Today…

… has been a long day.

You know the kind of day I mean.

A l-o-n-g day.

Looooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggg.

I love my family. More than anything possible. I love being a wife and mother. There isn’t anything more worthwhile I could ever imagine doing.

Except perhaps a food tester for some big ice cream or chocolate company.

I think that may come pretty close.

But really, I feel it’s what I’m here for. What I’m called to do. What I love to do.

But.

BUT.

It’s not always easy.

And some days are just so long.

And though you love your children you get to the point where you cannot stand the thought of another door being slammed after you’ve yelled at them to stop slamming the sodding thing politely requested that they refrain from doing such an act, where you cannot bear refereeing another fight over whom that fluff from the carpet belongs to (not that my carpet has a speck on it you understand. It’s invisible fluff.) or who called whom a stinky-poopy-head first, or repeating, for the thirty seven zilllion (with three “l’s”)time since breakfast that no, you are not getting the play-doh out because you still haven’t tidied the mess you created so far since you’ve been awake (about thirty minutes).

By the time evening comes I’m ready to scream.

Or run.

What can I say?

I’m a mum.

I love being a mum.

But I’m human.

And some days my cup just runneth over and I’ve had my fill.

Bad, bad me.

Because you know, you just can’t admit to feeling overwhelmed when you’re a mum and especially so when you are a mum to many.

There is a pressure to never show yourself to waiver. To never say “Hey, today is a hard day.”. Even though, truthfully, I probably still get the same amount of “tough” days as I did with one or two kids, there seems to be this rule that says you cannot complain when you add one, two, three or however many more kids to your family because there will always be someone who will come out with the line.

The line.

“Well, you will keep having all these children!”.

Because you see, people with one or two kids will never tire. They will never have a bad day. They will never have days when they reach the end of it and marvel at how their head didn’t explode at some point.

Of course they do.

Here’s the reality.

When you have a family, big or small, one kid or ten, you will have good days and bad days.

When you don’t have children, are single, free, young (or a little older), you will have good days and bad days.

No matter what your life or lifestyle you will have good days and bad days.

So here’s the thing.

Get off my case (mum). Oops!

Some days are long.  And tiring. And downright trying.  No matter who you are.

Today was my day.

Tomorrow might be yours.  (I’m not wishing it upon you or anything. Just saying. You know.  I hope you have a good day tomorrow. And every day thereafter. But you know… reality and all that.).

And what I’m about to do may shock you.

Though it probably won’t.

Mike is out at the church with Cait and Harry who are rehearsing for their first communion in a couple of weeks (aaaahhh!).

Eddie, Sid, Paddy and Oliver are all asleep.  At the moment.

And I am going to finish off the rest of what is left of a tub of Rum’n’Raisin ice-cream. 

With chocolate syrup poured over it.

And I’m not going to feel guilty.

Because, stuff it, I’m going to reward the temple in the side of my head for not bursting today, and prepare myself for another bout of stinky-poopy-head arguments tomorrow.

And if anyone wants to send me chocolate or ice cream I will graciously accept and my address is…