Witching Hour!

My mom always called the hours from after school until dinner our "Witching Hour" It was the few hours of the day where we as kids were at our worst. I never really understood what she mean't. We'll let me tell you, WOW do I ever know what she meant now. With four kids, three of which go to some sort of school throughout the week and a baby who is super miserable when 430 pm hits. When the kids get home from school they are crazy, overstimulated and starving. After the beasts are fed they calm down and go about their afternoon routines. About 445 the baby starts whining, this is only the beginning, as I try to start dinner at 5 pm the kids are under foot begging for something to eat, fighting or just plain board. Then the baby starts sobbing no matter what I do unless I am holding her. She is terrified of the jumparoo and hates the excersaucer, will not stay where I put her since she is on the move now, and forget putting in her bed she will SCREAM, a blood curdling scream. So most nights I am making dinner with three kids and a dog underfoot while holding a very cranky baby. Usually everything goes without a hitch, by the time the hubs gets home, the table is set, the kids are rounded up and I am getting ready to feed the baby. But there are those nights when everything goes wrong, it usually starts early in the day when the baby misses her nap. Then I go to make dinner and I forgot to take meat out. Most times I can divert the crisis by defrosting meat or changing up the meal plan. Then at least one kid is hitting or being mean. So now I am winging dinner a screaming baby and a mean kid or two. By the time hubs walks in at 6pm I am done, it takes everything I have to dish up everyone and not run for the hills or curl up in fetal position under the dinning room table. He is such an amazing man, he helps me with the kids at dinner, gets them ready for bed while I do things like supper clean up, laundry and getting ready for the next day. Usually just hearing his voice will erase all evidence from my mind about the witching hour, well until tomorrow.