Am I a horrible mother, or do I just feel like one?

I try to be a good mom. I really do. I try to be kind and patient with my kids. I try to educate them and give them fun experiences too. But sometimes "Mean Mom" comes out and ruins it all.

Right now, I am trying as hard as I can to keep her contained.

I get frustrated.

And I don't know if it's just Aiden being a boy. Or if it's Aiden being Aiden. He's my only boy, and all my brothers were older than me and out of the house before I came along, so I have no experience with boys. I know many of you - my friends- have only boys. So maybe you can help me figure it out.

Are inflatable pools only supposed to be good for one use?

Does a tube of sunscreen contain only one application?

Is my mother's wooden sewing machine cabinet an appropriate place for a tractor wash?

Is Yogurt good for shining a dog's coat?

Does more milk end up on the floor than in the kids' tummies?

Is glue really the proper way to hang posters on your wall?

Has your front yard been made into a beach -complete with ocean and sand?

...and large holes dug in the sand?

Have your cell phones been smashed to bits in order to obtain parts for building robots?

Are dirt clots routinely thrown at your house?

Is there a colony of bugs living in jars on your front porch?

Are your bathroom walls decorated with toothpaste paintings, and the ceiling covered with wet wads of toilet paper?

Oh, bless his heart. I love that boy. I love him so much. For all I know, these really could be regular 'boys being boys' things. I just feel like all I ever do is scold him and tell him he's doing something wrong. Am I really a horrible mother? or do I just feel like one?