My Boys and Me

His bag is almost as big as him! 

So, its official, my little Braeden is a BIG BOY!  Yesterday was his first day of kindergarten and while it went alright, I think its a LOT more than Braeden expected.  He did GREAT both yesterday and today, but there were tears to be shed both days.  Yesterday was a very long first day for him.  To begin with, he had to get up at 5:45.  The bus picks him up at 6:35 (or is supposed to, but didn’t get to his stop until after 7:00 both days).  We didn’t get home until almost 9:00pm last night because we had friends in town who we hadn’t seen and last night was the only night we could get together before they left.  Also, Monday is my nannying day so he had to go straight to after-school care from school.  I didn’t even get to see him get on the bus OR meet him at the bus stop after school on his first day   If it were any other job, I would have gone in late and left early, but Monday is the only day I work for Heather and the only day Heather works, so I couldn’t make any adjustments.  It was probably for the best anyway, today was day 2 and when I saw him getting on that BIG bus, I was teary.   Second “crappy” start to his day was the fact that I had drilled it into him all weekend that he takes the “white bus” aka daycare bus on Monday’s after-school.  I was so terrified that he would get on the regular bus and panic when I was not there to meet him at the bus stop.  Or worse,  someone snatch him while he walked to the house.  Well, my drilling did not include an explanation that while he takes the while bus AFTER school, he takes the regular bus TO school.  Braeden was just as antsy as the other kids waiting for the bus and since it was late, they were all very excited when they finally saw their bus.  All the kids went running to the bus and Mike said Braeden just stood there and had a dissapointed look on his face.  He said to Mike, “That’s NOT my bus, my bus is the WHITE bus.”  I hadn’t shared the “bus-color-conversation” I’d had with Braeden with Mike, so Mike just assumed he was thinking a school bus is white.  Being in a rush to get himself to work (since the bus being late, now made him late) he gave Braeden a little shove toward the bus telling him it WAS his bus.  All Braeden could hear in his mind is Mommy’s voice reiterating for the 100th time, “WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GET ON THE YELLOW BUS ON MONDAYS!!!!!”  He burst into tears.  After quickly explaining to Mike what I had told him, Mike figured it out and explained that the white bus is only for Monday AFTER school.  I felt so bad when Mike told me.  Poor guy, he hadn’t even made it to school yet and was already traumatized.  He and I chatted once I saw him and I think we got things straight……we don’t have to worry about it for another 6 days anyway!  By the way, he did get on the white bus after-school. On our way home last night he started to cry again.  I think it was just an incredibly long day for him with a lot of new things to overwhelm him.  Also, ever since Braeden was a baby and in daycare, he never liked doing anything after he was picked up…..he just wanted to go home and do his own thing.  Some things never change.  He was upset because he had to go to bed when we got home.  He didn’t understand that it was late and he had to get up early.  All that concerned him was that he’d been awake for 15 hours and didn’t get to play with his toys AT ALL!  He also said that there were no toys at school and his teacher made him do the same thing over and over.  He said that he wanted to stay home with me.  As much as I’ve loved having him home with me the past year, I don’t think that it was the best thing for Braeden.  He got used to doing things at his own pace.  We had no real schedule and he liked getting up when he wanted and just doing his thing and not being bothered.  It will take a little getting used to for him.  He will be fine.  He’s just confused because when I asked him a bit later if he liked school and wanted to go back, he said yes.  Whew, thank goodness, because its one thing I do not have control of!

This morning started out about the same, he commented on how early he had to wake up, but seemed eager to go to school.  We waited at the bus stop for over half an hour (it was late again) and the whole time he kept saying how he was ready to get on the bus.  At one point, I commented to Mike that we should just drive him and Braeden said, “No, I want to ride the bus!”  That eased any guilt I felt about making mine and Mikey’s life easier by having him take the bus.  He was in a GREAT mood when I picked him up.  He was a lot more forthcoming about his day.  Maybe a little too forthcoming.  After telling me all the highlights, I asked him if any of the kids got into trouble in his class (not at all wondering if HE may have).  With a somber face, his response was, “No, but I did. I didn’t listen to the teacher.”  How am I supposed to get mad at my child when he voluntarily told me.  Then again, I can’t just let the incident go.  The kids have a folder that the teacher sends home with them each day.  In it is a calender, and on each day the teacher will place a smily face if they had no problems and indicate a color if there was a problem.  Red- not keeping hands to self; Blue- talking; Yellow- problem in fine arts; Green- messing with others property; Orange- other.  Well, Braeden had an orange on his sheet and a message- “lost control getting ready to go home.”  Naturally, (Braeden being the sensitive boy he is) he cried when I sat him down to “talk.”  I really didn’t make a big deal of it because I know that teachers can go a little overboard with things.  Her “losing control” was probably just Braeden being overly excited to go home and a little stir crazy after not being used to structure all day.  I did take awy the special sucker I had bought him and told him he could have it tomorrow if he got a smily face.  He told me that each of the students have an apple on a piece of paper that is “consequences to their actions.”  Putting one worm on it= 5 minutes timeout, 2 worms= 10 minutes time out, 3 worms 15 minutes timeout and a call home (so you understand what I am talking about in future blogs).  Braeden had to put one worm on his apple today!

 Ahhhhh…..only 12 more years to go!

Thats B at the top having problems making it up the stairs because his bag is weighing him down!

PS. Braeden wants aunt Lisa to know that HE got on the right bus. (She did NOT on her first day of kindergarten and went to the highschool- must have been a good indication that she’d be successful.  She’s a lawyer!)