Here I Am (Christmas Countdown)

December 14, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

Here I am sitting and being grouchy and irritated over family drama and Madelynne crying because some girl doesn’t think she writes her name neatly and how Christmas just always feels more frustrating than it should when I read a post on facebook that a family is about to spend Christmas at Scottish Rite because their two-year-old has a tumor and suddenly there’s some perspective.

I hate that I have to get it that way.

I’ve got some fun plans for the next couple of weeks, ideas I hope will make me appreciate the Christ season more and not forget what we are celebrating. On a “Twelve Days of Christmas” whim, I’m going to try to post about what we’ve been up to everyday between now and Christmas.

Lofty goals. Good motivation to write everyday.

Here’s what we’ve been up to in the first twelve days of December….

Belle in “S-A-N-T-HO” at her school’s Christmas program.

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer….

Roasting marshmallows on Madelynne’s field trip to the Christmas Tree Farm.

Choosing our own tree. A sweet hemlock this year that’s not too full or needles but overly full of ornaments.

Coloring on the table.

Visiting Santa at Densmore Farm.

Seeing if they all fit on the swing.

Santa’s elves hard at work cleaning Mommy’s car.

Sunday dinner homemade biscuits wrapped in joy.

Come back tomorrow to see if what the beginning of the last twelve days leading up to Christmas will hold.

http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · madelynne · project 52

Things I’ve Really Wanted….

November 17, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett4 Comments

…to blog about but haven’t had/made time.

We’ve been making too much homemade pizza lately. Our beloved (free) pizza cutter broke in half the other night. The fact that is was a Habersham Bank pizza cutter might have been symbolic if you want to be that deep a thinker.

These awsomely handmade/hand-me-down Halloween costumes. We spent no money and used items we found around the house. That’s electrical tape making Madelynne’s Tigger stripes.

Joshua and the girls made these cute turkeys as a Saturday project a couple of weeks ago. He’s way better at projects than I am. I look at that and see frustration. Guess that’s why we’re a good team.

I think this turkey got eaten soon after. Oh, well. The short life of a turkey at Thanksgiving.

My cousin Heather is having a girl soon, so we spent Saturday afternoon making sweet onesies at her baby shower.

Belle went with me and since she is all about scissors right now, this was the perfect activity for her.

She even showed off her ironing skills when we got back home.

Here’s my onesie. We’re into owls lately. It needs buttons for eyes and then it’s done. Maybe no Kim Reed, but endearing nonetheless.

These two have been big buddies lately. I suspect that means I’m in for it .

Oh, and guess what? We’re having a boy. What do you do with boys? Do they like pizza and Pooh Bear and candy turkeys and baby showers? Maybe all but the last.

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.

cooking · madelynne · monday

Miscellany Monday

August 29, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

One.

So since I’m staying home, I’m trying to be more crafty. I have this misconception that SAHMs are all crafty and decorator-y (it’s a word) and cute. Notice I said misconception. I am well aware that most of the time we have pop-tart on our shirts, messy hair, and are lucky if the kids matched this morning. But a girl can dream. So for my first project:

We made some morning routine placemats. The craft itself was easy, well as easy as contact paper can be. The fighting of the sissies, not so much. Turned out alright, though. And they use them. Every morning. So now I need new Expo markers. And I no longer have a classroom to steal from.

Two.

My girls like to dance. On top of the coffee table. While dressed like fairy princesses.

Don’t tell their daddy.

Three.

Madelynne lost another tooth. So she spent Saturday morning crying because the tooth fairy forgot to leave her money (don’t worry we soon discovered the TF left it by the tv. I mean, what was she thinking?) and sucking juice through the gaping hole in her mouth. Awesome.

Four.

I’m on a mission to try new recipes. Cook more from scratch because ultimately it is cheaper. Even with coupons. BUT if you’re going to do that, it’s useful to follow the directions of ingredients one might not be familiar with. Such as the difference between regular yeast and rapid rise. Calzones turned out alright, though. I’m still enjoying leftovers, myself. And I did make that marinara from the tomatoes off the bush in my backyard. Which made me happy.

Five.

Homework. It’s begun. And it’s math.

I feel your pain, baby.

Link up your own randomness over with Carissa at lowercase letters.

Happy Monday!

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

Raining Blessings

July 26, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

It rained off an on all day yesterday and by evening was the light was pearly gray and the ground was soaked. Love it.

I really do love rainy days, as long as they don’t come one after another and keep us inside for more than the girls can stand. But the rain is soothing somehow, and makes me long for fall and coziness and hot chocolate and fires. Well, the electric fire in our free-standing unit at least.

We did get outside some before the storms began. Madelynne has finally learned to ride her bike by herself no training wheels. Major accomplishment. And I’m so glad the teaching is over because it was frustrating for all of us. But once she got the hang of it–off she went! In big circles all over the church parking lot at Bike Night. Turns out she just needed the right motivation. You’ll have to make the pics bigger to read my captions.

Later this week we’re hoping to finish a project we started last week…

and get lots of blueberries in the freezer to satisfy the blueberry pancake monsters at my house (that would be Amelia and her daddy).

And I think I’ve discovered why I’m low on vinegar, milk, worsterchire (actually I’m out of that), eggs, brown sugar, butter….ingredients used when you cook lots of deliciousness from scratch. I also think I’ve discovered why my shorts sometimes seem a little tight.

I blame Pioneer Woman.

But everything I make from there is so good, how can I stop?