Next Steps

Top Ten Things I Never Thought I would say

1.     Hey mom and dad…I’m going to be on the Today show.

2.     I’m sorry; I can’t speak to you until I am done filming with The Today Show/Katie Couric/Jeff Probst.

3.     When will my driver be here?

4.     Girls please stop fighting and please be quiet! BBC London is Skyping. Geesh!

5.     What time am I suppose to be in hair and make-up?

6.     Jeff Probst’s dimples are extremely distracting.

7.     Oh look, I made the India Times.

8.     I just have take a quick conference call with the tv/movie guy calling….can you please take the kids swimming?

9.     My blog just passed 600,000 hits.

10. I’m sorry all requests will have to go through my agent.

That’s right…I now have an agent.  Unreal. Just unreal.That sounds so weird to me.

When I was in L.A I was fortunate enough to be called by a well known fabulous agent/partner from a large firm who asked to represent me!! ME!!! Many of you have asked me to or suggested I write a book. Well…looks like that is going to happen. A well-known TV/Movie producer also approached me and time will tell where that will go after my book. 

My book…hee hee!

FYI…not everyone in Hollywood are money hungry sharks. All of the people I met have been nothing but open, honest and kind while not taking advantage of my clear lack of knowledge about this industry.  I can’t speak if that applies to Mini Mr. T and Mr. Batman dude, but I couldn’t be more excited to work with Amy Schiffman and the Intellectual Property Group. No need for jokes here about my ‘intellect’

While I was in L.A there was a National Writers & Screen Writers Conference taking place in the hotel we were staying at. The irony of this is not lost on me. People go to school and work a lifetime for this career…and here I was in the lobby having it handed to me on a silver platter. As I looked around at all the established and aspiring Authors, I felt humbled. I also felt a wee bit giggly…is this actually happening?? Yeah it is!!!

To say I feel blessed would be an understatement.

To say I feel scared would be an understatement.

I am a pretty confident gal in most arenas in my life.  To deal with this new feeling of self-doubt has brought much learning about myself. I keep flipping between ‘pee my pants excitement’ (which isn’t hard for me as you know) to ‘what the hell am I doing?’ However, to wake up at almost *ahem* forty years old and discover I have a talent for writing that I didn’t know existed, has been a wonderful gift. I need to follow this path and see where it takes me.

A very wise mentor of mine, and someone dear to my heart recently sent me a copy of my favorite poem:

The Road Not Taken

 Robert Frost (1874–1963)

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

So I AM going to take the road less traveled and hope you will join me on the journey.

The 15 minutes has lead to a very exciting new chapter…(see what I did there? lol)

I now find myself in a world with a foreign language of book proposals, editors, offers, deals, publishers and marketing. I also have to do laundry.  Right now I am feeling pretty confident about my laundry. Well, that and my wine drinking abilities.

While I have some professional guidance and ideas floating around in my head...I want your input. After reading my writings and my style, what would you like to read from me?

Xoxo

J

Tonight as you smile with me...please also keep the East Coast of the USA and Canada on your heart and in your prayers.

Taking Time....for YOU!

My life seems to be settling a bit.

This week was spent catching up with work, school forms, sports and laundry. Oh the laundry. We need a laundry fairy. Some may think that my girls should be doing this for themselves...zip it. It's my control issues. First, I can't afford the machine to be going for one pair of jeans or the cost of new clothes as a result of whites mixed with colours. Dylan probably wouldn't like pink shirts for work, although I would laugh for sure. Second, I am weird about my laundry...certain things are hung to dry, others laid flat or jeans inside out. No one wants to see Super Blogger Mommy go all Bad Ass Laundry Evil Villain. I would have to trade my cape for horns.

