real moms: a series

sloan is one of those people who you just love to be around. she + my sister grew up together (+ remain close friends), which means that she + i grew up together for the most part. she + allison are the same age + i am sandwiched in between her sisters, kate + cece.

growing up the looney girls have always been very stylish + the most beautiful girls in a bunch. so it is really no wonder that little miss georgie is the cutest little girl in lakewood. brian + i recently told sloan that we are only okay with georgie being our daughter-in-law, partly because she is adorable + partly bc i like her parents so much. let the playdates + romance begin!

[if you are new to this series you can check out our first + second installments of real moms: a series]

name(s) + age of kid(s): 

Georgie Maverick Dix, 20 months

city: 

Dallas, TX

where are some of your favorite places to go with your little one?

We love Klyde Warren park, Georgie can't get enough of the different water/splash areas there. We also LOVE the zoo. Her "lovie" (security blanket) is a giraffe and so we go and feed the actual giraffes at the Dallas zoo and she just says over and over: "Hi wuuuvvviiee". We can't get enough (and continue to pay a ridiculous amount of money for two pieces of lettuce, they're banking on the Dix family).

what is something inspiring or funny that your mother taught you about being a mother?

Be creative. I remember so many fun things my mom used to do for us. We would "hunt for treasures", which I now understand to mean look for broken pieces of old tile in the alley. She also always came up with awesome things to do inside, like turn the piano into a "fort" by hanging a blanket over it. I think now, with iPads and computers and phones and TVs it's so easy to lose that sense of creativity and I just hope that as Georgie gets older, David and I can think of all sorts of things for her to do that don't involve "screens" all of the time. As far as funny goes, lets just say burping and tooting were always laughed at when we were growing up. And while bodily functions as such are pretty funny, I think what it actually taught us was to not be embarrassed or ashamed about certain things that sometimes can't be helped. My mom definitely always pushed us to just be who we were, and not ashamed of that and I think that't really important.

what is something you hope your child gets from you? 

From me I hope she gets my tenacity and persistence. From David I hope she gets his laid back mentality and his ability to see the good in anybody.

what is something you hope they don't get from you? 

Ha, well, if we’re being honest, I hope she doesn’t develop my propensity for anger. I can get worked up very easily and if we’re lucky, she’ll grow to be more even keeled and patient, like David.

how do you stay creative at home? 

Right now it’s a lot of outdoor activities, she loves her wagon, or going on walks. She also just loves to do whatever it is I’m doing, so in the mornings when I get ready for work, I keep her entertained by letting her “do” all of the things I do, such as pretending to put deodorant on her, rollers in her hair, maybe a dab of lip gloss. She thinks it’s hysterical.

what is the number one thing you hope to teach your child? 

That we are ALL people. No matter what your circumstances are, no matter how you were raised, no matter where you grew up, no matter who you love, we are all people with the same emotions and feelings, and thus should all be treated as such. I so hope by the time she grows up there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in the way we view race, sexuality or any other “differentiator” that seems to be prevalent in life right now. I know that we’ve come a very long way since the time of our own parents, but I just want Georgie to love everyone, to see each person as just that, an individual that deserves equality. Hopefully David and I can instill that understanding in her.

how do you relax after a stressful day? 

If we’re at home, I cannot tell a lie, David and I love the good ole TV. We have our favorite shows like Grimm (I know, embarrassing) or Homeland. It’s nice to sit down and just be able to let your mind go, not have to think. We also read a lot, whether it be our marriage books or parenting books or just straight up trashy reads, we’re pretty into our kindle and iPad. If we have the option of going out, ideally it would be a dinner and movie, but sometimes we cut it short to just a fun dinner.

please share a story with us about your little one:

Oh man, where to begin. I just love how she’s started to pick up on the phrases and words that go together. We’ve recently started letting her watch Dora. I’m not even sure where or how the obsession began, I think because someone gave us a little Dora kitchen that’s in her room. BUT, the other day David and I were repeating something that they say on the show (Swiper No Swiping....I’m sure a lot of parents know exactly what I’m talking about) and out of nowhere, Georgie responded as Swiper would and threw her hands in the air and said: “Ohhhhhhhhh Man”. David and I both died laughing. It’s so funny to hear such a little human start to put it all together, say words, and just her little voice going “ohhhh man”....well, it just melts my heart like nothing else.

thank you so much for giving us a peek into your life with georgie on the little things blog. you are an amazing mother to sweet georgie, she is so lucky to have you + david as parents. 

i look forward to sharing your favorite things with everyone next week.