New Year, New Us

Things have been crazy this year and it's only January 14th! Well, it's not exactly as if anything is calm in this house ever so I don't know what I expected, but I've decided it's a new year, we need a new us. We are one down in the Bowling household as my mother has decided not to be a part of us anymore. I have not seen her since the day after Christmas and I am OK with that. It's sad really, but what can I do. It's not as if I can just go to the store and pick out a new mother. I hate that she left without saying anything, but I can get over it. It's not exactly her style to communicate or anything. I hate that she left without saying anything to my brother.

I was already married when my parents split up (and let's not talk about the fact that they never even told me, my brother had to when I called one day) but my brother is 16 and he has had to deal with crap from the two people who brought him into this world since he can remember. I hate that he's from a "broken home." I hate that his father never calls him or sees him. I hate that his mother has now abandoned him too. I hate that neither of them seem to care enough that they do anything about it. I am trying to stay positive, and be the adult figure that he needs so desperately, but I have three small kids. What do I know about raising a teenager who has never been responsible for anything before?

I unleashed the chore chart tonight. Each day of the week everyone has something they are responsible for doing. I need this for my sanity and for teaching my siblings how to be responsible. I know it's small, but it's a start. I would like to implement some pretty strict scheduled things into the week too, so I am working towards that. I used to be such a non-schedule person, but I feel like anymore, I need it for my sanity. The kids need a better routine too. Every since Mark and Amanda came a year ago, the kids and routine was thrown off. Things were crazy and I never knew how to fix it into a way I wanted. Now as it seems to be a permanent thing, I am putting my foot down for chaos to cease. I feel like a drill sergeant and this house is my boot camp. I can't take it anymore, and I am not going to. We are switching rooms around a bit too, so that Simeon doesn't have to sleep in a closet until he's 18. Simeon and Mark will share a room and Amanda and Sophie will share a room. Jacob and Alice and I will move back downstairs. Also, I will finally clean my craft room. I don't think I could find anything in that room if you paid me.