Family Rules

November 1, 2011 Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

I REALLY want one of these signs. I already know where I’ll hang it. I love what this one says, but Joshua says we need to add “no whining.” The lovely Tara over at Between You&Me made this one for her home and is hosting a fun giveaway. Head over to enter to win your own or just to tell her how much I would really love to have this hanging in our cozy little home that I’m learning to re-love and re-appreciate more everyday.

And leave me a comment telling me what you think your best family rule is. My new favorite is Thank the Lord. All the time. For everything.

Thankful Thursday

October 27, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

This Thursday I am choosing to be thankful for all that I normally grumble about because after all, all life is a gift, and filled with blessings we disguise as work.

My tiny little house….

Our house has never sold and in eighteen months on the market has had five showings. It’s not happening. We owe too much and it’s worth too little. So it’s coming off the market, and we’re learning to live in a cozy space most people think is crazy. But a wise friend told me last night that she grew up in a small house with two sisters and loved it, and she said, “It made us closer.” Having observed the sweet bond of her family, I believe her. And it does make us closer. We have to watch tv together, the girls are almost always less than ten feet away when I’m cooking or cleaning or talking on the phone or blogging. Our small house has taught us about what is necessary and what is not. And while we’ve still a long way to go in eliminating clutter, we do have less “stuff” now that just takes up space and more of the stuff that’s important to our lives for this moment. Like Weeble treehouses and dollhouses and art easels. Other junk went so those things could come, and I’m grateful.

The dishes….
I hate doing dishes. I’ll cook all day long if someone else will wash and load and put away. I don’t know why I make dishes such a big deal because whenever I actually break down and do them, it takes fifteen minutes, tops. But I hate it. Confession: I cooked a chicken in the crockpot on Sunday. The crockpot was filled with soapy water that night in anticipation of a scrub. Guess where it still sits? That’s gross, I know. In my defense, however, it’s the only thing in the sink longer than 24 hours. So, I hate dishes. But dirty dishes mean my family ate that day. And they usually ate pretty well. Pots mean I cooked instead of giving into the temptation of going out and a sink full of dishes also means I thought it was more important to rock Amelia and read to my big girls on these nights we’ve gotten home late from soccer and church. And I’m thankful my husband could care less if we have dishes in the sink as long as there’s food on the table.

Source: moneysavingmom.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Our tiny house has won me over to the open kitchen/living. I like this one for someday.

Source: houzz.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

The laundry…
Piles of laundry mean my kids have an over abundance of clothes. Which they do. I don’t mind laundry like I mind the dishes. Laundry to fold means I can sit on the couch and watch a movie while Amelia naps. Important note: laundry MUST be folded while Amelia naps. Otherwise she “helps” by unfolding. I’m also grateful that today is Pajama Day at the girls’ school since I’m behind on my once-a-day loads. Sheesh, what have I been doing this week? By the way, if this was my laundry room, I would never do laundry. I would just keep it pristine and keep the real work hidden away.

Source: bystephanielynn.com via Shellee Stevenson on Pinterest

I might get some work done here, though.

Source: blog.warnersstellian.com via Wani on Pinterest

Did I mention I’m also thankful for Pinterest?

Linking up with the lovely Julia over at Black Tag Diaries.

family · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · joshua · madelynne

Porcupine Eggs

October 24, 2011 Lindsey P. Brackett3 Comments

You know what a porcupine egg is, don’t you?

On a fall walk last week, the girls picked some up and their daddy told them these little prickly balls (ours were green) were porcupine eggs.

They believed him.

At first it was cute and we played along. Well, he did. I just giggled in the front seat while they talked all about their porcupine eggs all the way home and Joshua told them they would hatch after they turned brown and split open.

Then we got home. And they made a house for their eggs out of a recycled Pampers box and some leaves.

And then they had to check on their “babies” every hour until they went to bed.

I warned him they would cry when he broke the news.

On Saturday, they forgot about the eggs for awhile when we went apple picking, but as soon as we got home they had to show their eggs to Mimi and Grandpa and tell them what they were going to name their porcupine babies. Then, on Sunday, the eggs began to turn brown.

“Daddy! They’re hatching!”

So he had to tell them. It wasn’t too bad, he said. Annabelle shrugged and ran off. Madelynne had tears until Joshua explained that when the egg hatched, all the little seedlings inside would grown a great big sweetgum tree. Then she lit up.

“Annabelle!” she shrieked running into the backyard. “Daddy said we’re going to grow a GUM tree!”

