Dinner, fussiness and all

So today I thought Mike has a had a rough week at work that I would cook one of his favorite casseroles from his childhood as a surprise! I am not a cook. I can follow a recipe that my mom made a zillion times as a child, but can't just come up with something off the top of my head. While Madie was napping, or screaming in the process of going to sleep, I started browning the meat. I thought I can at least get most of it made while she sleeps and combine it when she wakes up and put her in the exersaucer. Well, her nap lasted about 15 minutes, I let her fuss some in her crib and then I went and got her. I put her in the exersaucer and immediately she starts wailing. Knowing i now had about 1 hour until Mike got home, I picked her and soothed her and then put her back in there. She walked around in the exersaucer for a bit and played. The she reached around and started pulling things off the fridge. We just barely started to childproof and were going to block off the kitchen! So needless to say she can open cupboards and pull papers off the fridge. I let her do that. By, now I am super stressed the casserole is not turning out right. Madie is ripping things, trying to pull the trash bag out of the trash can. I had just spilled tomato sauce all over the tile on the counter top. Nothing is going good. She is wailing again the kitchen looks like a bomb hit it. I look like something out of a scary movie. I am stressed out completely. I finally call Mike and beg him to be on time today and explain to him what had gone on. I am crying on the phone, and he is trying to calm me down! My mascara is running down my face. My kitchen is still a mess, my daughter is still screaming, and I am sitting here shaking my head on the computer blogging about it to all of my mommy friends thinking how I need a shot of something stiff! Today has been one of those days! Countdown till Mike gets home 15 minutes. How the hell did the housewives of the 50's do it? I can't help but be reminded of what good Ole' Jennifer told us in Gymboree always clean yourself up and the baby up before dad comes home. Well, ladies that ain't happening. What turned out to be a nice simple gesture has stressed me out completely! Oy!