Malingering

This morning JR made his first ever attempt to skip school by pretending to be
sick. He's been off for 3 days (Friday was a teacher in-service
day). On Friday, he refused to get out of his pajamas all day and told us Rudolph (his stuffed reindeer who goes everywhere with him) was sick. We took his temperature, and the thermometer never got put away. Since his asthma has been acting up a bit, we've also been monitoring him a bit more closely anyway. Apparently, all of these events coalesced in his little mind as a perfect ploy for staying home from school. So when he awoke this morning, we had the following conversation:

JR: I need to take my temperature because I'm sick and can't go to school.
Mom (knowing his temp is perfectly normal): Okay, but let's get
dressed first. Then, if the thermometer says no fever, you will be
all ready for school.

We completed our morning routine. Then, 2 minutes before we're supposed to leave the house:

JR: Mom, you forgot to take my temperature.

I took his temperature. Temperature is normal.

JR: But Rudolph is sick and needs me to take care of him.
Mom: (Checking Rudolph's brow): Rudolph's temperature is okay too.
Maybe Rudolph is just saying he's sick because he'll miss you today.
Maybe you should take him to school with you.

Which he did. Apparently, Rudolph spent the day watching JR from his cubby, cuddled up in JR's wool hat. Rudolph had a "whole big invisible preschool" inside the cubby, according to JR, but he got to come out and snuggle with JR at naptime.