Last month, Bob Buckley from Fox 8 News in Greensboro, North Carolina invited me to do an interview about my blog. Despite a slight concern that I would be portrayed as Cruella De Vil, I eagerly accepted the invite with the hope that the experience would A) be fun B) include clips that I might be able to show at my kids' wedding receptions in 20 years.
I was not disappointed! This was my first--and unless my kids rob a 7-11 when they are teenagers--probably last time on camera. Mr. Buckley and his cameraman Stewart Pittman were extraordinarily nice and unbelievably professional, especially given the circumstances (my kids were all over them). We filmed in North Carolina (where I used to live) a few weeks ago and the story aired last night:
http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-br-meanest-mom-090130,0,189358.story
My kids got a huge kick out of seeing themselves on t.v. Seeing myself on t.v., however, was just plain weird. Much more comfortable with my Chaucer books I am.
Update: Here's the link to the Boxed Wine post that some of you were looking for. Sorry! You can also find it under Readers' Favorites on the left sidebar.
http://themeanestmom.blogspot.com/2008/09/boxed-wine.html
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63 comments
Awesome. Way to go, and I for one appreciate your philosophy on parenting (plus I get a good laugh out of it too). You can't expect your kids to grow up right if all you ever do is powder their bums.
Yay!! I love your blog.
You looked great!
So cute! I would have been so nervous but you didn't look it at all!
That is SO, SO, SO awesome! CONGRATULATIONS! You did an awesome job and it's great to hear your voice! You are most definetly the meanest mom I have ever met in cyberspace, fo sho.
Emily
www.eheizerphotography.blogspot.com
That was great! You looked wonderful and ever-so calm and cool!
And when my son called me the meanest mom - I showed him your blog and said I could only be the second meanest...
(he wants a recount)
It's another thought... it's not the angelic behavior that you look back and remember fondly when your children are adults... it's the time they got drunk off the box of wine, and when you let them dress their baby brother up in girls clothes that will have you laughing when you're 80.
Make sure you publish your blogs in a Blurb.com book for your family ( just incase you don't already have plans for a major publication/humiliation for your children in the future!) LOL
Emily
www.eheizerphotography.blogspot.com
That was so cool to see you!
I love this blog!
Great story! And you look great!
That is so cool! And I feel slightly awesome for already knowing about your blog...;)
Congratulations! You deserve it.
Congratulations! It was great to see the kids in action. Cameron is so cute! Great job. :)
Jana - You did great! You seriously look the same as you did 15 years ago . . . quite an accomplishment after 4 kids. Congrats.
Jana... As Chaucer would have it, "Thou rockest." I love the whole "She has her PhD in medieval literature, but what stay at home mom doesn't..." We all want to be you when we grow up. ;) And do you really think lots of people are too lazy to be parents? Cuz I'd love to hear some expounding on that...
Excellent! You looked great--it was an awesome story!
Annnnnddd now I have to go read the boxed wine post.
Whoa! You're famous! I feel slightly famous now just because I know you. Except.....I really don't know you. But your kids are even more adorable on video than in the pictures! Cameron looked soooo cute! (And u looked great too!)
You looked fantastic! I loved how you said that your were tired of how some people talk about their children and how perfect they are. I agree! My best friend does this all the time. It drives me crazy.
That was so cool to see your interview! Moms all over the world now will want your autograph-including ME!!!!
lol..you are too cute! Yay on your "5 minutes of fame". You deserve it!
I have to tell you that I found your blog after seeing that report on Fox 8 last night.
I enjoyed the news clip! You did a great job! I almost always get a good laugh when I stop by! I love "ordinary" families!
I wonder if it means anything that the top news story listed by yor interview was about medicinal marijuana?
Congrats--I love reading your blog--it was a little weird hearing you read your blog--that wasn't how it went in my head---but great all the same!
That's flippin' awesome.
http://talesofanocdhousehusband.blogspot.com/
Very cool, Jana. Congratulations, and thanks fort trying to be the best mom you can, helping your kids learn important lessons, and acknowledging that it's not all hugs and roses.
Congrats! Great story. I love your blog for my daily end of day laugh.
Keep up the good work.
Fame looks good on ya! Great job! You did wonderful and looked great! :)
That's awesome Jana! I was watching it and my husband was not at all interested until he heard "The Meanest Mom Blog" then he leaned over to see what I was watching. I think he's impressed one of the blogs I read made the news ;)
LOL!! What I want to know is who's house was it! I have to say that when we were in Redbook it was a totally surreal experience to look at a magazine and see my face looking back at me!
Rock on for being willing to be the bad guy! Love the PhD- I get random people asking me if I "wished I had gone to college" (or worse) Um, excuse me? I've started telling rude people that the gov't PAYS me to breed.
You guys are so nice to overlook the bad angles and up the nose shots. We had a lot of fun.
And welcome new readers! I'm so glad that the newstory didn't send you running for the hills!
Wow... I know someone famous! Or is that infamous??? :) You looked great, and sounded normal. I'm so sad we missed your visit to NC...bummer!
That is so awesome! You all looked great!
