Is this a joke?

I feel like I'm being "punked" or on some twisted program where they test the pregnant lady's blood pressure via her kids.

I was playing a computer game, trying to put my foot/feet up. The girls were going a little overboard with their cup selections and picking cups with lids. Normally, I say NO...this time I said I'd rather you didn't. They know that's not the same.

While they had the dishwasher open, Joseph starts taking out the clean dishes and putting them into the sink with the dirty ones (cereal bowls still full of milk and cereal). Rebekah lets me know what he's doing, but neither she nor Leah figures it's their job to do anything about it. Before I know it, they've left him to his game (with a still open dishwasher) and by the time I get there, the sink is full...both sides. I was unable to save 1/2 of the clean dishes that he put in the sink.

I was mad! I'm still mad. While I'm ranting and growling and slamming things around in the kitchen, I smell soap coming from upstairs. Apparently, the boys decided to finally take the shower I'd REPEATEDLY asked them to do 3 hours ago. The girls had gone upstairs and I heard Daniel say that the water was off. So I thought they were done.

Then I hear a piercing scream coming from upstairs. Leah always over-reacts. But I'm mad and on a war path. I stomp upstairs to see what the @#$% is going on. (Back to pretend swearing.) Daniel is standing outside the shower...completely lathered in soap. Nathan is sitting on the floor of the shower, in the same condition...except he has soap in his eyes. He's the one screaming, not Leah. No water is running.

I shove Daniel back into the shower, turn on the water and tell them they must be retarded (not one of my better parenting moments). Now I'm ranting and growling in the upstairs bathroom. I don't know how much angrier I can get! Of course, I have to tell them to TURN OFF THE WATER AND GET OUT OF THE SHOWER!!! Maybe they were staying in there out of self preservation. When they get out, they stand there naked and dripping. I have to tell them to open the drawer and look for towels. Really!!!! Is this a joke?

They are grounded in their rooms for now. I told them I'd call them for lunch. But first I have to make it. And I have to get out the chair from under the table that I shoved under in a lovely display of anger for my 3 youngest children. I'm not sure we're going to make it to the first day of school on Monday. I'm not sure we're going to make it to tomorrow.