Joshua just said he hopes we move before he has to fess up to that one.

http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · pregnancy · saturday rambling

Saturday Ramblings

October 22, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

We’ve been on fall break for the past couple of days. Translation: Mommy has been lazy and Daddy and the girls have been working hard on their big project.

Here it is:

It’s a “wild garden.” We’re going to turn this little plot into a maze of vegetables and flowers and butterflies (hopefully) in the spring, but apparently the work starts now. My job was to supervise and take pictures while the girls and Joshua hauled mulch and scraped dirt.

Then I was worn out, so Amelia and I had to go inside and take naps. It’s tough to supervise. And did I mention, it was super cold on this day? On Monday it was 78 degrees, on Thursday it was 48. Then I started wondering why the house was so cold, and guess what? The unit isn’t working. No idea how long it’s truly been out since it’s been off for about ten days and the windows have been open. But yesterday, the thermostat quit registering as well. Good thing last year we invested in this lovely piece so our tootsies can stay warm.

On Thursday, we also visited my OB office for an ultrasound to determine just when this new baby is actually due. Here’s a little TMI for some of you: when you get pregnant on your IUD, it’s hard to determine exactly when that might have occurred. Hence, the three ultrasounds I’ve already had. So, we thought Peanut was due more mid to late May, but it’s been decided to move the date to May 8th. Which might break our birthday streak: 9-19, 3-19, 2-19. But since this baby is on it’s own timing, who’s surprised?

We took the girls with us to see the baby, and all they kept asking poor Jessica was, “Boy or girl?” No amount of “it’s too early” could convince them. Here it is…boy or girl?

Kind of skeletal in honor of Halloween. My dates were changed to show that baby measured 11w2d, so we’ll check back in November to answer that all important question. Yes, this time I want to know. Joshua doesn’t, but I told him I’d be happy to find out and he could just not speak to any of my friends or family or check facebook between now and May. So, he gave up the argument. I think he’s saving his breath for the name argument, um, discussion.

Now we’re having a lazy Saturday that needs to get a move on if we’re going to make it to the farm for apple picking later today.

Where are you rambling off to this Saturday?

amelia · cooking · monday

Miscellany Monday

October 17, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

1. This weekend the weather was perfect. Crisp, cool fall weather. Like it had been ordered up out of a catalog or something. Seriously. It was perfect. I opened all the windows and cleaned the house. Which really needed it since I’ve been hibernating on the sofa for a month and the dust bunnies are threatening to eat my family. Or at least their socks. I even cleaned the van. Amelia was a big help. She ate all the lost raisins and cheerios we found.

2. I tend to find this face irresistable. I think she’s pretending to be me because of the sunglasses, but maybe she’s just practicing for when she’s a big sister. Probably not. She has no idea that she’s going to have to share mommy and since she doesn’t like to share me with the sisters she already has who were around first, I’m not feeling confident she’s going to take kindly to a new baby sitting in mommy’s lap.

3. I bought mums a week or two ago and intended to plant them in my pathetic dead planter on the porch. That finally happened this weekend. Joshua and Annabelle did it while I napped on the couch.

4. Speaking of working in the yard, Joshua did that on Sunday because on Saturday I made him take me to see Courageous and have dinner. We were childless and I didn’t think yardwork qualified for a childless day. So, on Sunday he and the girls are outside working in what will be their “wild garden” come spring. It’s a concoction of flowers and vegetables and whatever else the girls pick out at Lowe’s. As mentioned before, I was napping. Until Madelynne burst in the house and announced, “I quit helping Daddy in the yard. All he wants to do is kill the grass. I enjoy nature. I don’t want to kill it!” Obviously she hasn’t figured out where her chicken nuggets come from yet.

5. And speaking of our date night, the movie was really good. But sad. I cried. A lot. There’s your warning. Then we went to Longhorn for the special and because I had a coupon. I don’t think we’ve eaten at Longhorn at least four months. Our “eat out” budget is limited to more frugal places these days. But we splurged a bit and I ate way too much. I keep forgetting that pregnancy encourages frequent small meals. Not frequent big ones.

6. We have a scarecrow in our yard this year. I don’t think our scarecrow wants to be on display, though. I keep finding him sprawled across the driveway. Or leaning like this.

7. Finally, I’m feeling better, which means that I’m cooking again. A fact my husband is profoundly grateful for. I made potato soup on Sunday and garnished it with all sorts of goodies like bacon (which I never buy or fry but broke down for this week) and green peppers that are still growing on our plant in the backyard. It was delish.