That was great!!! I cant stop laughing about your kids drinking the wine!!! I am going to have to find that post.
how i wish i could have been with amy to see these lovelies in person.
[amy said you were worried about me. so great. (and of course you are). broke up with him.]
-patricia
Nice job Jana!!! You totally deserve to be recognized!!
awesome! I watched the interview (of course, largely because I was born in Greensboro, raised in Charlotte, and of course because it was about your blog!
Keep up the honest parenting!
Heck yeah!!!
I think your blog is so hilarious, I have now demanded of every person in my family, and everyone else I have ever met, that they must go read your blog. Often my husband hears me guffawing from the other room. Anyway, it was rockin' awesome to see the family behind the blog!!!
Melanie
Very cool! You looked great! K now wheres that wine post? lol
Finally, a dose of honesty in a blog about parenting! Fantastic job on the news story. The world needs you, and the people who are sending you that hate mail? It's only because they are afraid of being exposed as un-perfect parents with un-perfect kids. I do not have kids yet, but I truly appreciate the clever antics and positive/honest attitude you maintain through it all. Best wishes!!!
That was awesome to see. You are officially famous! heeheeeee! It was nice to see you and your little ones in action!!! heeeeeee! It has been about 7 months or so since I have been following your blog, and I have to say that your postings are almost addicting. I love the humor as well as the common feeling of having 4 children and also being considered a Mean Mom by my own off-spring. I always blog the cute and the happy and the silly...I really need to blog the ugly as well, I am just not as creative as you. I am sure after this news report you are going to be even more famous. Watch out! Just don't forget about your old faithful and loyal followers...now that you will be getting new ones! heeheheeee! Take care and I hope all is well....P.S My husband reads your blog more than I do, it is really cute to see him get excited about one posting and takes me to the computer to read it. Thanks for the many laughs and wonderful other feelings your blog brings.
wow! its awesome you got to be on the news! I now want your autograph even more!
So cool! Everyone should know about your blog. It rocks!! =)
That is awesome! It was fun to see the kids again!
YEAH! The boxed wine post was the first one I stumbled on. Been a fan ever since. Great Interview.
Wow, congratulations! You looked very calm/collected . . . and your children were as cute as ever.
Congratulations! You and your kids looked awesome, and wow - you're basically the June Cleaver of the 00's. Love it!!
ooh how fun!!! It was nice to put a voice to your words. :)
Nice news video. I looked forever for that "The kids are drunk" post. lol. No success!
I love it! You're a celebrity!!
So fun to watch that story...You go, Meanest Mom!
You came across very well---I'd be stuttering and saying "um" 100 times in the interview...
Congrats- you did a great job. Enjoy your notoriety.
Jana! That totally rocks! You are awesome!
ahhh i love it!!!! you guys look great--the sword fighting was a really nice touch
Jana, it's me - the cameraman who invaded your living room! Thanks again for having us over, hope you liked the end result. I did - enough to blog about it on my own humble site.
Check it out at http://lenslinger.blogspot.com/2009/01/meanest-mom.html
By the way, it's really fun to read the comments our/your piece triggered - a bit like eavesdropping. Thanks again!
Admittedly this is a bit of a mutual admiration society, but I want to completely echo the comments of Mrs. Morty. You are the bomb and I embrace and mirror your philosophy on parenting. Thank you for miraculously finding time to post regularly--I feel like I'm reading about my own life, though I've only got 3 (4, 2.5 and 1). It's pure pleasure and therapy.
Keep up the great work--with the kids and the blog.
BTW, You should also know that I will stalk you for an autographed copy of your first book. :)
Congrats! I love your blog. You look great on the news! This is so exciting!
You are so cool! It's nice to finally put voices with the faces. The kids are absolutely adorable....what did you threaten them with to make them behave as well as they did? LOL!
YOU ROCK!
Robin @http://alabamaslackermama.blogspot.com/
Finally, the recognition you deserve. Way to go Jana! When will this appear on CNN? hahaha..it is def CNN worthy! That was great stuff. You should be very proud of yourself. Hopefully this will bring you even more "fans"! Keep up the great posts!!
That news story was great! What an honor to be the focus of a news story like that!
Way to cool! You did fabulous.. I would have been a babbling idiot, don't do well with all eyes on me.
Totally bummed I wasn't informed that the meanest mom herself was to appear in NC! LOL Shouldn't they announce that on the news like when the president comes to town? ;)
Now all you need is your own TLC show!
Way to go! Loved the piece and I love your attitude about parenting! Whenever my kids call me "Meanie Mommy" I respond, "That's right, I went to Meanie Mommy school and graduated at the top of my class!" It makes them crazy and I love every minute of it! :)
So very cool Jana! You're a local celebrity!
You look great in the interview too!
Very cool! Congrats.
Very Cool - you guys looked great!
Congrats!
sirnetia
I for one think that we have to be smarter than our kids when it comes to discipline. Once they say those dreaded words "your the meanest mom ever or I hate you ". Then you should pat yourself on the back cause now your doing a good job.
How fun to actually see you and your kids live! My twins have the same stuffed monkeys.
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