Days like these

I wake up feeling great this morning. Really energetic and feeling like I'm really going to get things done today.

I make french-toast for breakfast.
I get the kids dressed.
I take my husband to work.
I come back home, finish loading the dishwasher and wash all the remaining dishes (that have been hanging around since last week might I add).
I throw a load of laundry in the wash and dry the clothes in the washer.
I vacuum downstairs.
I vacuum the steps. (They were crying out from the dust).
I spend a few minutes and play with the children.
I make a few calls that needed to be made.

I finally decide it's time to get dressed and do something with the mop on my head.
I find the one (supposedly clean) pair of pants that fit me
(I have two; the others are in the wash).
As I unfold them to get dressed I notice a fine toddler delicacy firmly encrusted in the seat of the pants. I try to scrape it off with my fingernail. There's still too much left over. I throw them in the laundry. Back into sweats.

All of this is in-between spilled orange juice, potty reminders and "leave your sister alone"s.

Finally I see the boy start the shy backing toward a hiding spot where he will do more than I want him to (IN HIS UNDERWEAR).
I enthusiastically say that it's time to go potty and he needs to remember to poop on the potty. I lead him by the hand (quickly) to the toilet, where I place him gently while I take his underwear off. He has started a little something in his underwear, but it's not much.
I tell myself, while it is a little upsetting that he didn't tell me he had to go, I can handle a teeny amount of poop and things are still okay.

Well before I even get the underwear under the water to begin washing them, the girl (who has been uncharacteristically quiet) runs in to me screaming "Hiams, hiams!!!!" (which is to interpret: hands, hands!!!!). I look to see what all the ado is about and the girl has poo smeared all over her hands, arms, legs, onesie and shirt.
Yes.
HER POO.
She was pooping in the other room and decided she would explore the ins and outs of her diaper. I strip her down throw her poop encrusted cloths in the laundry. Clean her dirty, smelly diaper and wash her down and spray her off in the tub. The boy is still on the potty. I quickly wash his underwear and throw those in the laundry too.

I take a step back and survey the damage. While I was thinking I was getting so much work done this morning, the kids have overturned 3 toy boxes, a pack of triangle flash cards and a bag of dinosaurs. My house looks worse than it did. I have already accumulated enough laundry for another load. Two steps ahead, five steps behind. It's not even lunchtime yet. It's days like these I really have to step back, look deep into the eyes of my beautiful children and remember why I continue to do this.

Welcome to motherhood.