Okay Mamma's out there; I've reached it. I've reached the end of my last nerve today. I'm hanging on, I've given myself a time out, I've inhaled all the stress-reducing oils that I have in my arsenal, I've prayed the serenity prayer (all of it not just the first 4 lines), I've shipped the kids out of the house, I am currently sitting in my bed, tea in one hand, keyboard in the other admitting to you all, that I am at the end.
The end of the rope, my patience, my sanity all of it.
What ginormous catastrophic event has finally made me hit this wall? Nothing. Well, nothing life altering or earth-shattering. I can home from church today, ran to the bathroom and I realize in that very desperate moment, all of the 'womanly needs' are gone. I mean ALL GONE. All opened up, water-soaked, and in the trash gone. Now if you've been around for a while you will realize that other than my very old, very fixed female calico; I am the only woman in this house so I am the only one that would have needed such a product. And of course when I question as to what could have possibly happened to them; my dear sweet, gifts from God give me the most truthful and honest answer two young boys could give their mother in such a situation..."I don't know." followed by "Can I have the tablet?" Ah no, no you can not.
SIGH
So as I am recovering from that sideline, I ask the two precious darlings to pick up their stuffies and toys from the kitchen and living room floor. One gets up and starts to pick up some of the stuff, returns them to his room and then sits down again. I let a few minutes pass maybe he got distracted, these things happen when you're a teenager. Once I realize that they are just sitting on the couch for the sole purpose of annoying each other I remind them both that there are still toys on the floors that need to be picked up. "Well, I picked up the ones I was using. So, can I have the tablet? Oh, and what's for supper?"
SIGH
What do you think would happen, dear children, if mommy only did her dirty dishes, washed only her dirty clothes, picked up only her garbage from the car, floor, yard? If I only cooked what I was going to eat? That's right, you would all die and you still wouldn't be getting the tablet because your toys would still be on the floor, your dirty dishes from breakfast are still on the table, your clothes still need to be hung up, put in the dresser or put in the wash. And oh, who belongs to these dirty underwear on the bathroom floor?!
SIGH
So, I'm at the end and am trying to keep it together. I am still in bed fully dressed, having a time out, not doing dishes, not picking up after you, not making supper and praying that this headache doesn't turn into a full blown migraine, venting to a world full of other moms, (and dads) who are all battling their own little insignificant, world-shattering days where they just have reached their own end and are reminding themselves through gritted teeth, they are a gift from God, they are a gift from God, does God have an exchange policy, no, okay.
Moms and dads, we've all been there, that stage of frustration, that time of selfishness that comes with being a kid where they just drive their parents crazy without any ill intent. There is a day coming where they will be saying let me help you with that, can I carry that for you, do you want me to make you a snack, tea, coffee; let's just pray it's before we're in a nursing home.