The Mythical Stomach Ache

Jiro, the stubborn one, has been trying to outsmart me lately. When there is something that he doesn't want to do, he claims to have a stomach ache. It's a pretty smart tactic since there is no way to really prove him wrong.

Fortunately, I have been able to win the battle of the wills and get him to cooperate/comply despite his ailing belly. On Saturday, I had a discussion with Satchel about how sneaky the stomach ache ploy was, since it was so hard to prove, and Satchel agreed. Sometime on Saturday afternoon, Satchel called Jiro out. "Your stomach didn't hurt," he said.

"Uh huh," Jiro replied.

"Well, you are fine now," he said.

I decided to stay out of the conversation.

Sunday night, we gave my thirteen-year-old niece a ride home from one sister's house to the other's. Before getting in the car I watched her try and convince my mom that she was too sick for school the next day. "I feel nauseous," she said. "Like I'm going to throw up." My mom just looked at her and said, "Talk to your mother." Then I heard my niece add, "I could stay at Cassie's house. She's sick too."

Seriously? How stupid do these kids think us grown ups are?

This morning, Satchel decided to get in on the act. Well, actually yesterday. He said his stomach hurt and he felt nauseous. (Hmmm...wonder where he picked up that word?) I let him eat chicken noodle soup for breakfast and sent him to school. Yesterday afternoon he was fine. He ate most of his dinner before remembering that his stomach hurt. At bedtime, he was fine.

This morning we had full blown drama. He simply could not go to school because he was just too nauseous. He was also fairly emphatic about me being the meanest mom ever.

I believe him (and Jiro, and maybe even my niece) that they probably don't feel 100%. But barring a fever, vomiting, and/or explosive diarrhea, the show must go on.

p.s. I am so glad I do not have girls. My sister and I missed countless days of school because of "cramps."