Sore throats and headaches

One boy down today.  I picked him up yesterday from school after lunch.  "I knew I was sick when I didn't want to eat my lunch," he told me in the car.  His temperature was 99.4 - hovering too near the 100 degrees where the school is required to send 'em home.

I had given him and one of the twins a little pain reliever in the morning -- they both woke, at different times, complaining of a sore throat.  It was about four hours into the day, right when the pain killer wore off, that Hawkins called to be picked up.  His temperature climbed through the afternoon, reaching 101.8. Must be fever free, without meds, for 24 hours before he can return to school.

So we're camping out on my bed today.  His sore throat is worse, but fever and headache are gone.  He's getting a stuffy nose now.  But I'm making him complete THREE English assignments that he just didn't do -- journal writing.  This term is used loosely, in my opinion.  They are essentially essays that students must write in response to various articles like "Is Cursive Archaic?" and "Is Lying Ever Okay?"  This is normally an assignment I'd love, but the assignment rules take all the joy out of writing.  I sympathize with the boy, but am making him complete them all the same.

Bailey offers encouragement from her bed.