I'm a mummy on the edge

Today was going really well.  The Three Big Kids were at school and The Toddler was at preschool.  The Curate had a day off so we took The Baby for a walk from White Moss around Grasmere.  I was pretty pleased that I had managed to walk somewhere in the region of 4-5 miles with 8+kg of baby on my back.  The scenery was beautiful and there's nothing like a good dose of fresh air (plus it wasn't raining - always a bonus around here).  After lunch at the garden centre, it was time to head home for the afternoon pick ups.

So far, so good.  One child compared to five is a walk in the park.  All was well until it turned out that today was the day to come home from school and preschool feeling grumpy.  I fed them.  They were still grumpy.  I listened to them.  They were still grumpy.  Cuddles? No good.  Then The Curate took the two biggest girls to their violin lessons.  I thought that things would improve.  I was wrong.  The Baby started joining in with the grumpiness having been happy all day.  We had now officially entered Suicide Hour and, well, as the name suggests things weren't about to get any better.  The following definition of Suicide Hour is taken from this blog:

Suicide hour: That hour as you’re busy cooking dinner, the children are hungry and tired and no one seems able to do anything on their own without help.

It normally involves frequent whining, a couple of tantrums and an urge to throw yourself off a bridge. Or time out everybody while you finish cooking. Or time out yourself and let everyone else fend for themselves.

Also known as Arsenic Hour, The Witching Hour and Please Everyone, Just Go Away and Let Me Cook Dinner Alone Hour.

Disastrously things didn't even improve with small tummies being filled with macaroni cheese.  Desperate times call for desperate measures and The Curate had ignored my SOS text for Valium and/or horse tranquilisers.  So, at The Biggest Girl's suggestion, I found The Epic Horn Guy on YouTube and played it until The Baby laughed.  I may also have watched some Veggietales Silly Songs with some small people (specifically this one and this one),

If you are hoping for something vaguely holy or inspiring today then I'm sorry.  My brain may be capable of turning out first class theological essays but today it has been turned to mush by all of the whining.



And that about sums up my day.