cocktail hour?

You know, the hour that marks the beginning of break-downs, exhaustion, a long day and tired kids.  My pediatrician refers to it as "cocktail hour"--- the hour at 5 o'clock when the adults desperately need a cocktail to get through the evening with tired kids. 

This little one has found her cocktail hour just after dinnertime.  We rock, bounce, walk, etc. to calm her down.  Lately, we have moved to the patio.  There is something soothing about the end of the day when the breeze kicks up and the warm light of the sun fading that calms her.  With a blanket in hand and the breeze blowing through her hair, she is content.  This has become our spot when cocktail hour arrives--just under the fern and and next to us, out on the patio.  We don't dare move until she is peacefully sleeping .  Now, if only this technique worked with our older children...