Lately: Summer Vacation Edition

Hi! Owen started Pre-K today, and if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know that I’m feeling all the feels about my first born being away from me for more than three hours at a time.

While I work through these very complex emotions (actually, they aren’t very complex. I’m both miserably sad and totally ecstatic at the same time) I thought I would let you know what we did on our summer vacation besides watch Chuggington and Wild Kratts and eat Popsicles.

Without further adieu ( and because I have to pick up Owen in an hour and you bet your blue jeans I’ll be the first one in line) here is our summer in photos.

In case you missed it, we moved from a house we adored to a new (to us) house we adore even more. Our neighborhood backs up to a pecan orchard and a cattle farm, but we’re only minutes away from necessities (ie Target, Kroger and Chick Fil A).

The boys love it here, and especially love our donkey neighbors. We sometimes walk on what Owen calls “the main road”  to pet and feed our new friends.

 

One of the saddest parts of moving was also moving away from our good friends and neighbors. Fortunately, they encouraged us to buy a summer pool membership at a local country club, and we have really enjoyed keeping cool and seeing our friends!

Sweets were enjoyed …

Games were played …

 

 

 

Swings were pushed …

Frogs were caught …

And tantrums were thrown.

But most of all, we just tried to stay cool.

So we went to the library.

A lot.

And when all else failed, and I was at my wit’s end, we watched TV.

If you’re summer vacation is already coming to a close, I hope it was good to you. And if not? I hope you enjoy it while it lasts!

Now I’m off to stand at the doors of Owen’s school like a lost puppy. This gets better, right?

 

Thanks for reading!

Jamie

Lazy … I Mean Lately

Does summer make you lazy? Oh my gosh, summer makes me soooo lazy. As soon as the boys are down for nap and quiet time I am useless. Sometimes, I just sit on the couch and stare at the fan for a solid five minutes before getting work done turning on the TV.

The laziness set in right after we unpacked the last box, and for a while I justified it by saying “YOU JUST MOVED ALL OF YOUR RANDOM CRAP INTO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT HOUSE. YOU DESERVE A BREAK. AND SOME ICE CREAM!” But now it’s time to get real – now I’m just being inexcusably lazy.

All of this to say that today is the day, people! Today is the day that I take a small break from being lazy to write a blog post. #babysteps.

So, here’s a little update for your Monday. Here we go!

1. We moved into our house at the beginning of the month and we are finally, for the most part, settled in. We still have a few minor things to get done – like hang pictures – but we are so happy to finally be here! We love this house, the neighborhood and our donkeys. More on that later.

2. So about those goals … I probably shouldn’t have started making goals right before moving AND the beginning of summer (see above re: laziness in summer) but I will say that I was mildly successful regarding one goal: drinking more water. Since it’s freaking 1,000,000 degrees here now, I pretty much have to drink water to, you know, survive.

3. I turned 32 a week ago! I’ve observed that you know you’re growing up when you ask for plants for your birthday (I want my yard covered in hydrangeas!)  and you spend a gift card on kitchen accessories and a welcome mat.

My friend Melissa gave me a grown up coloring book for my birthday. Some things never change …

4. Henry got tubes in his ears earlier this month and OH MY GOSH WHAT A DIFFERENCE A TUBE (or two) MAKES! We haven’t been to the pediatrician’s office in almost a month, which is a new record. If you’ve ever had a child with chronic ear infections, you know how frustrating and helpless they can make you feel. I’m so happy he’s off the constant stream of antibiotics and pain reliever!

5. Thanks to this article, I don’t think I’m going to be bathing my kids a lot in the future.

That’s all for me! How is YOUR summer going? Are you staring at ceiling fans like me? Do your kids have chronic ear infections? Do you enjoy hydrangeas?  Do you bathe your kids every night? Leave me a comment below or on my Facebook page!

Saying Goodbye

Seven and a half years ago, while Jake and I were looking for our first home, we checked out a little three bedroom house in a sweet little neighborhood. It was past dark and freezing, and the power hadn’t been turned on, so we toured it by the light of our realtor’s pocket flash light. I walked around the house, teeth chattering, as I tried to envision our lives – our future – in that little house. A bed here, a couch there. Where would our dogs go?

We looked at it one more time (in daylight) and made an offer. It was quite an upgrade from the two bedroom duplex we were renting; we might as well have been moving to Beverly Hills. And while it took us a while to make the house a home (we didn’t have a dining room table for almost two years!) we finally filled it with furniture, children, and so many sweet, sweet memories.

