Yes, I know those frustrations that come with being stuck and unable to get a break from the kids and the house. Struggling with the housework (and feeling bad about it) goes along with the territory. You might find some help for that at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.flylady.net>http://www.flylady.net</A> .

The puppy sounds wonderful! You get unconditional love and a reason to go for walks. And if you don't want puppy attention at the moment it is fine to crate her.

Being able to get away from the kids to go to therapy was also an issue for me. At one point (when I only had 2 kids) I had the older one in preschool and that was when I scheduled my therapy appointments (the younger one was an infant and I just took her along). The next time I was in therapy I scheduled it at 4 pm and my husband got off work an hour early on those days to watch the kids. Sometimes it is easier to get someone to watch them for you if you have an appointment and can point to that as a clear reason for needing the time off. Moms need free time too though. I think that time off for moms is a bigger problem in our culture these days than most people are aware of. It used to be most moms had a relative nearby who took the kids sometimes (you could send them to grandma's when you needed to), or if not, there would be a neighbor who would watch them. But now grandmas work and often live far away, and we don't even know our neighbors. So there are more burned out moms than ever before, and that's just one reason.

Yes, gather your info and talk to your husband and figure out what options you have. You will find obstacles, but keep looking for ways to overcome them. The obscacles don't have to be allowed to be road blocks. Hang in there, and do keep us posted. When you need to vent or just need to talk to grown-ups, we're here for you.

<font color=orange>There is an easy answer to your problem that is neat, plausible, and wrong.

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