Although this "15" minutes has seemed like the LONGEST "15" minutes ever...in fact 30 hours of labour seemed shorter, I do believe life is returning to normal. A new normal, but normal nonetheless. It has been a wonderful experience and I don't regret a second of it...well the UK interviews were a little hard due to the time change, but I loved it.  My inside voice has had a British accent all week. I am still doing a few interviews here and there (as you do), but over this weekend I want to take the time to go through each comment on my blog and respond personally.

Some of your comments have made me laugh so hard I actually spit wine. I blame you for the wine crimes :) I should figure out a way to send you all the bill for the cleaning or send you my address for wine replacement. Some of you have touched my heart and sent me messages right when I needed your words of encouragement. Some have asked quirky questions that I would love to answer!!

There are a lot to get through, but it is important to me!! Happy reading...this will be fun!

xoxo
J

Welcome to Hollywood! What’s your dream?

Imagine if you will, sitting on your couch drinking coffee and responding to work emails on a Monday morning at 8:30am. Life is normal. Kids are off to school, dogs are fed and the week ahead is filled with work appointments and sports activities.

At 9am my cell phone rings…

I am requested to fly to New York to appear on the Today Show. WHAT??? Oh, and you have to be at the airport in 2 hours. WHAT??? Oh, and they will be sending a crew to your house tonight to film ‘Danny’ and the kids. Say it with me…WHAT???

(Ok I may have added some adjectives to the WHAT’S, but my mom is probably reading this)

I am a list maker. I mean, like I REALLY love a good list to check things off and help my crazy overworking brain feel more organized. I make lists for what lists I need.

When I am anticipating a holiday or trip, I begin laying clothes and toiletries out (beside the aforementioned lists) at least a week in advance. For crying out loud I usually have the suitcases up in the bedrooms the day the trip is planned/booked. Well…not so much this time. Suitcases flying, calls into work, a few moments of tears and more than one ‘sniff’ test for clean clothes and we were off to the airport. True to myself, I checked my purse for my passport about 100 times. But we made it…and I lived to tell the tale despite not creating or checking off one single list. Hmm, I should make a list about things I continue to learn about myself.

Fast-forward a week. Trip to L.A is planned with a wee bit more notice (3 days…oh Lord help my anxiety) and three VERY excited children. It was a busy weekend in between filled with regular mom things; you know like soccer, laundry, live interviews via satellite at the local studio to Australian National Television and basketball. But the stress of having three girls pack for a spur of the moment trip was almost the death of me. Glad it wasn’t, that would have ended the Mom on the Edge of Crazy blog and I hate disappointing people.

Peyton packed her entire wardrobe. Correction: Her entire winter wardrobe. Umm…Los Angeles sweetheart not Alaska. She also had enough hair product and lip gloss to make the actual make-up artists jealous. She does come by her packing anxiety honestly and I spent a good hour talking her off the ledge about what outfit she was going to wear on the show. By 11:00pm I couldn’t have cared if she wore her pajamas on national television, but we made it through. Yup...insert mommy cape here.

My sweet Olivia amazes me with her personality everyday. She is so laid back and takes things in stride. How this plays out with her packing style looks like this:

1.     Grab a few things, some matching some not so much (with a few sniff tests of her own).

2.     Roll items into clothing balls and place/throw/toss in suitcase

3.     Sit down to paint toenails. Ummm...really? I guess to be fair she was going to be wearing sandals on TV and the camera is often focused at the guests pretty piggy’s. Sigh.

Quinn folded one pair of jeans, a t-shirt and her infamous hat and proclaimed,  “I’m good mom”. Well, I’m glad someone was.

The next morning I was asleep on the plane before we left the gate.

I LOVE L.A!! Anytime I get to see palm trees I know life is good. Anytime I get to see a Mini Mr.T, some dude from Batman and a guy with a huge snake around his neck all chatting with each other on Hollywood Boulevard I know life is good. My children have not held my hand so tight since they were two! That may have been my favorite part. They were suddenly not embarrassed by me and we were not even at the cash register at their favorite store in the mall. Hollywood magic I tell ya.