This little house has seen so much in these short (yet looooong) seven years. On a spring day in 2010, I excitedly ran from our bedroom to the garage to tell Jake I was pregnant with Owen, waving the positive pregnancy test for the entire neighborhood to see. “Are you sure you read it right? Go get the box,” he said with a nervous grin. Watching Jake learn he’d be a dad will forever be one of my favorite memories.

When I was in labor with Owen, I paced his room and ran my fingers over his crib and changing table as I grimaced through the contractions, in awe that he would finally be using the room we so carefully arranged for him. Sitting in Owen’s room and waiting for him to arrive will forever be one of my favorite memories.

Two years and nine months later, the morning after we brought Henry home from the hospital, Owen tiptoed into our bedroom and snuggled with his baby brother for the first time. Watching Owen become a big brother will forever be one of my favorite memories.

There’s a tree in the back yard that both boys loved playing under – its landscape is decidedly boy and puckered with holes and bare spots where grass waved its white flag and gave up any hope of growing thanks to the constant traffic of tiny tractors and dump trucks. Watching my boys play under that tree will forever be one of my favorite memories.

I’m not sure how to close this, other than to say leaving this place has been bittersweet. And while that sentiment is overused, I can’t think of any other way to describe it. Seven and a half years ago, I walked these halls and tried to envision our future, and looking back, I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

One Lovely Blog Award

Hi! I’m taking a break from packing (blah!) to share some fun news!

I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog award by Megan at Why Moms! Why Moms is a fellow mom blog run by three moms who are trying to find “meaning in the mundane,” which I can totally get behind! I hope you’ll check them out! Thank you, Why Moms!

Rules for Accepting the One Lovely Blog Award:

1) Thank the person who nominated you for the award.
2) Add the One Lovely Blog badge to your post.
3) Share seven facts about yourself.
4) Nominate about 15 bloggers you admire by posting a comment on their blog.

Seven Facts About Me:

1. My middle name is Lee, but I’m not the only one! My dad, husband, two sons, and nephew also have the same middle name.
2. Before deciding to stay at home with my two boys, I worked as a communications director for my alma mater, Mercer University. (Go Bears!) Before that, I worked for Girl Scouts as a Field Executive, and before that I edited local magazines.
3. This is probably my 5th blog. The first few were basically diaries (so embarrassing). Then I had a pregnancy blog, which turned into Laughter Ever After – a family/lifestyle/mom blog.
4. In 2007, I was on Oprah’s Favorite Things episode. It remains one of the coolest moments of my entire life.
5. My favorite book is Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love.”
6. I buy most of clothes at Target. But I enjoy splurging on pieces that I don’t wear around my kids. #practical
7. I’m so nervous about my little boy starting Pre-K next year, but I’m also REALLY excited.

Let’s Hear It For the Mom Blogs, People!

Hi! Happy hump day! What do you have planned? I can tell you that I have NOTHING planned, which is never a good thing since Owen and Henry literally climb my legs for fun. We need activities, friends.

Anyway. Can I take a few minutes to get something off my chest? I’ve been mulling over this for a while and I’d really like to lay it all out on the table.

Ready? Deep breath in and …

I’ve been blogging on and off since 2010; I took a good two-year break before reintroducing The Laughter Ever After Blog last summer. Lately, I’ve been having a legit blogging identity crisis. I guess you could call my website a “mom blog,” which, up until recently, would have made me cringe just a little. Mom blogs have the reputation of being the mom jeans of the internet, amiright? Anyway, I’ve been fighting it tooth and nail.

Mom blogs get a bad rep, and I get it. I really do. There are approximately 1,567,894.234 mom blogs, first of all. Secondly, not everyone is into long, self-indulgent diatribes about parenting. But here’s thing thing: when shit gets real (both literally and figuratively) I head to the internet for advice. Google has been my rock (even when I’m mean to her), and lots of times Google leads me to a mom blogger – a fellow mother who has been there, done that and, most importantly, lived – nay, survived! – to write about it. Mom blogs have offered me a tremendous amount of comfort and advice and have made me snort with laughter, to boot.

Good mom bloggers give an honest, candid look at parenting that makes me feel a just a little less crazy. They tell me it’s okay to not want to play Ninja Turtles for four hours a day. They tell me that I will eventually sleep again. They commiserate during the hard times and celebrate the good times. So I’ve decided if I’m fortunate to someday be classified as a top mom blogger, I’ll gladly accept it. I’m shouting it from the rooftops, people: I’M A MOM BLOGGER!

Below are a few blogs (and one vlog) that I read really love. I wouldn’t classify all of them as “mom blogs,” but all of them write about parenting often. I hope you’ll take some time to check them out!

