Now I Know Why Tigers Eat Their Young

Dear WTMs, My 12 year old is becoming a teenager. I know that Tacky Princess recently blogged about how sad she was that her daughter is going to high school. However, my house I am wondering if my older daughter will live to see high school. Of course, I am JOKING and I love my daughter with all my heart, as I always have. But let me just say that the transition into the teen years are not going to pretty at our house. Perhaps I should talk to my doctor about additional medication for me if the last few weeks are any indication. Sure, I would be in a a coma for the early part of her teen years but I would have teeth. The last few weeks have been spent totally GRINDING my teeth as a way of not completely screaming at this child/pre-teen/teenager to be. I remember 7th and 8th grade. Nearly everyone I know pretty much agrees that middle school or junior high pretty much stinks at one time or another. Unless of course you are the early bloomer who is usually also the MEAN girl..In which case you have a great time until 8th grade and then it's downhill from there. So I remember this age and how awkward it can be. I also remember that this is my daughter who got the spunk taken out of her two years ago and is still kind of raw. She is good and we are proud of her but the scars have NOT healed from the effects of the bullying and so she is extra sensitive. So I know all the facts I have just listed. But there are days..... There are days (for example, yesterday) that I just lose it. Dig if you will the picture: I am speaking to the guy that is fixing the new gutters to that NO MORE WATER leaks into our family room. So I am kind of interested in what he has to say. So there I am, speaking to the person that is going to keep our roof from caving in. The girls start to bicker and then one of them starts crying...All over a MOVIE. I thank the roof saver and calmly shut the door before the wrath of the WTM starts. I really cannot believe how quickly I turned into my MOM...Complete with gritted teeth and pointing fingers. It was quite ugly and I really hate it when I am such an uber-bitch mom. I have no guilt over the usual mom nagging but this was nuclear. I had just had it. The girls eyes popped out of their heads (even the 12 year old, who has seen EVERYTHING) and they were quite good the rest of the night and into today. But it really took it out of me! OMG getting that pissed off (it had been building) really drains me. Is raising a teenage girl really stressful or is it me? I need advice, WTMs. I need advice and another Margarita with my new best friend, Senor Patron.