This is great! Thanks to those who suggested it. I always feel guilty posting questions about my older kids on a "baby" board - plus I don't want to scare the parents of little ones.
DD1 is 12 and in 7th grade. This is her first year in middle school, and it is p.a.i.n.f.u.l. Pre-algebra may push us all over the edge. We are also struggling with defiant behavior.
DD2 is 10 and in 4th grade. School is going well, but the mood swings at home - oy!
So between the two of them, I'm often reminded of the nursery rhyme: "When she was good, she was very good, but when she was bad...."