Dallas grew up in Austin and now lives in Houston (with her husband and three kids), but she has enough hilarious stories to fill the entire state of Texas. In fact, the idea for "The Mommy Diaries" came after an email rant about her daughter, a broken cup and stepping in curdled milk at 4:00 a.m. After laughing out loud at her misfortune, her editor wanted to hear more – and the book was born.
Dallas is well past her baby raising, bottle and diaper days, but her two sons and daughter—now eight, nine, and ten-years-old; all with "E" names—are still as entertaining and accident-prone as ever.
Once a Field Leader for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International, Dallas now travels the country, speaking to women’s groups, where the discussion topics, like her first book, are more religious based. Despite her hectic, exhausting life, Dallas routinely wakes before dawn to take advantage of the early morning stillness, and admits that’s when her inspiration strikes best. With Mother's Day arriving this weekend, Dallas is here to get us in the mood, whether we are a mother, aunt, grandmother, friends with other mothers or are celebrating our own mothers!
You can find Dallas at her website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
Couldn't we start with something easier? Narrowing this down to ONE thing is tough. My favorite thing about being a mom is the quiet time that comes in the early morning when I wake my kids for the day. They are all snuggled down in their beds, soft, warm and sleepy. For those few moments between dreams and greeting the morning, they are still my babies.
What is the most challenging thing about motherhood?
The most challenging...those are the moments that immediately follow the soft and cuddly wake-up moments!! My kids are now: 8, 9, & 10 years old. They can think independently from me, they can voice those independent thoughts, and they can act on those verbal proclamations! While it IS true that I want them to be independent and great thinkers--movers and shakers, the whole nine yards...I still need them to understand that for the time being they still reside under my roof, which is a dictatorship...not a democracy!
Do you have any Mother's Day traditions?
Yes. A couple of years ago, my oldest kiddo, Ethan wanted to bring me breakfast in bed. He wanted to make it all by himself! I awoke to a piece of dry toast and Lucky Charms!! He was so proud of himself, and I was so overwhelmed with the emotion of my (then) six-year-old trying his hardest to make my Mother's Day special, that I wolfed down the toast AND the cereal! Since then, he's learned how to make my coffee, and how much creamer to add! I still get the toast and whatever cereal he can reach! I still think it's gourmet!
Who is your favorite mom from a fictional novel?
Mrs. Bennet from "Pride and Prejudice!!" She's a scream! She's a hyper-sensitive, social-climbing, bundle-of-nerves-ready-to-explode at any minute!! "Oh, my poor nerves!" I love her. Of course, I'm nothing like her...except maybe that I'm a little too high strung at times. She's wonderful for comic relief. You have my permission to throw a book at me, should I EVER begin to demonstrate too many of her characteristics!
What is your favorite song about motherhood?
That's easy! "The Mom Song" by the Go Fish Guys. It's awesome and totally sums up most of my days! These guys have completely nailed the role of the mom! "If you're tired of doing dishes, and you know who Elmo's fish is...you're a Mom....You're the boss, the driver, the Ultimate Survivor...a doctor, a cooker...your man thinks you're a looker..." I love it!!!
What was the sweetest thing your kid has said to you?
Elliott, my youngest told me a couple of weeks ago during a particularly rotten day: "Mom, thank you for giving me birth." Ugh! I almost melted right then and there. My bad day evaporated just looking into his big blue eyes!
Do you have any rituals with your kids?
I have three kiddos, so naturally there is bound to be some sibling issues that come up. One of our most challenging and recurring themes was mealtime prayer (of all things). They would fight over it. So we made a schedule in "born order", they call it. That way we always know who's turn it is by the day of the week.
What is your favorite "kid food" to serve and/or eat?
Rice. Krispie. Treats. Hands down. Love 'em, can't get enough of them...in fact, truth be known...I have a tendency to hide some in a secret stash after I make them!
"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day." I love it. They love it. We are all moving to Australia. Well, not really, but we say we are when our days go terribly-horribly wrong!
What is a question your kid asked you that came out of left field?
"Why are you so wrinkly?" Thanks, kid. You see, he (wouldn't ya know it'd be a boy) was pulling off one of my dress boots for me, and apparently the skin on my calf sorta "bunched". I didn't really realize that I was old enough to have skin saggy enough that it hung off my bones like meat in a butcher shop. I mean, I don't see it that way. Evidently, a ten-year-old's eyes are much better! Since then, I get my daughter to help me with these boots. She has much more tact. Just a little aside, her comment to her brother was a horrified gasp, complete with: "Ethan you're not supposed to say those things...even if it's a little true! You'll hurt her feelings!" Again, I say "thanks, kid."
Special thanks to Dallas for visiting us today and helping us ring in Mother's Day! Thanks to PR by the Book for facilitating this interview.
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