The sun'll come out tomorrow.

Yesterday was such a bad day! I went to bed and felt so bad about myself and my mothering. I was short-tempered and impatient (my natural state is impatient, some kind of birth defect, but this was more than usual).

I worked for seven straight hours to get the house clean from the weekend-mess-making that we did around here. Lily was just a TOTAL pill while I was cleaning up (a post about that to come). I tried to keep our new kitty alive (wary of Lily who likes to strap things into strollers . . . especially kitties). Then the kids got home from school.

I was exhausted and didn't get my usual nap (I tend to be quite cranky without it). I tried to do my self-soothing talk and not take out my bad mood on those I love most, but I made a critical error and took the kids to Target (at 6pm no less). It was late in the day, I was very close to the edge and I was exhausted -- a recipe for disaster. While I was on the sheets aisle, the boys got into a scuffle that ended with Luke falling down and crying. Got the picture?

So, what did I do? Did I:

a) take a deep breath, imagine myself stepping back and giving them a good kick in the rear end;

b) tell them I was taking away their current favorite toy for five months;

c) send them to bed with no dinner; or

d) do a somewhat animal-like, primal scream as loud as I could for about four seconds.

If you answered "d," you are correct! At Target. Yes, I had a moment. At Target (not WalMart). And guess whom came right around the aisle just as my moment was ending. A sweet friend of mine who has only one child. Yes, she didn't understand, but she still loves me.

Anyway, after all of this, I still had to take Owen to his basketball tryout. I went to the church and there were literally 200 people ahead of me. I wanted to cry. Lily was in my arms trying desperately to "fall" out of them so she could go right in there. I got in line, doing my deep breathing exercises. I couldn't leave, this was the only night for tryouts and Owen really wanted to play, so be there we must.

We live three minutes from this church. It was seven o'clock by this time, bedtime. Just then my brain hatched an idea. Take the two little ones home and leaved Owen there to go through the stations by himself. He loves to be grown up and independent so I told the lady in charge that I was having a nervous breakdown (thanks mom for the priceless and spot on saying) and explained that I would be back in fifteen minutes. She gave me a hug and said no problem. Lord, bless her! Got back, picked up Owie, went home and tucked him into bed, promising that tomorrow would be better.

And it was. We all played outside today for two hours, riding bikes, doing sidewalk chalk, playing basketball and eating Popsicles (we are in Texas after all -- it's 75 degrees outside . . . he he he). It was good. I felt good. Better. I was outside sitting on the driveway when I had this thought: motherhood is composed of days, more good than bad, some really bad, and some really, really good . . . we had a really, really good one today. Thank goodness!