Rough week(s)

I haven't posted much about what's going on over here lately, because it has been so busy and overwhelming that finding time to post has been difficult.  However, Jason has been sleeping for the past hour (he's clearly exhausted, too), so I thought I'd try to write really fast in hopes of getting this done before he wakes!
There is a lot of craziness going on with Tony's work right now.  The extra stress is definitely wearing on us both.  Tony is working very hard and carrying a heavy emotional load as well as a heavy business load.  He has received many referrals this month, which is wonderful, but is just one more thing added to his plate to get done.  We're really hoping that things will settle down in a couple of months, but for now, it's just going to be this way.  It's definitely weighing me down, too, because I feel more alone at home and am having a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (even though I know it is there).
Thanks to Valerie's article about kids' half-ages and the terrors they can be, I have a better understanding of the ridiculous amount of frustrations I've been having with my kids lately.  You see, I have a 3 1/2 yr old and a 1 1/2 yr old.  Had I read about what happens to kids during these half-ages, I think I would have done everything in my power to have my kids born at opposite ends of the year so they would never be going through such craziness at the same time.  But alas, I did not, and I have two kids who are draining energy out of me right now more than they ever have before. 
Abbie is being a total drama queen about everything.  Nothing ever seems to be quite right.  If I washed skirt A, she wants to wear skirt B... meltdown ensues.  If she picked out her own spoon for her cereal, but arrives at the table to see that Tony had placed another spoon at her placemat, too... screamfest.
Jason is his usual active and strong-willed self, but with a heavy dose of screaming, crying, and tantrums lately.  I have a hard time taking him anywhere without being utterly exhausted at the end.  He has also decided that whatever sleep pattern he had been on for the last many months, it is completely insufficient.  He now sleeps approx 7pm-6am then wants to nap b/w 10am and 11am for an hour and a half... and that's it.  His 1pm naps are getting harder to make happen because he is crashing in the car in the mornings and refusing to take an afternoon nap later on.  Throw on top of it the fact that he often wakes up at the end of naps, and sometimes in the morning and begins screaming, whining, and writhing on the floor for up to 30 minutes... we've got a real winner here!
I'm truly doing my best to focus on the kids and load their days with activities that they find enjoyable... indoor playgrounds, museums, indoor trampolines, playdates, parks... and many times we manage to have some fun.  But, honestly, I'm plum worn out!  Yesterday, Abbie actually had to wake me up because I fell asleep while reading a story to her before lunch.  Ack!
OK, so enough complaining.  I did have some good times this past weekend to make up for the other stuff.  On Saturday, after I attended and sang in a funeral for a former co-worker (not so happy, but it was a beautiful service and I'm thankful that I was able to be there) my choir, Women's Voices Chorus, had its winter concert and it went extremely well.  I was pretty nervous in the weeks leading up to it, but everything seemed to fall into place just in time and the audience seemed very pleased.  We had a lovely orchestra and amazing soloists.  And, we got to do it again on Sunday!  Performing felt very good and did a lot to lift my spirits.  Even better than that, I got to enjoy social time with my singing friends Sunday evening post-concert and again Monday evening at our listening party.  It's really wonderful what a bit of socialization can do for the psyche!
So now here we are at Thursday, and I'm holding on tight to get through the rest of the week.  I'm looking forward to taking Abbie to her swim lesson on Saturday morning, then getting together with friends in the afternoon.  We're planning to go out for frozen yogurt and I think, after the craziness of the past couple of weeks, I may be getting a double serving with about as many delicious toppings as I can fit!  That'll melt away the stress, right??