So tell me, how much could you have taken?

I know I'm a high-stressed, high-strung person. That just seems to be my nature.  Every person has a level of internal stress they seem to gravitate towards, for good or bad, and I know my level is way up there.  Still, last night I rose so far above it I couldn't see ground, and I'm fearing more evenings (or days like that).

Okay, first, it's summer, which means everyone's around almost all the time.  I love my kids, but they do need structure, and in summer it's up to me to provide all of it for all of them mostly.  Last week I headed out to the beach with them, courtesy of my generous parents who take us all, and we spent all week at Bethany Beach mostly just hanging out in the sand and surf or lounging at the house.  Still, it was me responsible for the 6 kids; I didn't want my mother or sisters to feel that they needed to take on my kids.  So now fast forward through the week to Friday.

We had the drive home.  Me and the 6 kids, in the minivan I hate to drive since it has a huge blind spot, and as it is I feel like I shouldn't ever be driving at all because somehow I just develop blind spots myself and feel like I don't see cars until they're almost on top of me.  One of those 6 kids in the car is of course Feivel, who never ever stops talking or arguing, and who spent the whole ride fighting with 4 year old Adele.  I got to spend the whole ride listening to him, which is something I never have much patience for, while managing, you know, the actual driving (which went fine).

We got home.  My wonderful husband ordered pizza for lunch for everyone, which was a blessing.  Still, we spent a good portion of the afternoon preparing for the Sabbath and fighting with the kids to get their stuff put away from the trip, not to mention all the stuff they'd left out around the house.  

Kayla began yelling from upstairs.  The toilet was overflowing and it was as bad as you can imagine.  What was worse, the kids had let the bathroom floor get absolutely covered in everything that should have been thrown away:  tissues, empty cardboard tissue boxes, paper cups, worse.  So I got to wade in, clean up, mop up, throw out, and sanitize.  That was point 1 at which I didn't know what to do with myself.  

Over the course of the day, I'd managed to spill tea, coffee, soda, and ketchup on my white top.  Finally, while cooking for Shabbos I spilled spiced potatoes all down my front and that was point 2 at which I didn't know what to do with myself.

Next came the evening and the perpetual arguing and that was sort of point 3 at which I didn't know what to do.

And finally, both Sachy and Feivel began vomitting in the middle of dinner and that was point 4.  Not to mention that somehow it came with more arguing.

So now I'm so far at the end of my rope I can't even see the knotted end.