If I were a drinking woman . . .

I'd be enjoying a nice hot cup of cocoa with Irish Creme (more like a cup of Irish Creme with some cocoa) or pineapple juice and Malibu Rum or a Margarita . . . okay I am a drinking woman but not now because I am a breastfeeding woman and I don't want my happy and sleep-loving baby to become belligerent and awake because she had some "Happy Hour Milk". So I have to have the next best thing . . . lots of caffeine (no, I didn't drink all those today -- today and yesterday!). I even had to break my no caffeine after 6 pm rule tonight after the kids went to bed -- it's been quite a day! I haven't even spent a lot of time with them today, but they were about to push me over the edge tonight. We made plans with Grammy for them to come so I could help the Easter Bunny finish his shopping and get some groceries. Ethan and Addison are still so grumpy and Caden is feeling fine but has the strong need to tease and annoy them which isn't hard. Just getting all them dressed and out the door today was a major accomplishment, I told Patti we would be there around 10 and I think we were about 30 minutes late. The second we walked in the door there was crying and fighting. Grammy has some sinus/allergy issues; she said she was fine but now she probably wishes she was too sick to watch them. Three hours later I return and they are still crying and fighting. Ethan accidentally called 911 and then proceeded to scream in Ethan volume fashion when 911 called back to check if they should come. Patti said the operator asked a few times if she was sure everything was alright. I kind of wished they had come to take him away for a few hours (just kidding)! We get back home and there's more fit throwing and crying. I finally get them down for a nap and Addison wouldn't take one and that makes her mood more enjoyable. I keep trying to find things (bath, food, blocks, our bean container, TV, songs) to occupy them but all they want to do is irritate each other and do things they shouldn't like play with the TV buttons, hit each other, or slam cupboard doors 8000 times. Ethan's favorite things to do tonight were get in the refrigerator, stand on their little card table, and spit chewed up food in various places around the house. I was trying to figure out what is going on. Yeah, they're still not feeling 100% but this is beyond that. Then I realize we really haven't been anywhere this week until today but even getting out the house and playing at Grammy's didn't help a whole lot. I think they are really missing Daddy. This is week 3 of the crazy hours. He worked 84.5 hours last week and that doesn't include the 18 hours in commuting to and from work, and the 4 hours of walking from the parking lot to the power plant (safety thing -- the parking lot is a 20 minute walk from where he works). When the kids wake up most of the time he's there in bed (sometimes he's not here yet) and he gets up 60 to 90 minutes before he leaves again. I think they are really out of sorts that they haven't seen him in so long. They all go sit in the bed with him while he is sleeping so I know they want to play with him. They are constantly asking me where he is. When he's finished with this job and he gets caught up on his sleep, he's going to get to spend quite of bit of quality time with them so I can have some peace and quiet time for me. Aaron told me the 21st was the last day of this schedule, but they got behind and now he thinks it will be at least one more week; I hope he's right otherwise I may have to have that cup of cocoa!