Tuesday was Michael’s first day of Pre-K.

For all of you reading who do not have children, or for all of you reading whose children are grown, Pre-K is not to be confused with Preschool.  Pre-K is like SO. MUCH. COOLER.  Pre-K is like 4 year olds you know…not those little 3 year olds in preschool.  Pre-K kids get to go to Kindergarten next year, as like in real school, that you go to all day long.  BIG difference…

I used the X Pro ii instagram PSE action for this photo and added the words (but blurred his name!)

Michael is going to St. Mary’s this year and it was one of the schools that was destroyed by the tornado we had here in Joplin, on May 22nd.  The school system was lucky enough to have previously owned an empty warehouse on the grounds of the high school.  They originally were going to tear it down but the bids came in too high.  Thank goodness for that!  As in true nature of these amazing people down here they renovated an old steel warehouse to house the 210 displaced students over the course of the summer months.  The renovation wasn’t even complete until this past Friday, September 2nd!  Teachers spent their labor day weekend, laboring to get their rooms set up.  The teachers and students will have a few routines and kinks to work out over the next few weeks because there is not a library, cafeteria or gym in the new building.  They will just use the High School facilities next door.

Based on the huge smile I received when I picked Michael up, I am thinking he will get by just fine!  Here’s the main points I dug out of him about his first day of Preschool Pre-K:

1. He colored a picture of a mouse with cheese.  He colored the cheese yellow and the mouse brown.
2. They played outside at recess but not on the playground (because it is still being built) but just in the grass and he played tag and race cars with his new friends.
3. He sat on a mat and did what his teacher told him to do (good boy).
4. He sits right next to the magnetic letter board (life could not be better).
5. They had cookies for snack, but with water, not milk, because the milk truck didn’t come to the school yet.
6. He can’t remember any of his friends names except:
7. There is a GIRL in his class with his same name (remember Michael is his blogging name?)  His exact words: “MOM!  There is a GIIIIRRRLLLL  in my class with my same name!  A GIRRRRRRRLLLLLL!  (laughing)  But her name doesn’t have an “e” in it, so it’s OK!”

And as simple as that, her same-not-containing-an-e name was just fine because of the missing letter!  That kid cracks me up!  He wants to go back…so we considered that a good first day!

Letters make everything in the world right for him!

And yes, I know he is holding a sign that says “Preschool” but I didn’t have one that said Pre-K and I had not been lectured on the difference between the two until after he came home from school!  ;-)