Cat Fight Fever

As you all know, there happen to be three cute little girlies that run the Michaelian house hold. One of these three girls is still an angel (she doesn't talk yet, so how could she not be). The other two wake up in the morning and IMMEDIATELY launch into charming comments such as "That dress looks stupid", the ever popular "That's mine!!!" not to be outdone by "Stoooooooop!" and my personal favorite "No one likes you". These sun filled morning greetings (that last through out the day) are followed by a match of screaming as loud as they possibly can and maybe a physical session of hair pulling and scratching. Yes, the cat fights have started. Actually, I swear, they really do sound like cats sometimes, hissing and growling and moaning at each other. It is quite commical.
Anyway, this all makes me think back to my days as a child and the drop down to the floor and scratch for your life moments that peppered each and every day. No wonder my mom worked such long hours! Talk about draining. For someone who is very uncomfortable with conflict, this is bringing up some serious shit for me!
So, to deal with this, I am reading "the Seven Spiritual Laws of Parenting" (which I have read for about two years intermittently). Everyday, I read a page of "100 Secrets of Happy People" to the girls. We talk about lowering their voices and being nice and blah blah blah. Do they even hear me? I think not. So, what is a mom to do? Wine or vodka? Joking... really, but it is not surprising that many moms become alcoholics or pill poppers with the referee-ing that is required during this stage (and for the next what, 18 years?) and it is about to get even WORSE! You see on friday, summer begins! I used to look forward to summer and I'm sure they do, but now? YUCK! Summer means more time together (I know, I know, I'm lucky, but... more time together means more time fighting. More time for me to try to figure out how to get these kids to just get along. And why? So I can drive myself crazy trying to calm something that will just keep exploding? Do they just need to go through this? Is this fighting some kind of rite of passage? What is it besides a way to surely put me into an early grave?
Does anyone have any suggestions out there? PLEASE!!!
The only solution I can come up with is to keep these kids on the go all of the time. But, the poor baby doesn't get a nap in when we are out and she doesn't get one when we are home because anger ball has a louder voice than any siren in San Francisco and inevitably after Soleil is asleep for no longer than 5 minutes, the siren sounds. Besides, how many times can you go to the park, zoo or beach before the kids get sick of it? And the the COMPLAINING starts (The fact that we live in 60 degrees and foggy in the middle of July is a whole different issue).
Anyway, please share any ideas you might have. I need help here!
I love these kids like crazy and am so lucky to be their mom, but as with everything in life, issues issues issues...