Our hotel was attached to a beautiful mall…Dylan felt afraid when I told him. Inside said mall was the largest candy store I have EVER seen. When asked at customs on the way home what we were declaring, all three girls cheered “CANDY”. There were no further questions and I did actually witness a Customs Official crack a small smile.

We went to Universal Studios as a family when the girls were 7 and 9. We also got to spend a day there this trip. SO FUN!! I am a big kid at heart, but I did actually question myself that I had put them on those rides on the last trip when they were so young. Scary stuff. My super blogger mommy cape and theme song were temporarily stripped from my possession. Not like Lance Armstrong medal stripped, I got them back eventually. We had to go on all the rides twice as the first time around I just watched my sister freak out and laughed at her. Good thing the Jurassic Park ride has water…it helped with the hiding of my laughing/bladder issues.

I feel blessed to have been able to have a ‘girl’s only’ trip with my sister and my little ladies. Memories and laughter none of us will ever forget. Being surrounded by amazing women in my life, although some of them still short, is something to celebrate. Look around you, celebrate the women in your life and create memories.

Despite having drivers waiting for us in Calgary, ‘Danny’ was at the airport for all his ladies when we arrived home. In his hand he held a coffee for me and snacks for the girls. We are one lucky family. I love him… a lot.

I searched and searched but I could not find Ellen’s star on Hollywood Boulevard. I will go back one day with this as my only goal.

FYI…Jeff Probst’s dimples are EXTREMELY distracting. Just sayin’.

xoxo

J

                                                                 #Ihavenowords

NYC: Big Lights Will Inspire You

I haven’t written anything for a week and I am feeling a bit of blog pressure to please. So…

A grasshopper walks into a bar and the bartender says, “Hey we have a drink named after you”. The grasshopper replies, “You have a drink named Bob?”

Whew, now that we have an initial laugh out of the way from my AWESOME joke, I want to share some candid observations and experiences about my adventures to NYC.

New York is an amazing city. The people are so nice!! This Canadian girl learned so much and I could have spent so much more time there. Maybe one day I will get to go backJ We fit in as many touristy things as possible…some sights seen from the back of cab but we saw them nonetheless.

Do you want to know how to spot the Canadian tourist in NYC? They will be the one actually waiting for the small walking man in the street light giving them permission to cross the street. The first day as I was looking around at all the rebels crossing against the walking man; I wanted to politely warn them that this crazy shit is against the LAW and will get you a ticket. By the second day I looked both ways and crossed cautiously with the crowd (ok I ran like a wild chicken) and was thrilled by my outright disregard for any jaywalking laws. By the third day I was all ‘New York’; I stepped of the curb without a glance, banged on the hoods of cars and cheered on my inner woman. Yeah that’s how I roll…I cross streets when the red hand is flashing. Super Blogger Mommy and Rebel without a cause.  My cape was flapping in the wind behind me. But not in Calgary…that would go against my law-abiding nature.

Shopping was unreal. I didn’t have that much time but rest assured we did make a purchase right after we checked into the hotel. Yup, we hit a store just off Times Square and bought tampons and a bottle of wine. Hard core I know. By the way, the wine was for me. Note to self: Red wine bought from a drug store is NOT for quality but for convenience.

Hailing a cab looks SO super easy in the movies and on TV. For crying out loud there are literally thousands of the yellow things driving round. Turns out not so stress-free. I think I need longer sexy legs. I believe the drivers were playing there own twisted game of  ‘Spot the Tourist’. Not a hard game to win, just look for the two chic’s staring up at the buildings with their jaw dropped open the entire time as they walked and bumped into people. (Don’t worry, we apologized and said a million “excuse me’s”). Imagine Breaking Amish meets Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

I have driven and/or taken cabs in a lot of different places. Hands down I feared for my life in some of these New York rides. On one particular ride when I was actually praying for my life, I asked to take a picture of the cab driver to document his Ride of Death. He said no, but I was to busy kissing the solid ground to really care. I think he just wanted me out of his cab as I spent the ride with my head out of the window gasping for air as I was hyperventilating and holding down puke.

