My Mommy Strike

Today is the morning of the fourth day of my Mommy Strike.  I'm pretty sure nobody but me knows I'm on strike.  Not even my husband, because I have not told him yet.  I'm actually debating as to whether or not to let him in on it.  Since as I look around he has helped create some of the mess.  At this point in my strike I am having a really hard time looking around my house.  It is begging me to clean up.

Here is how the days have been so far.
Day 1:
My youngest sat down at the table to eat lunch.  He barely looked at his cereal bowl as he pushed it aside to make room for his lunch dish. 
I was very excited to watch him put his lunch dish into the dish washer.  I thought to myself, perhaps I don't need to go on strike.  Then I remembered the cereal bowl still on the table.
I made dinner and set out my plate and silverware to eat.  When the older kids looked at the table they asked me, "Do we have to get our own plates?" because I didn't set the whole table.  It's a kid job.  I dropped a some what gentle reminder at that point, "It's not my job to set the table."  I even pointedly looked at the chore chart.  They grabbed their own plates to eat.  My youngest even dropped his cereal bowl in the sink, to make room for his dinner plate.
After dinner, again I got excited, they older two kids put their dishes in the dishwasher!
I was beginning to have hope that my strike would only last a couple days.

Day 2:
I spent the morning watching a movie!  It felt so good!  To just sit there and do nothing.  I felt free!
I folded the boys clean laundry and set their baskets by their door.  Again I dropped a small hint.  "Hey guys here's your clean clothes, ready to be put away."
My daughter was getting herself ready to go to a friends house.  One of her jobs this week is to take the trash out.  I kind of mentioned that to her.  "You know the trash really needs to go out."  She just stared at me and said, "I'm ready to go."  I probably shouldn't have let her go to her friends, since usually they can not go do fun with out work being done.  But that would have interfered with my strike.  I promised myself no nagging the children.  I hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the butt.

Day 3:
Very busy day for me.  I got to work all afternoon until 9 at night.  Which during a mommy strike is great, because I don't have to stare at the mess that has been created.
When I got home things were worse than when I left.  Dinner dishes are everywhere.  Even the ones used for cooking!  There is a Dunkin Donuts bag laying on the living room floor.  Coats and shoes have made their home on the floor, in front of the coat and shoe cubby. 
Before we went to bed I mentioned to my husband that they had left the miracle whip out on the table after dinner.  He looked and said, "I put the ketchup away, didn't see the miracle whip."  Then he went to our bedroom.  I caved and put the miracle whip away.  I just couldn't see wasting money by leaving it out.  I know I should have, because what's a couple dollars in the grand scheme of a mommy strike.
I also put the garbage bag right next to my daughter's chair at the table.  I'm hoping she will take the hint.

Here' are my reasons to go on strike.  I do alot.  The kids have chores to do and supposed to pick up after themselves.  We have gotten busy and I have started to do more and more cleanup and chores.  I'm tired of nagging my kids.  I am hoping this will help get  my family back on track, when they finally realize what happens when Mom stops picking up the slack.

~Earthy Mom