Coffee + Crumbs
Mom Babble
Momastery
One Mother To Another
What’s Up Moms
The Small Things Blog
MaLyn Logic

Do you have a favorite blogger (besides yours truly, of course 😉 ) Leave a comment below or on my Facebook page! Oh, and check me out on the Insta, too!

Lately … (That Time I Tried Snapchat Edition)

Hi! How was your weekend? Did you eat way too much fast food? Go on a two hour road trip with your cranky kids? Try to send your first Snapchat but got cold feet? Hey! Me too!

It’s been a while since I posted what The Dicksons have been up to lately, so let’s chat!

1. Owen finished 3K today, and I almost started ugly crying during the Dinosaur Boogie his class sang this morning. He has learned SO much this year (he’s already reading a little!) and has made so many sweet friends. I toured the Pre-K program he’s going to be in next fall and I miiiiiiight have had a mild panic attack. He’s getting SO big and smart and is definitely not a baby anymore. #wah. Side note: Owen wants to go by the name “Jonathan” since it has more letters than Henry. Make note!

Owen and his teacher. We sure are going to miss her!

2. My boys spoiled me for Mother’s Day this year! Owen picked out a sweet enewton design necklace (I might have dropped a few hints), a t-shirt from my fave restaurant (The Rookery in Macon) and another t-shirt from my favorite momiform store (Target. Duh.) My men get me. He also made me my favorite breakfast – one egg (sunny side up) and coffee with loads of creamer. I love Mother’s Day!

I love my new necklace!

3. The flooring for our new house came in this weekend, which makes the big move seem even more real. I’m SO excited about getting into our new house! And for someone who is so excited about it, you’d think I’d be packing like mad. Nope. Haven’t packed a single flippin’ thing yet. There is nary a box to be found in this house. I’m hoping the packing fairy will just come take care of it for me.

Our new house in our sweet little neighborhood!

4. So my college-aged cousin taught me about the new-to-me social media platforms this weekend, including Snapchat and GroupMe.  I just don’t get it. Why not send a text message? WHAT AM I MISSING?!  My generation pretty much invented social media, and now I have no idea what’s going on.  I feel ridiculously old and find it hard to believe that I will be 32 next month. THIRTY TWO. I might as well go buy an electric blanket and some Bengay and call it day.

That’s it for me! What’s going on with YOU? Share in the comments or on my Facebook page! Oh! And are you following me on Instagram? You should! (Because if I were you, I really wouldn’t expect me to send you a snapchat anytime soon.)

Thanks for reading!

Five Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask: A Teacher

Today, in honor of Teacher Appreciation Month, I’m bringing you an interview with Emilie Gordon Del Risco, a Spanish teacher currently living and working in The Cayman Islands. (Raise you’re hand if you’re jealous!)

Emilie and I met at Mercer University and were both members of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She’s been teaching a variety of subjects for 12 years, but her main focus has been Spanish. In Grand Cayman, Emilie teaches at a small private school where her 7-year-old daughter also attends. When she’s not teaching, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to new places and and managing Island Teacher – an online store she owns that sells resources for other language teachers.

1. What made you decide to go into teaching? Why Spanish?
I honestly was one of those people who said I would “never” be a teacher. I just didn’t think it was for me. I began college wanting to be a psychologist or a counselor, but everything changed after a summer study abroad trip to Spain. I came home, added Spanish as a major and then went back for another summer abroad the next year. I did some internship work my senior year of college and through this I was involved in teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language classes. After graduating from undergrad, I took classes to obtain my state teaching certification. Later, I went back to school and completed a Master’s in Education. I specifically like teaching Spanish as I love having the opportunity to expose students to a new language and culture. My experiences abroad and now being married to a native Spanish speaker (he’s from Peru) have opened my eyes and made me see that the world is a much bigger place than I thought when I was growing up in a small town in Georgia. I love passing on this knowledge to my students!

2. What are some of the major differences between teaching in the Grand Cayman vs. the United States?
The schools in Grand Cayman follow either the American system or the British system. Because I teach at a school which follows the American system, the curriculum, grading and calendar are all pretty similar to the US. The biggest difference is that I’m teaching and working with students and staff from all over the world who all bring different ideas and knowledge into the school environment. It’s fun! A large amount of teachers at my school are from Canada, so I find I’ve picked up some different vocabulary. My students now “write” (take) tests, I “mark” (grade) papers and my daughter is in Grade 1 (1st grade). The other big difference is the availability of resources….need some class decor or supplies for a cool art project? You’re pretty much out of luck until you (or someone else) brings it from off island.

