Breakfast Fit For A "STAAR"

Happy Monday!

If you're a mom like me, you might find yourself counting down the remainder of Mondays left in the school year.  You're probably doing the exact same thing if you're a teacher, too :)  Counting down the lunches you have to make.  The alarm clocks you snooze through.  The outfits that need to be clean and semi-wrinkle free.  It's not that we don't love school, it's just that, well, we're ready for a little unstructured and routine-free time.  I can promise you I'll be saying something TOTALLY different come August, but for now, I'm finding with each day inching closer to June, I'm more and more ready to have my boys at home, to sleep in, and to just enjoy this crazy Texas heat with no plans in sight :)  

However, before we celebrate the start of summer, 3rd & 4th graders all across Texas have to take the state mandated STAAR test.  Talk about ending the year with a bang, LOL!!!  It's the first year for my 3rd grader to take this test.  He's 100% ready, but I'd be lying to you if I said he wasn't 100% anxious.  Bless his heart.  It's definitely a mental thing.  Knowing all that, I thought it would be fun to send him off to school on a celebratory note instead of a scary one.  So I figured it was a great morning to get up before them and prep a little breakfast fit for a "STAAR" ;)  

First up, the menu.  Praise the Lord for easy recipes.  He requested these cinnamon rolls and since I prepped them last night, all I had to do was pop them in the oven this morning.  Easy peasy, thank you Jesus.  I know bacon and eggs or something healthier would've been the smarter choice, but I prefer the path of least resistance & my boys don't necessarily dig savory breakfast choices :)  Whatever works.

I decorated the breakfast table with things I already had on hand.  I use all of these manipulatives at workshops & conferences, so all I had to do was pull it out of the closet and put it on the table.  Really, really simple!  

It probably took me a total of 5 minutes, so trust me when I tell you I didn't work to hard to make things "special".  I just wanted to get him excited and help to calm his nerves.  Bless his heart, he was so nervous!  He puts WAY to much pressure on himself.  He says his goal is to make a 100.  Way to set the bar high!  Lord!  I mean, I love that he goes big when he sets his goals, but I hate that he's so hard on himself when he doesn't meet his expectations.  I miss the days when his biggest concerns were getting his diaper changed and enjoying his next bottle. 

Star stickers for the STAAR test (you can find them in the craft section at Wal Mart for $1.96 a bag), and lots of dice & timers (Dollar Tree), & pom pom garland (Dollar Spot at Target).  Today's test is all about Math, so these just kind of fit the bill.  Tomorrow he'll be taking the reading portion of the STAAR, so I'll switch out the dice for books & letter tiles and call it a day :)  The only thing I actually went out and bought for this was the package of Starburst.  

He's already requested a special breakfast for tomorrow, too.  "Pam"cake Cake it is!  He loves this stuff and I don't make it nearly as often as I probably should.  I guess that'll make it that much more special!  At least that's what I'm telling myself.  

Praying for all of our sweet babies taking the STAAR here in Texas this week!