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

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