No Matter How You Phrase It, It's Still A Lie.

I've had this post conjured in my head for awhile and am just now getting to it. I know your all sick of hearing every last detail of the move but I have to document this last story to at least remind my oldest child in the distant future the torment he put me through.

The Monday a week before the move; I told the boys explicitly that they need to tell their teachers that Friday will be their last day. I meant to send their teacher's an e-mail to give them a heads up, but figured they could handle it. I was wrong.

On Friday morning, I took Gameboy into school and let the office know that it was his last day so they could prepare the paperwork when I got him that afternoon. No problems.

Friday afternoon as soon as the movers packed up; I decided to pick the boys up early since I would have paperwork to fill out. I left at 2:30 which was probably pushing it on early since school got out at 3, but I figured that was plenty of time.

The office called Gameboy in. It took him awhile, which was fine. I figured he had a bit of stuff to carry and plus it's a far walk from the annexed part of the school. When he arrived the secretary asked him directly, "Did you turn in all of your library books?" He answered with a straight, "Pretty much." I was a bit skeptical of his answer, but figured he wouldn't lie to a school authority. At this point its 2:50 a little later than I would have liked to leave to get Wonderboy but it would be ok. We walked out of the school and I looked at him and his backpack. His backpack looked nothing like a bag would look when stuffed with supplies of his to take home. I immediately started asking him if he got all of the school supplies I paid for his stuff. I took one look in his bag and what appeared before me shocked me. Not only did he have his library book but also his school math book. I almost went ballistic on him. Instead I turned him right around to explain to the secretary why he lied. His excuse was that he didn't have time to tell the teacher. I was baffled.

We sent him back to class. Can you imagine being a teacher and only assuming that your student was just leaving for an early dismissal and not having any idea that it was your student's last day of school? That causes a bit of a problem when you have a line of students waiting to be dismissed and your delayed because you have to help this student get all of his stuff together right at 3 o clock, so he can leave for good.

For most normal kids this still may have not been to much of a problem, not my kid. My kid has a pack rat problem. He has one of those desks that have the little cubbie in it. This a very bad thing for a pack rat as it's the perfect little spot to cram every paper and every reading booklet and whatever you can get your hands on, into. It was crammed full of un turned in papers and of some of the teachers reading materials. This was not a job for the faint of heart and was going to take awhile.

I had to go back to the office and ask if they could call Wonderboy's school to let them know I'd be quite a bit delayed. I returned back to his class and he hadn't even broken halfway through. A sweet little girl remained after school to help him.

While he went through his papers, the teacher and I lectured him about responsibility. She told me that he is a little genius but the effort is just not there. This wasn't news to me. She also stated that he literally sits back in his chair with his hands behind his head, lost in day dreams. That's my little thinker. Sigh.

She did tell him one thing that I thought was very important. She said; "Your lucky, you get to start a clean slate at a new school with a new teacher. Not only will this school and teacher, see your records with your grades; but they will also see your old school and your old teacher. You are representing all of us to this new school; so you better show them that we did a good job for you and that we won't disappoint them."

I think and hope he's learned a lesson. I will say this. I understood his weird way of thinking in his procrastination. We think similarily alike in these type of situations. I believe that he felt that he didn't want to "bother" the teacher about having to get his stuff together for his last day. He probably thought about what the easiest way would be to just walk away and not say anything. This way he wouldn't be bothering them and since he's leaving anyway it wouldn't matter, he would just be gone. Easier thought than done.

Since this episode, he has been carrying out his punishment for lying and un finished work..there was a lot. This Friday his punishment will finally end. It was basically no video games for a month. Quite harsh I admit, his dad when told this story was understandably furious.
We hope he's learned a lesson in all this, that lying and short cuts are not the easy way out. I question him daily on his turned in papers. He said he has even incorporated his new classmates to help him keep his desk clutter free. We shall wait and see.