DH suddenly remembered he had urgent work to do which is why I disappeared No1 - sorry about that.
That sounds like an awful day. But awful in a familiar way - I've been there, done that with the hurling children at DH and storming out in tears. I know PF, VG and others have talked about similar moments.
The clinginess can be soul-destroying. DS was very like that and I clung on to my sanity with my fingernails at times. It is very hard to take the older one lashing out at the baby too. Trying to keep them quiet too. Meep - too much to deal with definitely.
You are doing a great job. You give your children so much love, and you are always so good at reflecting on how you are doing as a mum. I really admire that whenever I read your posts.
I let off steam the other day using an old trick of going into a separate room and swearing furiously under my breath while hoovering. I may need to march the streets instead though as DD1 must have been hovering about because she called DS a twat on the way home from school .
A quick idea for DD1 - a bit odd, but it often works with DS. When a pattern of attention-seeking stuff is going on like the hitting, ignore it, but give her the attention at other times by love-bombing her (telling her she is totally brilliant, your best friend, the most fantastic helper) and taking her on a short 'secret Mummy and DD1' trip to a cafe/park/cinema/swimming type thing.
When DS and I do this and DH asks where we are going we always say we are going to look at wallpaper. DS thinks it is fab and it's a great way of breaking the tension and the cycle of telling off ...
You are of course dead right to be stopping her being rough, but stopping crime is more wearing than stopping the causes of crime iyswim.
DS is currently on a 'reading strike' with his homework, hence the frustration and hoover-muttering here.
Albs - that sounds painful. Hope it eases soon.