Oral Fixation and the Witching Hour

Two things have been coming to my attention more and more lately. Just thought i'd share. First: my kids are horribly orally fixated and I'm not sure if it's normal or what. Nearly any time they're alone, they pop something inedible in their mouths - legos, polly pocket accesories, styrofoam packing chips, etc. The phrase, "Spit that out!" is one of our most common phrases around here. The other day Benjamin had a lego in his mouth and I demanded he spit it. The moment it hit the floor, Bella ran by, picked it up in mid-sprint and popped it in her mouth as she ran for safety. Ewwwww! What is wrong with my children?? I have an infant, but it's my four year old that can't keep the legos out of his mouth. What is wrong with this picture? I only hope they outgrow it.


Second: the horrid witching hours from 5-7pm can sometimes we as hard as the whole rest of the day combined. Case in point - last night. I sent the older 2 downstairs to watch an episode of Kipper while I made dinner. As soon as I started to cook, Christian started to cry. So I tried to feed him, but he was squirmy and fussy and wouldn't eat. So I set him back down and went back to cooking. He cried and cried the entire time. It took me just over 15 minutes to cook dinner and he cried so hard the entire time that he puked all over himself - and continued crying! Just as I finished dinner and tried to clean him up, Bella came up to me crying because she'd finished watching tv and wanted to put on her pajama but her pajama was inside out and it was the worst thing ever and she was never going to be able to wear that pajama ever again!! So I asked her to bring me her pajama and as she does, I hear "Bam! Waaaaaa!" and in runs Benjamin, who'd decided that spinning circles in the living room would be fun - except that he was really too tired and he lost his balance and slammed his head on the corner of the piano bench. Oh the blood!!! It went all over the floor, him, me, Christian's bouncer seat, etc. It was literally squirting in an arc at times. I grabbed a dishtowel and applied pressure for a minute or two to slow it down, the whole time thinking, "Who could I call to watch Christian and Bella while I run him to the ER?" However, once the bleeding slowed, I could see that the wound wasn't big enough to require stitches. All this withtin minutes and all within the witching hours, as I've come to call them. Those hours between 5pm and bedtime (about 7:30) are the worst! I try never to be out during those hours. I got an invitation today to a playdate with a child from Benjamin's school who wanted to meet at the play place at the mall at 6pm next week! I thought she was kidding at first. Start a playdate at 6pm? Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like a horrible idea? We have more meltdowns, tantrums, and crying at that time than any other time of day. And yet I see gymnastics classes offered at 5:30pm and storytimes at 7pm. I guess working parents have to be considered, but as for me and my house, we retire at 5pm and will not be seen later than that.

Okay, off to bed, just needed to get some things out.