Family Day!

There is a holiday Monday in February in some provinces of Canada called Family Day.  It falls on the same Monday as Presidents' Day here in the US.  I was excited to have Leighton home with me and Riley for the day, and we set out for a fun trip to Costco.  We always had a fun time eating pizza for lunch, tasting the samples in the store, and taking ice cream home in the car with us in the summer, so I knew we'd have a good morning there.  Riley was pretty excited that Leighton was able to come with us this time (she really misses her brother when he's at school all week)!

When we got home, there was a message on the machine.  We rarely get phone calls on the home phone, and even more rarely get messages.  I assumed it would be a wrong number or solicitation, so I pressed play and wandered away to put away our Costco bounty. 

"Hello, this is a message from the HISD.  Your child, Leighton Sillitoe, was absent from school today.  If you haven't already done so, please contact the attendance office at your school."

Um, what?

It's a holiday!  It's Presidents' Day!  There is no school today.

Right.

Right???

Cue Mommy looking for school calendar. And she finds that there is clearly NO mention of a day off school. 

Not on the February newsletter either.

Oops!

What to do now?
1. Send email to Leighton's teacher claiming Canadian Family Day and NYC Presidents' Day.
2. Tell Leighton I made a mistake and brace myself for an upset and disappointed boy who missed school.  Pleased that the response is "Well, at least I got to spend a day with you instead!"
3. Create some fun activities that are worthy of Family Day (Daddy even came home from work early!).

Activity 1: use masking tape to create parking lots and roads on the carpet for some car driving while the rain pours down outside.

Activity 2: get kids in rain boots for a puddle jumping walk (and some pretty fun photos!).

And a little visit to our resident, creepy, grow-in-water ray outside:

Look how big it is now!

I am just going to touch it here.

Ewwwwwwwww, slimy.

Gross!

I will just watch, thanks.  I am not touching that.

I will giggle while you hold it though!

Happy Family Day!

Next year I will remember to send him to school.

Maybe ;)