Full moon? Demon posessed? What is going on here?????

Tonight was rough.  It was not a stellar parenting evening, nor were my children the poster children to demonstrate the results of perfect, harmonious child-rearing tactics.  It was bad.  I had a son who insisted on having a meltdown from about 745p until he FINALLY went to bed on his own around 9:50p (but who's counting, right?).  He was in bed from 9-9:20p crying like crazy before I went in and brought him downstairs to settle down and try some crackers and a drink until we could start the bedtime routine over. 
Clark wasn't having the sort of tantrum that could even be controlled because it was just. That. Irrational.  Seriously.  He wanted to cry about everything.  He was happy for a few minutes at bathtime, but then I shut off the water.  He wanted to get out, but then I started to dry him off and he lost it again.  He wanted to play, but couldn't find what he really wanted to play with at the time.  Grandpa was trying to give him lots of attention, but it just wasn't what he was looking for and I don't know that we ever came up with whatever "it" was either.
It was definitely a terrible-twos-sort-of-night.  THIS is what people have warned me about, but then others told me two was easy and three was terrible.  Hmmmm.  It makes me wonder how any of us will get out of this alive???  OK, it's not THAT bad, but it was pretty rough.  Just ask Grandpa because he was in the midst of it.  Somehow he managed to maintain his cool (maybe it helps to know that you get to go home to your quiet house at the end of the day???) and was very helpful trying to keep them entertained while we got through baths, getting beds/rooms ready and bedtime. 
Prior to that, it was a good afternoon/evening.  Auntie Karen and Uncle Tom took Kendall with them for an outing which included a meal at Jason's Deli.  I decided that I could take the remaining two dumplins out for dinner on my own since Daddy was working and Uncle Stevie wouldn't be here this evening.  We picked IHOP (OK, I did because it's KIDS EAT FREE month), but I think that Emma and Clark would choose it again because they ate really well.  They ate Mommy's egg beaters, hash browns, a few bites of bacon and lots of the blueberry pancakes.  Their free meal was and order of chicken strips (two) and some fruit, but I think I brought home most of the chicken.  Glad to know that they like egg beaters.  We've tried eggs without success in the past, but maybe Egg Beaters are the answer. 
They did really well in the restaurant and so I thought I'd treat them to some time at the park before heading home.  Auntie Karen and Uncle Tom met us there to play and they "gave up" Kendall so that we could go home for baths.  You already know how that ends.
All in all, I'm glad for my orange pomegranate martini and my Mint Milano cookies this evening.  I hope no one is offended that I'm having a fruity martini, but it's been one of those days. 
We are looking forward to beautiful weather again this weekend and I know that the kids will wake up refreshed and ready for a new challenge.  Mommy will be feeling refreshed then too, so tomorrow is another day.   I just wish that we had our cool new swing/play set installed already.  I know that it will provide us with many hours of entertainment once it is up and running. 

Nightie-night.  Oh, and I didn't get any pictures that came out clear enough to post, so I dug through the "archives" of the last couple of weeks of pics and found one from our dining experience in the garage and more from some time spent outside recently.   And YES, my girls need haircuts.  I know it.  I'm going to schedule something in the next week or so because their hair is just out of control!