How do you tell if your child is really sick?

Well, that is a good question.  I remember when I was little my mother always thought we were faking.  "If you are well enough to lay around and watch cartoons, you are well enough to go to school."  That didn't make a lick of sense to me.  The reason one had to lay down and watch cartoons is that we were weak and dang near on our death bed.  However, my perspective has changed some having my own kids.  Every Sunday morning I can practically count on someone complaining they don't feel well (including my husband).  "Oh, sweetie" I say, trying to sound as sugary as possible, "I'm sorry to hear that, we were going to have your favorite dessert for dinner this afternoon."  That usually snaps them right out of it.  If they continue to complain it's back in bed (no cartoons, after all they do need their rest) and I break out the nastiest medicine we have in the cabinet, which I threaten to serve up on a serving spoon size utensil.  I also break out the Vicks (which stinks and smells like sickness in and of itself) and then tell everyone not to go near the "sicky".  This usually gets old really fast, and what do you know?  A miraculous recovery and we are off to church.  I have even seen through faked fevers.  This was done by noticing that the one side of Corbin's face was bright red and hot as an oven, yet the other side was cool as a cucumber.  He had been sitting next to the fire, working up a good hot fever.  That was creative, I'll give him that.  I've just decided to adopt my Mother's philosophy about the whole thing, because betcha a million bucks they are really not sick.  If they have the strength to keep their little eyeballs glued to the TV all day, and interact with me and whoever else, then they are well enough.