Another lesson in control for me: I do NOT make a good passenger at the best of times, let alone a cab in NYC. What’s with the freaking horns? Here’s a tidbit about me; I actually drove the car from the church after our wedding ceremony to the reception. Don’t worry ‘Danny’ held the door open for me. I told him it was because I got car sick…really it was because I am the better driver.

Word of advice, even if your feet are hurting it is indeed still worth the time to look at a map before you hail a cab. Turns out Hell’s Kitchen isn’t really that far from Time Square and the cab driver WILL laugh at you and take your money when you can see your destination from your starting point. They should really put brighter lights in Time Square so you can see if your close to it…oh wait, never mind.

I like to think I am somewhat classy and well rounded. Thanks mom and dad. Turns out no matter how respectable you think you are, after having three children, a couple (ahem) glasses of wine and a sister that says something funny you will indeed pee your pants in the middle of Broadway in the Upper West Side. Not like a full on pee my pants, more like a pee sprinkle. Damn bladder control. I love my children, I love my children, I love my children. My body is a badge of honour…..blah blah blah. Whatever.

I am now a pro at getting my hair and make up done all with nerves of steel before a live audience or show taping. Just kidding, I sweat like a pig and have learned that still shots or ‘teasers’ before your segment are the WORST things ever. I am SO super duper glad that the picture of me all over the Internet and print media looks like a passport picture. My left eye was twitching I was so nervous. Seriously, happy shiny inspirational mom looks like grumpy serial killer on death row. Wicked. Not.

Do you have a sister? I do and she was my self-appointed manager/handler for these last two weeks. But first and foremost she is my best friend. I often look at my own three little darlings so close in age and wonder if they will ever stop fighting (Yes I have read parenting books about sibling rivalry. No need to judge). My wish for my girls is to grow up and have a relationship with each other just like I have with my own sister. She was and continues to be an amazing support to me. Who else will grab your phone without a word when she knows you have had enough? Who else will force a banana down your throat so you don’t pass out on national television or tell you that you need a piece of gum as to not kill the host with your coffee breath? Who else can handle eating lunch alone even though you are sitting across from her but your face is in your iPhone? Who else can talk you off the ledge and get you to take the New York Subway reminding you that CSI is indeed just a TV show? My sister that’s who! She rocks…enough said.  Although I do think she preferred New York with just the two of us compared to L.A with three children. Being Manager sister is way more fun than Nanny sister. I really need to find a way to show her my gratitude for all she has done. Maybe I should take her on a trip to New York or L.A as a thank you.

My media experience has been awesome! Everyone I have met from film crews to producers to the actual hosts have been nothing but kind to my family and me. I high fived Matt Lauer!! Ya I did. My hands were clammy, but I high fived him!

FYI…not all green rooms are actually green. This is very odd to me, but I digress.

‘Danny’ has been super busy himself and continues to amaze me as a husband and father. I should really make sure he gets out golfing more often.

Stay tuned for updates fro my Hollywood trip….all I can say is WOW!!! That town has some freaky!!

xoxo

J

The World Trade Centre site was a humbling experience. I will never forget. My sister looks a bit snuggly with the fireman???

Make Your Actions Count

I have had two ‘dreams’ on my to-do list before I turn 40. Going to New York was one of them and I cannot even begin to describe what an amazing experience it was.  I think I may write a book and I shall call it:

How To Do New York On a Budget

CHAPTER ONE: Write a Blog That Goes Viral.

The End.

By Jessica A. Stilwell

In all seriousness, I will be writing more in depth about my experiences and observation while in NYC when I can actually sit down and my phone stops ringing.

For now, I want to share something that has been on my heart all day.

