I'm really sick of being a mom today. My son is *****ing about the dog and screaming at her. He's screaming at me because he's mad at the dog.

A friend of mine called me yesterday and asked if I could make it down to the faire this weekend so we could spend some time together. I absolutely adore this guy. He's been the one constant in my life for the last four years, even though it's been sporadic because he lives in Arizona August through May and I'm here in Wisconsin full time. But he emails and calls and we get together every year and if he wasn't a committed bachelor I'd want to be with him full time. Can I get down to see him? Nope, because all of my limited disposable income is getting sucked out of me by my kids. It's not even that much money, but I'm not going to put it on the credit card and I don't have enough extra money in the checking account.

I'm feeling really used and violated and hated by my kids right now, especially my son. His dad makes him half-hearted promises and then backs out of them, so my son gets upset and I'm the one to take the brunt of his anger, and then I feel obligated to make it up to him somehow. He won't tell his dad he's upset. It wouldn't matter anyway. He wouldn't care. He's more interested now in pursuing the things he "gave up" because I was a "life sucking sponge who made him sacrifice his dreams."

My son even informed me that his dad is going to move to the far reaches of Northern Wisconsin after our daughter graduates and my son's going to stay here full time. Hey, thanks for giving me the heads up there, Big T.

I just want to give up right now.