It's a war of attrition. If you have patience and a modicum of faith in yourself your chances are not too bad.

At restaurants, I carry paper and markers and tell everyone to draw a picture with a unicorn, an octopus and an explosion. That keeps kids still for a minute.

I frequently do drive carpool in the clothes I slept in, because it's impossible to get three children out the door with lunches packed and all that stuff and have a do.

Everyone [of my kids] can ride a bike now, so the park has had a big resurgence in our life. We also play a lot of dumb drawing games.

I guess I'm not that aware of such a big fan base. I have a few core people who write me no matter what I'm doing, but I hardly have sacks of mail being dropped on my door!

There's an expression: Great is the enemy of the good. Sometimes in trying to be great, you make a mess of things.

My husband is very funny and his humor has gotten us through a lot. He's good at defusing me.