First Week of Pre-K

Well so far Brayden has concquered his first week of Pre-K. He hasn't been the most "excited" about it each day, but he is at least tollerating it. I think overall as much as he doesn't want to admit it, he is having a great time. (I discovered I can even watch him on my iPhone so everytime I get to peek in on him, he seems to be enjoying himself.) The only major problem we have encountered is evenings are still a lil bit of a transitioning period. It seems as though he is using up all of his "sweetness" during the day and seems to be quite cranky when I pick him up. I'm sure its from pure exhaustion (even though he is the first one to fall asleep at naptime and last to wake up), but I am hoping to find a way to cope with his "crakiness".
**Just a quick side note on his "silly glasses" in his picture above: I know he looks pretty goofy but he thinks he HAS to wear these if he is doing any kind of "reading". I think he gets the idea from my mom always having to grab her glasses anytime she needs to see/read something up close. =)

Monday morning didn't go quite as smoothly as I had anticipated. My mom was so sweet she spent the night with us the night before so that he would be able to sleep in a little bit longer. This way he could go in a lil later rather than me dropping him off at the usual 6:45am. When she went to wake him up about 7:30, he was wondering why he was getting woke up. When she tried to explain it was time to go to school, he insisted that it was too early for school. Then he wondered where I was and she had to break the news to him that I had already left to go to school. Well then he was just beside himself that his mommy left without him and how could she do that. After he got over all that, she was able to get him dressed and take him to school. He even let my mom leave him there without any tears. =) Then in the afternoon, I tried to pick him up fairly early, so I left school about 4:45 to go pick him up. He was in an okay mood...didn't necessarily have anything to exciting to say about it. He was just more concerned as to whether or not gradma would still be at home waiting for us. He was excited to hear that she would be. My mom made a wonderful dinner for us and then she headed back home and we headed off to bed, early. I think we were both totally exhausted!!

Tuesday morning when I went to wake him up he replied "Where are we going?" I excitedly replied "We're going to school." He then replied "School?!? I just went there yesteryear!! (Everything referring to the past is yesteryear instead of last year or yesterday.) Then he tried pleading to me to stay home. He said he would rather go shopping at Wal-Mart than go to school. After I got him dressed kicking and screaming, he finally calmed down on our way. Then once he got there, he was excited to see his best lil girlfriend waiting to eat breakfast with him. Thankfully I was able to leave without him having any tears.

Wednesday when I picked him up, I was greeted with a "What took you so long mommy?" (I took advantage of having a lil extra worktime at school, and unfortunately he was one of the last ones picked up in his group.) On our way out to the car, I asked him if he had fun, he gave a monotoned "yes". So I replied with the obvious "what did you have fun doing?" same monotoned reply "everything." Once we got in the car I tried to get him excited by telling him that we were going to work on his "homework" tonight. He replied "Homework?!? Homework is boring!! I just want you to do it all for me mommy." Excuse me?!? Already a 4 yr old thinking "homework is boring?!!" I thought I would have to wait at least 3 or 4 years before I started hearing that excuse! With the "mood" he was in, I decided to move on. So trying my best to have a conversation with Mr. Cranky I asked him if he learned anything today. One word response, "yes"...Pulling teeth, I asked him what he learned today. He replied "It's a secret." I said "it's a secret?" He then replied, "yes and its inappropriate." I'm thinking "inappropriate?!" He said that it was "inappropriate because it's a secret for you mommy." Hmmm....I guess that is an ok answer for now.

I tried out a few screencaps as I replayed his day and it actually worked. =)



Thursday was supposed to be his first "splash day" so he was actually really excited when he woke up. He even dressed himself in his swimsuit, swimshirt and swimshoes. Unfortunately it was a lil cloudy and a possible chance of rain so I wasn't for sure if he would even get to have it. I checked during my lunchtime, and saw that they weren't able to go. I was afraid that he would be so disappointed so I picked him up early with his favorite Sonic slush "green apple." He was in a MUCH better mood. We were able to go home for a lil over an hour before I had to head back up to school for our First Grade Information Night. I first dropped Brayden off for a playdate and he had a great time. Once we got home we had to work on his first "family homework project". It was an "All About Me" oversized paper doll. Here is our final product:

Friday was super exciting for him because he did get to go to the splashpad, but unfortunately after about 10 minutes or so of playing he fell down. (I think because his water shoes are about 2 sizes to big-purchased already for next summer.) Being the drama king he is, he stayed right by the teachers side the rest of the time and watched the other kids play.

(He is right in the middle of the pic.)
(Still wearing his goggles)
He also got his "Pride Folder" today and I was thankful to see he had been a good boy all week. They made a note that his favorite things of the week were dramatic play and playing with playdough (something we never do at home). Under the section "needs to practice"- he thankfully didn't have anything. It's great to know he behaves well for others. =)



By the end of the week, I can tell that each day has gotten a little easier for him. My only hope that it continues to get easier and easier. I am excited for all the new things he will be learning. A couple of simple little things sort of touched me this week. This week he had a special "helper" job of being the "weatherman" which he just loved. I also thought it was cute that he got his first lil Scholastic Book Order, just before I left my school I laid mine out on my desk to pass out to my students on Monday. Both things (helper jobs and scholastic book orders) are things that I do in my classroom, which just makes the realization of he is "growing up" that much more real for me. I am sure as the year goes along I will find MANY more similarities.