I've finally figured it out...

I have finally figured out the very best thing about having such an age difference (9 yrs) between my oldest and my youngest. On the days I am told by my (almost) 12 yr old that I care more about school than his feelings but I just won't admit it, my 3 yr old makes me feel better when he wraps his arms around me and says, "I love you mommy." As you might be able to guess, today is such a day.

Marty feels horrible. I can tell he really doesn't feel good because he has no appetite and went to bed early (his own decision) last night. However, he has no fever so I, the infamous Eeeevil Mom, decided he had to go to school. He begged, he pleaded, and he eventried not talking to me. Then, he said I obviously cared more about school than him. He said I never considered how he felt. He even went so far as to say it wasn't fair that I was considering the "what if" scenario more than how he felt. He said that after I asked him what would happen if I let him stay home now and then he got really sick towards the end of the year and it put him over the allowable days lost. He even tried to tie it to a supposed reaction I had to a blog post by someone when I supposedly said them using the what if scenario against their kid wasn't fair. My Much Beleaguered Middle Schooler even tried to make Psycho Dad into the bad guy...

MBMS: "Mom, even though I'm upset with you I don't want dad to drive me to school."
EM: "Why not?"
MBMS acting all emotional: "I don't want to talk about it."

PD hasn't had any interaction with MBMS this morning. MBMS knows that PD doesn't like it when he acts this way and doesn't want to deal with it. MBMS also uses the "dad is evil card" as his fall back to distract EM when he is behaving this way.

EM: "Don't even go there."
MBMS: "What?"
EM: "You always jump to the dad is evil thing when you are upset. I'm the one that laid down the law this morning so DON'T EVEN GO THERE."

EM take PD aside when he comes out to take MBMS to school.

EM whispers: "He's going to try and get you to react. He's mad. Don't respond. Don't let him suck you in."
PD: "No problem."

MBMS stomps around picking up the stuff he needs to take to school with him. He and PD make their way to the car.

Scene fades to black...


Man, oh man, am I glad I have a three yr old who tells me how much he loves me and a trip with Joey to an NC State basketball game tonight to look forward to!