Donna Reed, I am NOT

This week, the girls have the California Standards Test all week.  Now, while I am personally and philosophically opposed to this standardized testing for my students and my own children, I know that it's important to them - especially Taylor who was retained in Second Grade.  While it wasn't her fault (her dad didn't take her to school all year), it really hurt her, and her self-confidence has built as she improved her test scores each year since.


So, my idea was to get up early every day this week, and make a hearty breakfast for the girls to give them a good boost for the day which includes a baggie full of snacks for the day: Ocean Spray fruit snacks and Ritz crackers with cheese with a cute message written on the bag for them.


Well, after (only) Day 2, I can confidently state that I am NOT Donna Reed, and this shit sucks! I hate getting up early no matter what....OK, I'll get up early if we're going to Disneyland or on holiday....but there is absolutely NO other reason that would make an early morning a good thing.  Then, there's the time to do all of this shit. Homemade biscuits first thing in the morning???  Really???


But, here is the reward:

Now, the girls are telling all of their friends that they have the absolute bestest Mama in the the world to anyone who will listen.  Their attitude has improved in the morning because they are looking forward to the breakfast, and they come home telling me how hard they worked on concentrating, reading everything on the test and they "totally know" that they did well on the test and it's all because of my breakfast in the morning.  In all reality, that IS the point, right??