Cleary this blog has gained a lot of media attention. I never in a million years thought this would happen, nor was it my goal. As expected in the media, this has stirred up a lot of controversy and as a result there has been some pretty nasty stuff flying around about my parenting, my husband, my children and me. First and foremost, it is clear that most Negative Nancy’s have not read my blog, yet feel the need to put their own two cents in without doing their research.... which actually blows my mind.

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY!!! WE HAVE TAUGHT THEM REPONSIBLITY FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE. THEY HAVE CHORES AND FAMILY RESPONSIBLITIES AROUND THE HOME!! WE GOT BUSY WITH LIFE AND THE TEAM EFFORT WAS SLIPPING. I WENT ON STRIKE AS A REMINDER INSTEAD OF NAGGING!! READ THE BLOG PEOPLE.

Whew...I totally feel better after yelling typing.

However, rest assured that we as a family have decided not to pay any attention to the negativity. This will be my only personal response to it. We sat as a family tonight and discussed all that as been going on and how the kids are feeling about it. They are fine…there is no need to call social services, put me in jail or send me the Worst Mother EVER award in the mail. I have also told the girls that at any point and time if they are feeling overwhelmed or have had enough, I will pull the plug and take the blog down with no more media.  They are and always have been my priority. I have never been so proud of my children, their sense of humour, their resiliency and outlook on life. My family is freaking AWESOME!!! Yeah me!

But here is my message.

In light of the tragic recent headlines of Amanda Todd; the Vancouver area teen that committed suicide after her countless desperate pleas for help after being bullied, I NEED to say something here. I have learned a lot about social media this week...but THIS is the important news…bullying, cyber bullying, anti bullying, bullying awareness, kids cutting and teen suicide when there appears to be no way out. These are real issues facing our young people today. Not just for Amanda Todd, but for all the young people facing this in real life each day.

So for all the adults that have had ever so nasty things to say on my blog or elsewhere online about my parenting…I encourage you to ask yourself what you are teaching your own children by posting terrible things about me and my family without even knowing me or reading something so readily available to answer your questions? Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but what about teaching our children to communicate respectfully with each other without mean or hurtful words? 

As you are judging me with toxic words…please ask yourself as you are calling me and my children names; what are your own children learning from YOU and how that will affect their actions and relationships around them. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?

More is caught than is taught people…. perhaps taking the time to look inward and at your own actions and influence on your own children is more important than taking the time to insult me and bully me and others online. 

My heart breaks for Amanda Todd and her family and friends. I ache and pray for each and every young person that faces bullying and the feeling of un-acceptance every day.  Make your words count. Make your actions count even more. Make a difference.

Tell your kids how much you love them, how proud you are of them and how wonderful they are....just as they are.  I do each and every day…even with a messy kitchen and dirty socks on my floor. Then show them through your actions how to treat other people with respect and kindness.

So here are my blog rules:

If you have something nasty to say, please take it elsewhere. For the love of Pete, there are like a million articles online where you could state your opinion. If you simply Google my name you will get LOTS of options! It will not be here on my blog...this is my domain, my platform.  This is meant for a light look at what it means to be a real life crazy working mom. Laughter is good for the soul. Parenting is the hardest job you will EVER do…humour helps keep it in perspective.

If you post something unkind here on MY blog, I will not engage you or respond, after all, isn’t that what you are looking for? Well, not here. I will just delete the comment. I will do it politely, after all I am Canadian. I’m sorry, thank-you and excuse me for bothering you. You see...I have the blog power! Like superman. Or spider woman. Or maybe I will make up my own super hero…Blogger Wonder Mommy. I need a theme song...and a cape, for sure a cape.

Sticks and stones do break bones…and words really do hurt, no matter how prepared and strong you think you are. Rest gently Amanda Todd.

For each negative comment on my blog and online I have had a 1000x in positives!!! I wish I could respond to each and every one  of you and it is my goal to. But for now, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. For those of you that have gone to bat for me…you made me tear up.  Sniff sniff.

