Help!

I'm becoming a lunatic!
A maniac!
A crazy person!

Really. I am just not myself lately. I am snippy and snappy and easily frustrated! Aaaagh! I can't stand it!

It seems like if I stop and take a few minutes, I can regain some perspective, and maybe get some go-forward strategies and ideas of little things I could do differently - or just do - to make life run more smoothly. But if I don't stop, I feel like I'm crazed. *sigh*

Example: Today we are packing (which is one of the quickest ways to stress me out, even in the best of circumstances). The kids are all home from school today for break. I washed all of their clothes yesterday, but it's their job to fold them and put them away. So I gave them the baskets to start sorting. They, however, acted like they had NO idea what I was talking about.
*Gaaah!!*

Then I asked Meagan to pull the blankets off of her bed. "IT'S TOO HARD!!" was the response I received. I hate that response. I hate to hear "I can't." or "It's too hard." Not my favorite phrases. Unfortunately, I've been hearing them a lot lately. Seems SHE likes them, even if I don't.

I just stopped. Right in the middle of the floor. In the middle of the dirty laundry pile (the adult clothes... which did NOT get washed yesterday). And I closed my eyes. I was breathing. And praying. And thinking. Poor Sebastian, who was standing near me when I dropped to the floor, just stood there frozen, not quite sure WHAT he should do. Finally I heard him sort of tip toe away. I don't blame him. I'm sure from his perspective I looked like a crazy person on all accounts.

Okay, back up on my feet. Get the laundry sorted. Find a way to motivate Meagan without an arguement. Get the clothes packed (or washed, and then packed). Get the beds made (because once Meagan has the blankets off of her bed, neither of her bunks will have sheets on them... she's gonna need a place to sleep when we get home).

I did find a way to get it done. I sorted Lucas' and my clothes into two piles. Threw one in the wash. I emptied and reloaded the dishwasher. Then I called Meagan down to the now-tidy kitchen to have a chat - yes, a NICE one... no yelling or scolding or anything - after which she promptly went up to her room to start on the stuffed animals and blankets (and floor cleaning and toy packing apparently, as she keeps bringing things to me that she wants to take on our trip). And I feel a bit less monster-ish.

Hopefully I can keep that crazy monster at bay and enjoy our holiday. I do not want to be a maniac.

(P.S. Just as I was finishing typing this, Meagan busted out a major melt-down... stomping and crying / screaming "I don't want to do my room! It's too hard!" Clearly, she has a pet monster today too. *blah* All I can think of right now is the Calgon commercials that were on tv when I was little.... "Calgon, take me away!"... I guess all I can do is say, "I CAN do this... It's NOT too hard!" And move on.)