Mama said there’d be days like this …

Actually, I’m not sure she did. I don’t remember my mother ever telling me about the kind of days I’m having lately. Maybe she didn’t want to scare me. Maybe she didn’t have those kind of days.

Either way, I don’t blame her, but today was one of THOSE days. The four-cups-of-coffee, two-Diet-Cokes, all-the-chocolate-in-the-house, somebody-help-me kind of days.

Days when the 3-year-old flat-out refuses to use the potty and screams when you forcibly take her there. And only eats watermelon for dinner. And doesn’t wear pants.

When the 18-month-old insists on making as much noise as possible and injures his mother in the process. Mother screams, yells and throws a shoe at the shower then bursts into tears because she just. can’t. take it. anymore.

The children watched said outburst in stunned silence. Actually, the 18-month-old handed me his babies for my comfort. And the 3-year-old started cleaning up the house.

Maybe there’s something to this throwing a tantrum tactic.

It was a no-nap day in our house, which makes everyone cranky, and results in things like mothers crying uncontrollably, fathers fleeing the house in record time for work, and 3-year-olds crying when their 18-month-old brothers hit them on the head with a toy hammer. (Besides making noise, the boy loves to hit things and people. Mostly, people.) Yeah, that just happened. I was in the room. Mother of the year, right here.

Days when both kids are crying and tired and will be in bed before 6 o’clock. And mother will eat a double portion of Double Dunker ice cream. (Thank you, Turkey Hill.)

It’s days like these when I feel like I’ve been duped.

Motherhood promises joy and giggles and precious moments that make you say “Aw” spontaneously and force ooey-gooey feelings to bubble up from somewhere deep inside your soul.

It’s not supposed to yield screaming and crying and moments of frustration that make you want to throw in the towel and vow that no amount of money, not even a million dollars, could make this job worth the trouble. (See 10 Reasons I Hate Being a Mom for more on this.)

“Motherhood is the most disgusting job ever!”

Yep. Add that to my mother of the year quote list.

The good thing about days like this is that they end, eventually. The kids will tire and fall asleep, even if they have to scream out their tiredness until they haven’t anything left. The sun will set. The stars will appear. And Mom and Dad will fall into bed, too.

It may not be the best of days, but it’s certainly not the worst. And, Lord willing, we get to try again tomorrow.

Scarlett O’Hara’s foolish — and courageous — optimism from “Gone With the Wind” rings true: “Tomorrow is another day.”

Amen.