January 26, 2009
Dear Winding Creek Elementary,
I am writing you to explain why Sydney was not at school this past Friday, January 23. She got a little bit cold, but she was not sick. We realize that her education is very important, but something else was more important that day. Sydney is one of three girls in our family, and she happens to be the middle child. So instead of paying future counseling bills, I decided to be proactive with the money and pay it a different way. I created an outdoor education experience (actually God created it) to help her to learn and grow, and connect with her busy dad. I hope you will excuse her absence, and will provide any make-up work she needs to complete. Hopefully, she will have perfect attendance from this day forward (unless another opportunity like this comes along again.)
Her responsible father,
Todd Gaston
(ok, ok, we actually went skiing at Wintergreen Ski Resort. Some of my small group took the day off work, and snatched up their daughters to hit the slopes. It was Sydney’s first experience with snow skiing. Check out her face to see how you think the day went. We finished the day by eating Crozet Pizza!!! And on the drive home we got caught in a Blizzard! Priceless!)
PS: Sydney will be back at school on Monday.


