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

Random Acts of…Planning

Lindsey P. Brackett4 Comments

You know I’m a teacher. And one of the first things teachers learn at “teacher school” (right after Board Writing 101) is flexible planning.

That’s right.

Plan to be flexible.

Spend hours crafting the perfect differentiated lesson plan that meets all learning styles and covers a page of the all-important Standards, but be flexible if it doesn’t work or half your kids are out puking or there’s a last-minute assembly of some sorts. Flexible. That’s a teacher’s mantra in May.

It should be my mommy mantra everyday. Because everyday I plan (and by plan I mean contemplate in my head with my eyebrows squished together in concentration) how I am going to do a better job.
Somehow it never works out like I picture it.

This afternoon I decided to not rush around trying to actually exercise before Wednesday Night Supper at church. Instead I planned (how foolish) to be spontaneous. I know. There’s something wrong with that logic.

I picked up Amelia, tried in vain once again to convince my M.I.L. that she’s not going to starve if she has less than 5 oz in a feeding, and went for a drive. Sort of. I have real estate ADD when I drive these days since we’re actively looking for a new house and trying to sell ours.

So I took the long(ish) way to Cornelia via a subdivision with some homes I wanted to check out. Loved them. Loved one that wasn’t for sale the most. Pondered knocking on the door to ask if they would ever consider selling. Decided I was crazy and possibly sleep-deprived and drove on to the bank to get Belle’s carseat out of what we affectionately refer to as “the little white car.”

This took longer than planned. See I’m trying to save cell phone minutes. More later. So I was going to go inside and tell Joshua I took the seat and would pick up the girls. But I forgot that since the economy downturned, the bank has started closing the lobby at 4. I parked in the front and already had Amelia out. So I hoofed it around back (exercise for today, check!), rang the bell, got in, and carried out the rest of my plan. Give bank employees opportunity to ooohhh and awww over Amelia.

Then I headed to the daycare center. Here is where I thought I was really smart. It was a quarter till 5. Supper starts at 5. Amelia needs to eat around this time. I passed her off to a friend at the center and locked myself in the bathroom figuring I’d pump and we’d both be happy.

Hmmm…I have 6 bottles for pumping. Two are full of milk and in my M.I.L’s fridge. Three were dirty because they came from the M.I.L’s. That leaves…one. My math skills aren’t great but even I can figure out I have more boobs than that.

So, I had to pump one side at a time. Not efficient. Not enough. But I was in a hurry so I was–you guessed it–flexible.

Took back my baby and gathered my big girls. Into the car, buckled seatbelts, and ten minutes later were on our way. We made it to church at 5:30. I mentioned dinner started at 6, right?

Oh, and it was Missions Recognition night. My girls were supposed to be dressed up, not wearing daycare center play clothes. Well, at least they matched.

Crazy, hectic, flexible life.

Paynes

Random Acts of…Graduation

Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

It was another beautiful night in the Granite Bowl. Well, after the unceasing downpours, big umbrellas that obscure the view, and trek from Elberton Federal down the hill and around the stadium in the drizzle with Uncle Corey wearing Amelia in the Bjorn and the telling everyone that this is his baby he picked up at Wal-Mart, it was a beautiful night in the Granite Bowl. And for those who have never been lucky enough to experience the Granite Bowl, it is what it says. A great big bowl of a football stadium entirely built of granite.

Well, it is Elberton and we only have so many things to be proud of.

But tonight we (and about 2000 other people) were all VERY proud. Proud of the 200 graduates who wore the blue and white and walked the line and turned their tassles and accepted their diplomas as the Class of 2010, a class that has defied expectations. As a sister of one of those graduates, I am so proud to hear of their accomplishments. As an educator, I truly understand the pride that comes with saying they are the first class to help ECCHS make AYP, they have the best graduation test scores in the history of the school, and they graduated a higher percentage of their class last night than any class before them.

But enough about everybody else. Because we were there in force, in ponchos, and under umbrellas, sitting on beach towels and plastic changing pads (thanks, Amelia!) to celebrate for Kelsey, who is Payne #6 to graduate with the sunset behind her and a bright future ahead of her.

Kels, I know you are worried. I know you feel left behind by all your friends heading off in the fall. I know you want to do more than just settle for what’s available. But for now, let’s let all that be and revel in the moment. You have accomplished something that many don’t, that many dream of, that many wish they hadn’t given up on. You have the ticket to a better life inside a blue folder and printed on a transcript.

Twelve years of tears and drama, sports and clubs, friends and foes is over. You will take with you academic knowledge and life know-how. High school is just a foundation for you to build upon. I am so proud that your experience has made you strong, confident, and beautiful.

May God give you all the desires of your heart. Love you sweet Kelsey-elsie!

madelynne

Random Acts of…Popularity

Lindsey P. Brackett4 Comments

Madelynne’s in Pre-K. Pre-K. Not “big K”, not middle school, not high school, but Pre-K. That K is for kindergarten, folks. And do you know what I have heard about more than anything this year? Not Word of the Week, letters that are friends, or how to count to 100. Nope, I’ve heard about the popular girls.

