Remind me again why I had kids????

Bad day today. It's not even 1 pm and I'm exhausted. Please girls, I REALLY REALLY REALLY need to cry on someones shoulders right now. For starters my 11 year old has been gone for only 2 days and I already miss him. He has a bad negative attitude, fights with his brothers, argues with me, bullies people, does his chores half-a$$ed most of the time, etc. But in 2 days I realize some good points about him. He has a WONDERFUL sense of humor, he is excellent with the baby (kind, gentle, can change diapers, feed bottles, etc), will make breakfast and lunch for him and his brothers if I need him too, walks the dog without being asked, and no matter what his mood he's is always good for giving me a kiss on the cheek (as long as it's not out in public!) for no reason at all - even if I've just yelled at him. And even tho he screws up alot, he will later apologize for it. I MISS MY HELPER!!!! My 6 year old sleeps in all day, whines about doing his chores, wants me to pour him MORE cereal (he eats 4 bowls at a time...he weighs 45lbs soaking wet) right when I'm trying do something else, won't stop bouncing off the walls (yes, he's on ADHD meds), and talks a mile a minute very loudly when I have a headach. This is the same child however that when you ask him a question he mumbles his answer so quietly you have to have him repeat it 3 or 4 times to understand him. He won't stop carrying the cat around and then cries when the cat bites or scratches him. Good thing he's so freakin cute. My 3 year old Andy is just 3. What can I say. I ask him if he wants pop tarts or cereal for breakfast. He says he wants pop tarts. I put some on a plate and hand them to him and he has a meltdown because he now wants cereal. So I put the pop tarts away and pour him cereal. Now he wants the pop tarts back.... So now he's throwing a tantrum in the kitchen and neither one of us really knows what he wants for breakfast. He's mad at me like it's my fault then he wants me to pick him up and make it all better. On top of all that, I had this child completely potty trained before I went to Tulsa back in July. I was gone 5 days. When I came back, he wouldn't use the potty anymore and I cannot for the life of me get him trained again. He is fighting it harder then he ever did before. Keep in mind that he will be 4 in a month. He won't mind even the simple command. No matter what I tell him he tells me NO!!! If I have to go to the store he throws a tantrum because he wants to stay home. We get to the store and then he throws a tantrum because he doesn't want to leave. I can't win. My baby who I just recently bragged about sleeping thru the night is makeing me out to be a liar. He not only now wants a bottle in the middle of the night, he wants to play after eating. He's skipping his regular nap times and it's throwing me off. I only got 3 hours of sleep last night. And to top it all off, DH is pushing his luck. He ignores any requests I make of him with the house (and he wonders why the kids won't listen. he sets such a great example), when I was sick with the flu this weekend he wouldn't take over the cooking, cleaning, shopping, or getting the errands done so I could rest. Nooooo. I had to go and do it all. Then he acts like he's some sort of hero because he washed 2 loads of laundry (out of the 9 we have). He keeps doing little things like playing with the car keys and setting off the car alarms and thinks it's funny. Then he gets mad because I blow up at him because I've already told him several times to stop and he won't listen. So I take my car keys away and he accuses me of treating him like a child. HELLLOOO. He acts like a child. He instigates crap with the kids all the time. I am so angry with him and so sick of him acting like a child that I literally gag every time he goes to kiss me. It actually grosses me out. That really can't be healthy. And just when I finally get everyone settled down DH calls to find out what I'm doing right then. The phone wakes ups Kayden and he's screaming, Josh and Andy start arguing over who's going to take care of him and the dog starts barking her head off. I am about to explode. I just ate a king size dove chocolate bar in two bites.... Tammy

Hi Tammy!!! I'm really sorry your having a really bad day! Just try to go in the bathroom just for a minute and take a couple of deep breaths and count to 10 then see when your husband gets home if you can go take a long hot bath with candles and he can watch the kids while you relax! Well hope the rest of your day goes by smoothly! Melissa

Tammy- I hope that your day will get better!! Maybe you could turn the ringer off on your telephone? At least while the little one is napping. I wish I could help you out on the potty training thing, but I have no experience, yet. I am here for ya girl, VENT!!!!!!! -Jamie & Hunter

Im sure you didnt mean to be funny. But even at your worse you have the best sense of humor. I have 1 of my own(Aiden 6 mo) and I have two step daughters (6 & 3)on the weekends. So I can sorta relate but not really bc I know its harder when your kids are always together. I figured this out when the girls have stayed with us for a long weekend. By the end they where ready to hurt each other and I was threatening to run away from home. If I could Tammy I would send a super nanny to watch both of our dhs and kids. Then we would take a relaxing vacation. If only I had won the lotto last week My 3 yr old step daughter sounds like your sons lost twin. She does the same thing with breakfast. AND its always involves pop tarts She will get mad at me and say I TOLD YOU... I gave up trying to make her eat or even eat well. She has been trained to be a junk food junky. God forbid she eat some fruit or a veggy or water she will go this is "DISGUSTING" she is just like her mom. I hope tomorrows better... Angel