Our First KinderProject… and a PigSong!

When we were at Jeff’s birthday party a few weeks ago, we were sitting around a table gabbing with some friends who just had their first baby a few months ago. Someone asked me about Declan and we started talking about his school, and I commented on his homework.

The new father leaned forward in shock, and said… “He has homework in preschool?”

I went on to explain to him, not only did he have homework every Thursday, but he had reading logs that we filled out every night, plus a monthly family project that we did together.

He scoffed and said, “I’m not doing that crap!”

Um, yea, right, buddy. You hold that little dream close to your heart for as long as you can, OK?

So, we have been gearing up for it only to get worse in Kindergarten. Lucky for us, though, Declan’s teacher took it a bit easy on us, being the first week of school and all. All we had due today was a “Star Chart.” She handed out a blank star and told us to dress it up with our child.

He could have just decorated her star, but nooooooo! Of course, I went a little nuts and created a whole poster out of it on my Mac with holes for him to fill in of all his favorite things. Lest you think *I* did his homework for him, though, he did tell me all the things he wanted in the poster (Art Director), drew the pictures of himself and us inside the star (Illustrator) and then cut out all the photos I stole from the web of his favorite things and glued them to the poster (Production Grunt).

We make a pretty good team, don’t you think?


(Click to see larger image)

Plus! I am frantically editing video to get DVDs ready for my mother and aunt’s arrival next week. They are making their semi-annual trek across the country to celebrate Declan’s birthday (My boy will be 5? What the HELL!?!) and I am 8 months behind on my monthly videos. EIGHT MONTHS. My OCD is freaking out, people. But, I am up to February now, and found this little gem from when Declan’s Preschool class was learning songs for every single letter of the alphabet.

Every. Single. Letter.

I am thinking Secret Agent Josephine should sell the videos alongside her Letter Cards.

This article has 25 comments

  1. monstergirlee

    This sounds like a really cool project. I love how creative Dex is – its been so neat to watch his stuff progress.

    But for me, the big picture is… I’m scared shitless for when my boy starts kindergarten next year. All the frikken homework this early? gggrrrrr…… Like I have time? We don’t even own a computer.

  2. ali

    he’s too cute for words.

  3. mayberry

    I love that his favorite book is “Kindergarten Rocks.” Kiss-ass.

    Kidding! The pig song rules and he is darling singing it.

  4. mayberry

    PS Monstergirlee: My kid is starting K next week and her teacher has a no-homework policy, except for one book she sends home each night for the family to read together.

    But I met a 3rd-grader at orientation who solemnly told me that he heard there is a LOT of hw in 3rd grade. We’ve been warned!

  5. Anonymous

    I LOVE IT

  6. Anonymous

    I love the look on his face at the end of the video.

  7. Anonymous

    Declan is one talented kid..gee, I wonder where he gets that from !!

    Please tell him I love his drawing of me. I haven’t looked that good in years!

    SEE YA NEXT WEEK…..

    Love you guys
    Pata

  8. aimee / greeblemonkey

    Mayberry, TOTALLY! LOL! But a very thoughtful friend sent it to him to celebrate the beginning of Kindergarten and he WON’T PUT IT DOWN! So, it really *is* his favorite. And they ask that instead of cupcakes on kid’s birthdays that you donate to the class library, so he has already decided that Kindergarten Rocks is the book he wants to give the class!

    And PATA… did you notice he worked on making our hair look like our real hair? Well, kinda. I love Oma’s huge fro.

  9. aimee / greeblemonkey

    oh, and did you notice his favorite food is wootermelon?!?!?

  10. Sarah

    *THAT* is freaking adorable.

  11. zenrain

    i’m touched wyoming is one of his favorite places to visit!!

  12. aimee / greeblemonkey

    Marabeth… I know! And he picked all the answers with no prompting from me! :))))

  13. Laurie

    Is that the BEATLES is see as his favorite band??? Cool kid!

  14. soccer mom in denial

    You’re one of those parents that makes the rest of us look like disengaged jerks. I can barely PRINT photos of my kids never MIND do something like that!

    Seriously though I do think it is so important for folks to be engaged with their children’s school. Not just those “special” days (back-to-school, concerts) but every, single, day.

    All kidding aside, you are one awesome mama.

  15. painted maypole

    Oh! I want to do that star thing just to have a cool record of it for MQ. Very nice (and I love the job titles)

    So many very nice people came by my blog due to your little link (you have fabulous, generous readers!) and now I have discovered even more blogs to suck up my time. Life is good!

    😉

    Thanks.

  16. Anne

    Too cute, Aimee! He outdid himself on his project and the video was adorable!

  17. Catherine

    That picture made my heart melt a little. Antonia used to draw people JUST like Declan does… eggs with stick arms and legs. Now she’s ten and prefers to draw her name in bubble letters on everything. I miss the eggs!

  18. joansy

    What a great project. I will definitely check out the book.

  19. carrie

    His star will blow the other’s away! What a cutie!

  20. Kimm-Ophelia

    Hi Aim and Bry and Declan.. I cant believe how adorable he is.. hes going to blow those other kids away in school. Im so excited that you get to share your artistic sides with him through his projects..he will learn so much that way not only what he picks up at school. By the way..you have become awesome at childrens photographs..very impressive.. Love and miss u.. Kimm

  21. Ray Page

    Can’t wait to do things like that with MagPie. Totally having that Dinero “circle of trust” thing with you right now. >my eyes … your eyes .. finger motion
    Trust me, more parents should be engaged with as you are. Raising a child is only the most important thing you’ll ever do.

    Love the updates and can’t believe how much the little guy has grown. 5 years? … omg. He’s so cute.

  22. sue

    I’m still stuck on homework in preschool. I guess that means my children were underachievers, huh? Wow. Just wow. Now I feel old.

  23. Chris

    Very cool and very creative!!

  24. aimee / greeblemonkey

    Thanks everyone!

    Kimm! Hi sweetie! Great to see you!

    Ray… Circle of trust, LOL. Hilarious!! And also good to see you!

    I know Sue… it’s kind of amazing. It was pretty simple stuff though – thank goodness. And in some ways, I understand it – get ’em used to doing it when they think it’s fun.

  25. Lotta

    How exciting!

Comments are now closed.
Send this to a friend