That’s right. Even in Pre-K, even before they’ve stepped foot in a “real” school, even though she’s at a Christian academy, they’re there. The Pops.

You know the girls who make you feel less than worthy just by their very presence. The girls who are able to command the attention of the room just because they arrived. The girls who you desperately want to like you, even though, let’s face it, sometimes they’re a little mean.

I think I may have issues left over from high school.

But I never thought we’d deal with this at age 5. 10 maybe. 12 definitely. 15? Well by then you either are or you aren’t, so you learn to live with it. Even though it still hurts that you might be good enough for an English lit tutoring session but not for the big party.

She’s five. FIVE YEARS OLD and already knows “cool.” Already desperately wants just to fit in, be liked, to be….popular.

I never was, so it hurts me all the more for her to come home and cry because three of the six girls in her little class wouldn’t play with her today. For no reason other than she’s not in their “group.” How do kids even know what a clique is at this age?

And where do I draw the line? How do I teach her that she’s not going to always fit in, that sometimes it’s okay to be left out, that she can have friends that are just as good, if not better to her than those Pops?

How do I teach her that when I have a hard time understanding it myself?

I welcome any and all how-to-mommy-girls advice 🙂

Oh, and this is definitely a girl thing. The boys LOVE her. A little too much we think.

Uncategorized

Random Acts of…Mother’s Day

Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

You know the best thing about Mother’s Day? The gifts kids make for you at school. God bless preschool teachers in May.

Belle has been telling me for days that she made me a present at school but I couldn’t have it yet because it wasn’t Mother’s Day. When her daddy told her on Sunday that today was Mother’s Day, she said, “Oh gosh! Mommy’s gift is at school. Do you want to know what it is Mommy? It’s a candle and I painted it for you!”
Well, actually, it’s a baby food jar repurposed as a tealight holder that’s been boldly finger painted. It is gorgeous.
Madelynne brought me a finger painted jar as well, but hers contained something every teacher needs: a pen adorned with a flower so I will know it’s mine if someone tries to steal it. She also dictated a card to her teacher and then signed it herself. The best part is this:
My mom is “berry special”. Here’s why!
My mom looks pretty when she’s wearing a dress and going to Sunday School. My mom’s favorite thing to do is feed Amelia. I love my mom because she lets me watch TV sometimes.
Gotta love the things that they observe and think and love.
They also visited Bath&Body Works with their daddy on Saturday evening and came home with a fabulous bag full of goodies. Needless to say my house and skin will be smelling really good for awhile!
Check back later and I’ll have some pictures of all my goodies posted. And stay tuned, I’ve got an awesome home improvement project to show off too! Let’s just say that #12 on Making the Sale has been accomplished courtesy of my sweet husband and patient father-in-law.
motherhood · Paynes

Random Acts of…Mamas

Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments


There’s just something about a mama. When other people tell me that it’s not so bad and I only have three weeks left before summer and everything’s going to be okay, I don’t really believe them. When my mom tells me it is, I believe a little bit more.

I guess it’s because I watched her work full-time with all seven of us. She would get up in the morning, get herself ready, load the dishwasher, wake us, usually have one, if not two, of my younger sisters she had to dress, prod my daddy to get ready, check us all for matching clothes, two shoes, library books, and lunch money, referee a fight over cereal, drive us down the long driveway to catch the bus, chase the bus if we missed it, and somehow she did all this before 7 a.m.
I can barely handle getting myself and Amelia together in the morning, much less Annabelle and Madelynne who are thankfully becoming a little more independent, though they still want me to brush their teeth, which I’ve learned to do one-handed while holding Amelia, thank you very much.
My mama has been there. She knows how hard it is to balance work and kids and laundry and dishes and dinner and guilt. So, this Mother’s Day I hope she knows how grateful I am that she helps me believe I can do it too. And since I think I turned out okay (most of the time), I can believe my girls will be okay.
The only problem is, she’s an impossible standard to reach. She’s not perfect but she’s way better at multi-tasking than I am. One night when she was here taking care of me after Amelia was born (and she truly was here for me), I watched her fry chicken, negotiate the Easter Egg Roll with the White House, check and respond to rapid-fire email about the situation with the Easter Egg Roll, answer her other phone when my across-the-country sister called, all while she was holding Amelia. I’m not sure what I was doing, but it definitely pales in comparison.
I’m not my mama, but I hope someday my girls look back at me and wonder how I did it all too. Because regardless of how the laundry is folded or what’s on the table for dinner, they are being just as cared for and just as loved as I always was. And even though she’s probably messed up some, I don’t remember loving her any less, and that is what I pray for these days, that despite the chaos of life, my girls will always know I love them more than a clean house or a full-night’s sleep.
I think that’s the secret to being a good mom: raising kids who know they are unconditionally cherished no matter how many mistakes you (or they) make along the way.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mama! I love you!