How to embrace the chaos of two young children?

[Ijustwanttodrinkmytea]

I have two dc who are aged 4 & 1. I love them to bits and they love each other which is lovely to watch. However I find life with two dc chaotic, and I don't normally like chaos! The youngest is a climber so I can't take my eyes off him, and trying to give them both attention saps my energy. I feel guilty that I don't sit with the eldest more to do things she likes like drawing or baking. I work 3 days a week and we've done an extension on our house this year so that's been a strain with added mess.
It might be Rose tinted spectacles but I feel like I used to do more with my first, like take her to music classes and on picnics and it was lovely, life was calmer. But with 2 dc outings seem harder, they're at different stages and I have less energy. I always wanted 2dc so no regrets at all, just feel like I'm living in the path of a tornado at times.
Anyone else feel like this? Dh says it will get easier but I don't want to wish the time away and would like to try and enjoy the present a bit more.

I have 2 girls under 2.5 so can sympathise although I'm on mat leave at the moment so have less stress than you and still struggle! Would it help if you and DH alternate taking one kid to do something for a couple of hours at the weekend? Maybe that way you could dedicate your attention to doing something fun with each of them?

Picnics should be suitable for both at that age. Maybe bake something to eat with the older one first and find somewhere that has a safe space for the little one to race around?

I have a 6 month old, 2 year old and 4 year old. I've found I've done less than with my 1st but the way I look at it, I've given them something way more valuable - a sibling that I hope they'll become close with. I still try to spend a bit of one to one time but don't feel guilty if I can't.
At the moment it's summer holidays so we're all together every day but term time I arranged a class when the eldest is at preschool to give me one to one time. We try to go out to national trust places as we're lucky there are a few near us so that gives the eldest and toddler chance to burn off energy and explore and youngest is happy seeing new things.
The house is a mess, we've also had an extension and slowly decorating. It drives OH insane but it's impossible to constantly tidy after 2 or 3 young kids as you do one but then turn around to see a brand new mess. So I live with the toy mess (although there are some rules like the games cupboard only one each at a time) then a mass tidy up session either end of morning and after dinner (well at least the latter one).