3. What can a student/parent do to make you feel appreciated?
A smile, thank you, or note of appreciation goes a long way. These memories last a lot longer than gifts. We definitely appreciate gifts, but if you’re looking for a gift for your child’s teacher, just note that we do tend to get an abundance of mugs, lotion, and candles. 😉 A great gift idea is to ask what is needed for the classroom. Chances are, your child’s teacher spends their own money providing items for the class, so parent help here is always appreciated.

4. What are some of the biggest misconceptions about teachers?
I guess I would say the biggest misconception is that we leave work at 3:00 and have the summers “off”. Definitely not the case, as more work begins once the students are gone. There’s lesson planning, paper grading, and meetings to attend. Much time is spent in the summer preparing for the upcoming school year or attending training.

4. What is the best way a parent can get the most out of a relationship with his/her child’s teacher? Support the teacher as best as you can. Be willing to ask how you can best help or show your support to the class. Always realize that there are 2 sides to the story…the teacher’s and the student’s and try not to jump to conclusions. Have an open line of communication with your child’s teacher. Keep the teacher informed of anything going on outside of school which may affect the child in school.

Thanks, Emilie, for your time!

Friends, don’t forget to show some appreciation for the teachers in your lives this month!

A Very Important Announcement

Hear ye! Hear ye!

I have a very important announcement to make!

But first, some background…

For years, I have been terrified of the “mother’s day surveys” that preschool teachers often have their students fill out as Mother’s Day gifts. You know the ones, right? The child has to answer questions like “My mom weighs ______ lbs. (Cruel, right??) And “My mom’s favorite thing to do is ______”

Anyway, I’m always afraid of what Owen might say because, like all moms, I sometimes get a little insecure about my ability to raise humans. So, I’m worried Owen will say things like: “My mom’s favorite thing to do is: look at Instagram!” Or, “My mom’s favorite food is: coffee and wine!”

But it turns out that Owen thinks I’m an AWESOME mom! It says so right here!

So, mamas everywhere, have no fear! Your kids think you’re GREAT. (Even if you do play on your phone too much and drink copious amounts of coffee.) And let me know if you want my corn casserole recipe. It really is *that* good.

May Goals

Hi! How was your weekend? Did you see a movie? Clean your house? Mourn the loss of McDreamy by baking two dozen chocolate chip cookies? Yes?! What a coincidence. Me too! (P.S. Have you seen “Wild” starring my favorite actress Reese Witherspoon? It’s so good. Stop everything and go rent it.)

Today, I’m going to give you the skinny on my May goals. Erin Carroll (The Blue Eyed Bride) writes about her monthly goals, and I really enjoy it, so I thought I’d try it, too! At the end of the month, I’ll do a follow up post, but if you don’t see one, well, you’ll know how things went …

So, without further ado …

1. Drink More Water:
Ugh. Do you know how often I go until 1 p.m. having had nothing to drink but coffee and the water off of my toothbrush? I’ll give you a hint: a lot.  Apparently, I was not gifted the ability to, you know, get thirsty. Jake bought me a cute Tervis Tumbler for Easter, so I’m trying to fill it up and carry it with me when I’m out, but it’s hard, y’all! I’m going to make staying hydrated a priority this month. Do you have any tips for me? No, wine doesn’t count.

2. Keep a Gratitude Journal:
It’s hard to stay focused on what you’re appreciative of when your kids are screaming “PEANUT BUTTER”  at the top of their lungs while you frantically try to find the last clean butter knife, amiright? Being around small kids allllll day is hard, so I think a gratitude journal might do me some good.

3. Read More
For the first year or so after Henry was born, all I wanted to do during the boys’ nap time was sit in front of my TV and eat junk food. And you know what? I gave myself that luxury because I EARNED it, dammit. But now that the kids are older, I really need to snap out of the “new mom” bit so that my brain doesn’t turn into Real Housewives-filled mush. Right now I’m reading “The Girl on The Train.” So good!

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And, just for kicks, here are some things I’m giving up this month:

1. Cleaning
Alright, alright, I’ll probably still clean the kitchen and the bathrooms, but we are moving out at the end of the month and I am OVER deep-cleaning this house. I can confidently say that I mopped the floors for the last time last night. That’s right – if you visit me this month bring your haz-mat suit and a can of Lysol because I am DONE.

2. Ear Infections
Well, at least Henry’s. He is FINALLY getting tubes sometime in the next six weeks and I for one am ecstatic. That poor kid has been on antibiotics since January and we officially have a favorite room at the pediatrician’s office. IT. IS. TIME.

What are some of your goals this month? Or, what are you quitting? Share in the comments or on my Facebook page!