I'm no longer sure of the exact moment I realized I was in over my head. One thing is for certain: by the end of the day there was no questioning just how deep I was. Sometimes the universe signals us with red flags, but that day I was in need of some military flares.

It all started innocently enough. It was last summer and I was packing my 7, 3 and 1-yr-old boys along with my 9-year-old nephew, into the mini-van for a day at Sea World, expecting just another day at the park. Red Flag #1: 1 mom: 4 boys: 1 large amusement park

Pulling off the side of the road in the midst of construction traffic to the screams of "I have to go" seemed like the right thing to do. Unfortunately, my nephew suffered from a 'shy bladder' that wouldn't allow him to relieve himself in front of the convoy of construction-stranded motorists. Traveling at a warp speed of 10mph, looking desperately for a gas station, I was relieved to discover 'Homeward Bound' still in the DVD player from our road trip to South Padre. Red flag #2: the usual 2 hour trip to Sea World took 4 hours, a gas stop, 2 potty breaks and a DVD

Once at Sea World, trudging to the water park lugging towels, sunscreen and water bottles, I realized the Divine Creator should have made some provision that for each child in your care you are issued another pair of eyes and a long retractable arm. Shortly after arriving, my nephew was lost...or at least HE thought he was lost. It was 20 minutes before he 'found' me, his cheeks tear stained and his eyes red. I was within 100 ft of him the entire time. Red flag #3: losing kids who aren't your own

Seeing plenty of families in line with little ones, and assuming it would be a lazy river ride where you enjoy the scenery, we loaded onto the tube ride. I never expected the chute. Clinging with one arm to my 1-year-old sitting between my straddled legs and the other arm around my 3-year-old huddled beside me, I braced myself for the terrifying ride down, thoughts of capsizing rushing through my brain as fast as the water beneath us. Our tube, off balance due to the concentration of all our weight on one side, lodged itself against the side wall of the chute bringing us to an abrupt but welcome stop. Then I heard it...screams coming from the tube riders behind us. Feeling the jolt of being rear-ended, we were dislodged from the wall of the chute, once again riding the rapids. Red flag#4: getting whiplash on a "family" tube ride

The universe, still feeling the need to drive home the stupidity of what I had undertaken in my early morning caffeine induced "Super Mommy" stupor, gave me red flags #5 & #6 in the form of four hot, tired, hungry kids whining at me while I searched an hour and a half in the parking lot for the van... and while I ran into a large orange construction barrel that was rolling across the two-lane access road on the drive home.

You know, all it would have taken was one military flare in the form of a flat tire before leaving the garage to keep me home, but some lessons are meant to be learned the hard way. Now and then I guess I need a day at the park.