When it's not all sunshine and roses

I'm thinking over this post in my head and wondering what tone I'm trying to take here. Sometimes, it's a tough day that I can laugh at. Today wasn't quite one of those days. (As in, it wasn't really funny.) But I'm not looking to whine or vent, either. So I am mulling in my mind why I'd write about a tough day, if not to laugh or cry? I think the reason is: to preserve for posterity. So, grandkids - this is what your grandma went through to raise your parents and aunts and uncles into functioning adults. You're welcome.

My kids weren't very well behaved today. Was it the fasting? Was it the heat wave? Was it accumulated stress of Sunday being hard spilling over into behavior? Was it everyone feeling a bit under the weather? Was it everyone getting on each others' nerves all week now that school's out? Was it a mom who isn't as patient as she sometimes is causing them to act out? Who knows. But I've been doing this parenting thing for almost 14 years now, and today was the worst behavior I've ever dealt with.

By the numbers (remember, I have 6 kids):

• Number of kids doing chores before church for fighting: 3
• Number of kids crying before church: 5
• Number of kids put in time-out in the foyer for all of Sacrament meeting before Sacrament meeting started because they fought the entire way to church and then actually fought (hitting) in the chapel while Mom was playing prelude music: 2
• Mean age of children put in time-out in the foyer before Sacrament meeting: greater than 5. 
• Number of children who left Sacrament meeting before the Sacrament and never came back: 2 more.
• Number of times one of my kids got in trouble for hitting/kicking in Primary: 3 (same kid.)
• Number of times I hauled a 5-yr old up to bed for hitting, kicking or sitting on someone: no idea. He spent most of his day in time-out.
• Number of kids who complained about walking to the car: 6
• Distance of the car from the church: across the street. (We usually park 4 blocks away. Ok, fine, it was roasting hot today.)
• Number of kids who made it to their bedtime: 1

The day ended with scripture study, which everyone miraculously held it together for, barely. Then we prayed, and I turned to listen to Sam's prayer. I felt something squishy under my leg. I turned around and saw, I kid you not, a big poop that had fallen out of Jane's diaper, and I was on it. It was really, really lucky for me that the little kids were going to bed right then. I was really tempted to run out the door screaming, but I held it together long enough to clean myself up and put Jane to bed. Marriner put Sam and Martha down, Lillian jumped up and cleaned up the mess (which earns her instant forgiveness for everything above). Lige came up and asked what he could do to help, and I didn't hesitate: "Go start making brownies. Now."