Ok…heavy stuff I know. But important stuff. My next blog will be much funnier, I promise. Really, how much material do you think I have from the mistake of the media calling my husband ‘Danny’ on live television??

For the gentleman that took the time to correct me in my blog regards to spelling ‘pay cheque’ incorrectly…. thank you ever so much. I’m sure we will both sleep better tonight.

For the poster that felt the need to ‘bet’ my “kids no doubt got to use all their gadgets for social media regarding the strike”… actually my children are not allowed a Facebook or Twitter account and are not allowed a cell phone until they can pay the bill themselves. I also have the computer in the kitchen so I can monitor their online time. GASP!! Maybe I really am the meanest worst mom in the world.

For all the moms that with young children that have commented on my blog and ALL over the internet.  I am so glad that your two year old can fold socks and towels while your four year old has a blast dusting with a damp cloth. Congratulations! I really mean it when I say you are doing a great job involving them early. I did it too!! Talk to me in ten years. Puberty does crazy things to emotions and your wonderfully helpful children. You may not even recognize them.

Awe crap, I could go on forever…I choose not too. Starting now.

We all have great intentions. Not one parent I have ever met wakes up and says. “Well this seems like a good day to be a shitty parent” We all try to do our best! Keep at it!! I applaud you all on this parenting marathon!! Let’s not judge each other, let’s support each other as women, men, mothers, fathers and families. Don’t we all have the same goal? For them to move out right? Kidding…sorta a little bit…not really, no.

Be kind!! Do it for your kids, for yourselves and for Amanda Todd.      

Xoxo J

Reflections from Mom on Strike

So the clean up was painful. I actually questioned what I had done to myself…whose ‘natural consequence’ was this? I held my own and didn’t help them. As I sat on the couch drinking my coffee I daydreamed about other things I would rather be doing. A double root canal and childbirth without benefit of an epidural were the winners.

Two bottles of Pinesol (I really need to buy sock in that stuff, I would wear it as perfume if I had my way) and half a bottle of bleach later my house is clean. Not perfect, but clean. I’m sure my neighbours think I am crazy vacuum woman after hearing the vacu-flo run ALL day long yesterday. Meh, I would rather be crazy vacuum women than the woman who made the headlines as:

Insane Mother Buried Alive:

            Found Weeping in Fetal Positions Gripping Pinesol Bottle

I want to share with you all why I actually followed through with something I have thought about for a very long time…really since my first visit to the Labour and Delivery Unit almost 13 years ago.

My ‘paying’ job is to teach parents how to be, well…good enough parents. I do interventions and assessments with families involved in the Child Protection System. Each day I see and experience horrific things. I also have the honour to walk beside families in their scariest, darkest moments and sometimes I get to witness amazing transformations and the power of family. Last weekend when my husband was out of town golfing, I had a foster baby staying with us and a weekend filled with soccer, basketball and normal errands. (Hats off to all you single moms and dads. …I bow down to you all) By Sunday night as I sat down for the first time at 11:00pm, I was DONE!! Like stick a fork in my eye done.

Picture if you will, that you are making a bead necklace: stringing on the beads one by one, creating a beautiful masterpiece and all the time you don’t have a knot on the other end. The beads just keep falling off as fast as you can string them on. Yup…my housework beads were all over the floor and I felt like a crazy person. Not a far stretch for me…but I was on the edge. An eerie calm came over me. I almost scared myself. BOO!

I have GREAT kids. I mean, they are really cool little people and I am very proud of them for a multitude of reasons. And kinda proud of myself that I built them. They are also very privileged in many ways. We have a lovely home and lifestyle. They have the latest gadgets, coolest clothes and are able to participate in community and club sports. I want to give them the world. But as I rush around everyday working with other parents and other families, I realized I was doing my own children a dis-service. I was setting them up for failure. I fear we are raising a generation of young people whose attitudes will be “What are you going to do for me?” Well dude, it's called a pay check, get your ass to work. I want to end this parenting race with employable, successful, well-rounded happy adults with real life skills.

