Sick Day

Do you remember that part in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Ferris fakes being sick by putting the thermometer to the light bulb to make the mercury raise?  Well the truth is, every time I have a child claim to need to stay home from school because he is sick, I have to question.  Not that I think he is holding the thermometer to the light, but is he just wanting to skip out on a day of school?  So hard to know. 
Chad woke up this morning saying he felt sick.  Even before he got out of his bed, he was complaining.  I had him get dressed and do his hair.  As he was tying his shoes, he looked at me and asked why I was making him put on his shoes.  He fully expected that because he felt sick, I would let him stay home.  I might even say he felt 'entitled' to stay home.  Oh, the emotions that I feel as I try to make the best decision.  I tried to coerce him into wanting to go to school by talking about it being "Fun Friday" or by reminding him that he gets to eat mashed potatoes and gravy at lunch.  He turned them both down.  I even reminded him that if he stays home, he does not get to have any friend time today.  Ultimately, I decided to let him stay home, but I told him that I'd be watching to see if I thought he felt good enough to go.  No red flags this morning.  He lounged around and read some books and watched a movie.  But at about 10:30, I loaded everyone up to run an errand.  After our errand, we stopped at a park to see the progress on an all access playground that is being built.  Aha!  Chad ran over to the toys.  He was jumping and running and we walked around the entire thing (it is pretty big).  Afterward, I told him, "Chad, I think you are acting well enough that you can go to school.  If you can run and jump, you can sit in a desk and listen."  Instantly, he is holding his tummy and sounding so pathetically awful, "But I'm sick!)"  What is a mom to do?!  I really don't want to send him if he feels awful, but a little 'I don't feel good' does not warrant staying home.  So I took him to school.  We'll see if he stays.  I feel bad.  And yet I feel bad if he stays home and he doesn't need to.  This is one of those mom battles that I just fret over, and I can't say I know that I made the right decision.