Dopey, dopey mummy

The stupid thing here is that all schools had different holidays, with as much as a week between them starting, so although the schools I work in, my brother works in and my niece goes to all finished for Easter on the 14th March, my kids school didn't finish until the 20th March. With the result that we had to take our kids out of school for four days so we could all go to Stowe at the same time.

Now everyone else is back to school, and my kids have another week off. Of course, the great advantage of being a sub teacher is that I can pencil out this week to look after them. Of course, the great disadvantage is that when I don't work, I don't get paid!

Anyway, they had been given some work to do over the holidays to make up for what they missed on those last four days and yesterday we (reluctantly) started it. We have a few jobs that need to be done as well, and this morning we set off to buy the new music book Michael needed for returning to school.

We had just set off when my mobile rang. My end of the conversation went something like this:

'Hello' pause 'Oh hello Mrs McClure'.

Shocked faces in the back seat of the car, Mrs McClure is the kids school secretary.

Giggles 'Oh good grief, I don't believe you!' pause 'I'm so sorry, I just didn't realise'

Scared faces in the back seat.

'OK Mrs McClure, thanks for letting me know' pause 'OK, bye!'

Immediately from the back seat 'I told you we had to go back to school today Mummy!' At this point they first worked out how Mrs McClure had known they weren't at school and then they worked on a plan for not getting into trouble with their respective teachers. Michael phoned his dad to tell him the bad news.

'OK' I say 'do you want me to turn back and take you in now, or will we wait until we've done our message?'

Silence, and then in panic 'But we've not finished our homework yet! ' A quick glance in the rear view mirror showed that tears were welling up in eyes.

'Never worry' I said, 'you don't have to go back today, we can go home and finish off the work and then you can go back tomorrow with it done.'

Pause 'Oh, and April Fools!'