I had three choices:

1.     Start fervently praying for their future roommates, partners, children and employers.

2.     Become a raging alcoholic

3.     Strike

Lets face it, if I don’t give them responsibility and accountability now, the basement trolls will live in my house forever, and ever and ever and ever. I had to enter into the Strike Zone. I owed it to them.

I am NOT a perfect parent (please don’t tell my kids that if you see them), but this is how we run our house: We do not give allowance. We have ‘family responsibility’ jobs that are required of you as a member of this team. Hell will freeze over before I pay my children for clearing their dinner plates or making their beds. We provide them with what they need (and more…I do like to shop) but if there is something that they want that exceeds my budget or an extra, they are welcome to come to me and ask me for a ‘job for money’.  

In theory this works very well for our family…but as of late I was becoming a nagging monster and it had just become easier for me to do it all. Plus I do a better job anyway. During the Strike, the only thing I stopped doing was picking up after them and reminding them (ok, screeching like a lunatic) of their family responsibility jobs.  The results were…well phenomenal. Please refer to milk cheese picture.

At times during this strike it was actually harder for me to walk by the rogue glass left at the front door and not take it with me on the way to the kitchen. I admit there were times I was on auto-pilot and had to un-do my cleaning and put back their mess. This was a lesson for me!! I had NO idea how much I did for them without even realizing it.

I have also learned that my house does not need to be perfect. I am sure that each one of my friends or family will keep speaking to me if they come over and there is a dirty spoon in the sink. I have learned that my children will remember a family game of UNO more than my sparkling toilet you could eat of off.  My OCD does not actually run my life and I will not actually have a panic attack and die if there is dust on the shelf. I also know that I am married to an amazing man who supports my dreams and helps with the kids and the house as ‘our job’ not an extra pink job added onto my work outside the home. Thank you Larry and Gail, you have raised an amazing son, husband and father. BTW…the Pooh Bags were his idea. He’s the twisted mastermind and he makes me laugh daily.

The response to this blog has been overwhelming. I really didn’t expect it. Thank you doesn’t seem like a big enough word. People have told me that I have inspired them to start their own Strike. DO IT!! I Double Dog Dare you! I have been called a hero…perhaps a drunk hero but I’ll take it. This blog and your responses were the ONLY thing that got me through this week…well you and the wine. The wine helped a lot. Most of you have expressed your sadness that the Strike is over. You are all a bunch of sadists. I don’t know what I will write about next…suggestions welcome.  Maybe I will submit this blog to a magazine or start my own twisted parenting advice column. This simply began as a cathartic coping mechanism, thank you for sharing the ride with meJ

For now, they each rinsed their breakfast dishes and put them in the dishwasher. There are three clean, empty lunch kits on the shelf where they belong. However, I’m staring at a sweater left on my couch and a dirty pair of socks on the stairs. Dylan is arm flapping in the kitchen to have the dishwasher emptied. If you drop by for a visit my floors will probably not be clean and I can guarantee you that you will leave with some dog hair and slobber. But baby steps right?

I bought myself some new wine glasses today…for a daily reminder of my Strike.

The small people have read the blog and they think it’s funny. I threw an extra twenty bucks into the therapy pot just to be on the safe side. They announced yesterday that they were going on strike…really? How on earth would I tell? What would be different? Would you just sit your ass down in a different spot to watch TV? Oh please stop the insanity!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving. Today I am thankful for my clean kitchen, my basement trolls and the little one with the deceiving dimples.

Jess

Empty, cleaned and on the counter! Boooya Suckers.

                                   So clean and shiny!!Look at the counter space!!

New Wine Glasses...a little white trash, but I LOVE THEM!