Dr B for me if you talk to her again. Hoping to see her this summer, too, as we failed to hook up last time.)
I, too, hate being called "Mom" by someone other than my own progeny. I have a name. I can understand if it is somewhere where my name is not in front of the speaker. Can't remember names to save my life, myself, but clearly your name was there, next to the phone number and everything else on the card.
With as often as kids use the "stomach ache" ploy, they should expect parents to hold off keeping them home, otherwise, there'd be no one in school, ever. I certainly used it. Never worked as my parents did what we do. We do the same for Colin, who plays the stomach ache card, too, when he wants to get out of things.
I'm frowning disapprovingly at B as I type.
By
Diana, At
7:11 AM
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