Author: Lindsey P. Brackett

When I'm not wrangling four kids and a middle school classroom, I sit on my back porch in the mountains and write southern fiction that's short and long. I believe in Jesus, library fines, supper at the table, the Edislow life, and strong coffee. Pretty much in that order.
motherhood · school

Should Have Sunday

Lindsey P. Brackett5 Comments

I spend way too much time thinking about all the things I should have (or should be) doing.

Like this morning.

I should be rushing around to get out the door to church on time, not trying to relieve some of my anxiety by blogging. 

I should have made the girls get a bath last night when we got home at 9 even though I was tired and just wanted to nurse Amelia and get to bed.

And I should not have melted down yesterday about the mess the girls made (and Joshua left me in charge of cleaning up).  Instead I could have modeled calm behavior under pressure.  Even if that pressure was the fact that it was 1:27 and I was supposed to be able to feed all three of them and myself, get dressed for a wedding, clean up the mess in the carport, curl my hair, pack up the girls and get them to Mimi’s, and then show up at the church by 2 for a weddding.

Not happening.

The truth is there’s a lot not happening these days that should happen.  We should be reading more story books.  We should be playing outside in the beautiful autumn splendor.  We should be putting the finishing touches on Halloween costumes and hiding the Kit-Kats from Daddy.

Yeah, I spend way too much time on the shoulds.  No matter that this week alone I had a kid read a book (and like it) for the first time this year.  I had a productive parent meeting and definitely went above the job description I was handed in EDU 101.  I spent about ten hours helping direct a wedding rehearsal and the wedding itself and consoling a harried bride.  I braided Annabelle’s hair like Laura Ingalls and cuddled Amelia until she fell asleep.  I made $80 dollars selling random items on Classifieds at school and have managed to get all those delivered to their buyers.  I took a few minutes this week to catch up with friends and enjoy a glass of wine.  And I think I just put the last load of laundry I’m doing this weekend in the dryer.

Finding the balance between home and work and kids and chores and worship and church is tough.  And focusing on what my should haves is enlightening when it helps me realize what should be getting the best of me.

So this afternoon even though I should fold all the laundry and mop the floor and clean the bathroom, I think I’ll take a nap and put the finishing touches on Halloween costumes and finish the next chapter of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with Madelynne so she’s ready for her next rehearsal.

And everything else can just wait ’til next time.

thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday

Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

This Thursday I am blessed to have a life enriched by others. 

People like a local doctor I can feel good about referring students to……..

…friends like Mary Lynn who will go to Rite Aid with me at ten minutes before closing just so I can make a profit on diapers and toilet paper (I’m really proud of this deal).
…and students like Katie who are making the world a little bit better place just by thinking about the needs of others.
http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · madelynne

In the Middle

Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

Do you ever wonder where some of these games and rhymes kids learn from each other in school got their start?  Isn’t it interesting how they pass from kid to kid and are a constant of the school playground no matter that my girls are part of techno-generation Z (or whatever it is)?

Today on the way home from Mimi’s, Madelynne was in the backseat teaching Annabelle a classic: “Up high” (and they would high five above their heads), “Down low” (and they would smack each other down by their car seats) “in the middle–too slow!” At this point Madelynne would jerk her hands away and laugh hysterically at her little sister who just doesn’t quite get why this is so funny.

Poor Belle. That middle’s a tough spot.

 in the middle of the Jaemor kiddie maze
madelynne · Manic Monday

Manic Monday

Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

Do you know that twelve year olds don’t know this song?  I referenced it today while I was giving report cards to the girls who missed homeroom on Friday and were waiting on me when I got to school at 7:48 (that would be 18 minutes AFTER I was supposed to be there).  They looked at me like I was crazy for nearly breaking into a chorus of “it’s just another manic monday” when I was explaining that I was late because I had dumped coffee all over myself while I was driving and it necessitated a return home for a new outfit.

Welcome to Monday.

I did get a few laughs today, though.  Madelynne is learning her contact information at school and we’ve been practicing since she got off the bus this afternoon.  But she’s having a little trouble remembering it, so tonight when Joshua asked her what her phone number was, she just looked at him like he was crazy and said, “It’s the same as yours.”  duh.

See you Tuesday.

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Thankful Thursday

Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

I’m so thankful it’s Thursday because that means tomorrow is Friday and that means the weekend is here!

So, maybe I’ll have time to catch my breath before things get all crazy again, or maybe I’ll at least have the chance to be thankful that my life is full of crazy random

rehearsals and tap shoes and bottles and group work and laundry and pumpkins and Lucky Charms and chapstick and pacifiers and lunchboxes.
It’s the little things.