“This morning they thought I said Joy, but my name is actually Joyce.”

Joyce Woodhouse is quick to point out that C-SPAN host Steven Scully got her name wrong because of her “Southern voice.” However, most people know her as Hero Mom after she called in to the network’s Washington Journal show this morning to ask her two sons, Brad and Dallas, to keep their bickering to a minimum on Christmas Day.

Brad Woodhouse, president of Americans United for Change and the Democratic Super PAC American Bridge, and Dallas Woodhouse, founder and president of Republican PAC Carolina Rising, were on the program to discuss their new documentary, Woodhouse Divided, which tracks the two brothers known for their opposing political affiliations. While the set-up provides great publicity for the documentary, Joyce keeps a pretty strong poker face and says all she’s interested in is having a peaceful Christmas.

Vocativ spoke with her about how unlikely that is, and what it’s like raising two politically opposed and strong-headed boys.

Why did you call in to the show this morning?

I was sitting here when they came on and I thought, I’m just going to call in and tell them I’m glad they weren’t here for Thanksgiving and I hope they get it out of their system by Christmas. Not that I really think they will. This Christmas I’ll have everybody here—Dallas lives here in Raleigh, my daughter lives here, and Brad insists he’s coming for a week. Somebody asked me, “How are you going to take that for a week?” And I said, “Well, I don’t think Brad and Jessica [Carter] have done their Christmas shopping, so they’ll be out shopping.”

Did the boys always argue growing up?

They were not that close in high school and junior high because there is about five to six years between them. They had different friends and all. After Brad got out of college, he worked for Marriott for about a year in Alabama, and then he came back to Raleigh and volunteered and got involved in politics. After Dallas graduated from college, he wanted to move in with him, and I begged them not to because I didn’t think that they’d get along. But they did well living together.

What are holidays normally like at your house?

They get into discussions, but they don’t usually get angry. But Thanksgiving a year ago, Brad’s wife, Jessica, who is a Republican—she’s a chief of staff for a Republican congressman—she and Dallas both just jumped all over Brad about Obamacare. I guess that was at the beginning of when people were trying to sign up. Brad said, “I said we were not going to talk about this.” We had not had dessert and he did get angry. He said, “I’m taking my children and I’m going to the park.” And Dallas jumps up and says, “Well, I’m taking my children and I’m going with you.” So it ended up that all the children went to the park and we cleared the table and then they came back for dessert.

Was that the worst argument they’ve had at the table?

Well, I wouldn’t say that. It may not be the worst, but it’s the first time I’ve ever had one of them get up from the table and leave. They can get very loud. And, of course it gets worse when others get involved. I try to keep my mouth shut, which is not easy. I’m very politically minded.

Being a registered Democrat, do you find it hard not to take Brad’s side?

During the first Obama campaign, I just kept my mouth shut. I think they both thought I was voting for their candidate. That was really something to say for myself, that I kept my mouth shut. During that election, I did go to an event or two for Dallas, to support him, even though I did not always agree with him. Brad flew me to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and I really enjoyed being there when the first black man was nominated as a Democratic nominee. Then the president came here and spoke at Reynolds Coliseum. I can’t even remember what the issue was, but Brad arranged for me to be in a small group of people. I thought, Should I tell him I’m Brad’s mother? And I guess somebody else had told him because he said, “I am so glad to meet you. You have such an enthusiastic, hardworking son.” That was really special to me. To have the president talk about what a good job your son is doing.

It’s interesting that Brad is married to a Republican.

Yes, and she’s very much a Republican. She’s just as much a Republican as he is a Democrat. Frankly, I don’t know how they live together. They try not to talk about politics a lot, but I know that’s very difficult. Her dad, now deceased, was a very strong Republican, and he and Brad got along well together. Jessica has a wonderful family, but they’re all very much Republicans. When I’m in Washington and Jessica’s mother is there from California, she’s got Fox News on, you know. I try to watch them all and see what they’re all saying. I’m a political junkie.

Have you read the headlines calling you a “hero mom”? How do you feel about your Internet celebrity?

I went over to get my car serviced and then I was going to the hospital because my autistic grandson’s in the hospital, and I understand that Twitter was really buzzing. But I just did not have an opportunity to read all of that. CBS and The Today Show and a number of people have been calling me, and I just haven’t had time to look at it. This is one time I probably should have kept my mouth shut.

What do you think is in store this Christmas? Do you think they’ll behave?

No. They don’t mind their mother. I shouldn’t even bother to say, “Let’s not talk politics,” because at some point they’re going to. But they don’t spend the whole time talking about politics, because they’re unwrapping gifts with their children and things like that. Even though things might get hectic, I always look forward to it.