I love the dog story. He sounds like a great dog. I did read the story on the striking Mom. I actually did that once. My boys were in high school. But my DH was/is just as bad as the boys. Now I don't have to go on strike because I do take trips where I'm gone for 4-10 days at a time. They don't do much when I'm home unless they are told, but the house is clean when I come home from a trip.