or both. If I undesstand it correctly, your disgust on yoru current job outweighs your desire to get a Ph.D. and do research and teaching. It is more that you want to escape rather than pursue a dream.
Talk to your spouse and see if you can afford to take a leave for 3 months or half a year. Long commute is indeed an issue. It can dramatically increase your dissatisfaction on your job. You mentioned that you could have a job with no difficulties if you can relocate to another place. There must be some reasons that prevent you from relocating. Re-consider them. See if it is actually a good idea to relocate. If you are the mother, I seriously suggest your hu*****and takes the longer commute while you take the shorter one, because with two kids, it usually requires a lot of more care and work from the mother than the father. I can't imagine how a mother can handle the job, the long commute and taking care of the kids together for a long time. You will get yourself burned out, which might get your into depression.
ntking is right in saying that the acdemia is more competitive. You must fight constantly to get a position unless you are extrodinarily talented in your field. The pressure is high in getting tenure and funding. From what I know, many professors in non-science and non-engineering fields see shrinks regularly. Think hard if that is what you really want to do after you get your Ph.D. It requries higher commitment and higher devotation than in the industry.
