I'm guilty of being one of those glowing homeschoolers. Ivy's right, outsourcing is key. I would not be doing this if I didn't live in a community with amazing homeschooling resources. My kid is in ~3/4 day programs for homeschoolers three days a week, and I'm looking into hiring a few hours of babysitting time for the other two days because she still overwhelms me. (Oh, yeah, also: I have a job I'm supposed to be doing.)
You said that you live in a small rural community. Seriously, I don't say this lightly: If you think you will need to homeschool over the long term, is there any chance you can move? I can't emphasize enough how important community is to making homeschooling a good experience.
In the shorter term: hang in there, and I'm so glad you have this board where you can vent!
