What was I thinking?

I made the mistake of praying for patience last week. Obviously, I'm saying that sarcastically (slightly), but let me just let you in on a little secret that I temporarily forgot. God does not usually just wave his hand in your direction and give you exactly what you ask for. In my experience, He instead gives you the opportunity to obtain what it is you are asking for. If you pray for holiness, God will give you the opportunity to be holy. Pray for courage and you will be given the opportunity to be courageous. Pray for patience, and holy crap will you receive chance after chance to develop patience!
Anyways, I was at the end of my rope with my daughters and their shenanigans. So after putting them in bed for the 16th time, I ended up on my knees asking God why they are so rambunctious and to please give me more patience to deal with their insatiable desire to send me to the loony bin within the next five years. Strangely, I thought I heard a faint chuckling from somewhere in the distance, but decided it was the lack of sleep.
I'm positive that this was the longest week of my life as a mother. It was as if my children had become possessed with the love child of the Tazmanian Devil and The Brain (insert maniacal laugh here). And there was a moment. Somewhere, between them tag-teaming the dogs with Baby Magic and skittles, to the fabulous new toothpaste paint job they did down the hallway, to me fishing the 13th Barbie doll head out of the toilet, I had a serious moment. A moment where I realized that I was one piece of gum filled panties away from understanding the thought process that lead that woman to take a quiet nap at the bottom of the lake.
And this time I am sure I heard laughter. So, I just joined Him. And God and I had this great moment on the bathroom floor. Laughing til the tears came running down. What am I going to do with these children God?! I love that He laughs with me, and not at me.
So today I was ready. I made it through the entire day without completely losing it. No children were beaten. There were no thoughts of the lake. I had a nice talk with God to let Him know that I was pretty sure that my lesson in patience was received and completed. And then the next moment came.
I stood in the kitchen cooking dinner and listening to my husband play with the kids. I don't know if it was having him home, the sound of their precious laughter, or the fact that dinner came out exactly as planned and every one of them cleaned their plates without a single protest, but it was a moment that filled me with instant peace of heart. You see, it's not easy being a mother. Especially on those days where you feel like your kids are really tiny terrorists, whose only objective in life is to see just how far they can push you before you burst. But friends, it is well worth it. Because at the end of the week, there was always that one moment. That one moment where you realize nobody tried to drown their sister in the bathtub, and bedtime went so easily. That moment that everybody was happy today, even if just for 15 minutes. That moment that you realize God gave you exactly what you asked for.  Well played God, well played.