Stress Sucks And NO ONE FREAKIN TOLD ME...

...How damn hard it would be to have an older teen in my house! (Not that I would have totally believed them or understood until I walked the road, but damn!) I had such a quiet weekend. I missed my little kids while they were with their Dad, but I was able to sleep in, shop, eat when and where I wanted and all in peace and quiet...and most importantly I was able to make some headway with C over the weekend. She graduated from high school this summer and lacks a real - in my mind - sense of direction. In the past week I was able to step back just enough to see that I've been running around the house like a tyrannical crazy bitch from hell and that's it really not helping so much.

We've agreed that I am going to back off a bit, she'll do more with out nagging and while she has agreed to sharing a room with her little sister we have yet to solve for the bed issue...She wants to bring her queen sized bed into a tiny room while I buy a twin for her sister. I did point out that that would make her bed "play space" because there would be no floor room and she's also likely climb into bed with her at night...So she's thinking and is supposed to measure her bed so we can "evaluate" if her idea is totally unrealistic...See, I'm trying to let her decide, or, um, see it my way on her own - cough, cough...While the fam tried to convince me to convert the large walk-in closet into Z's own new room.

But anyway...The most amazing thing happened. We can talk a bit again, she thought maybe my ideas on how to handle her debt weren't all bad AND she filled out apps for another job that pays more money! While I understand her heart is still in retail and I've managed to give up on college for now I am pleased to see her finally taking a few steps to better herself - aka not just working part time and waiting for Prince Charming to rescue her.

Speaking of Prince Charming, he's homeless now. He did not like it when I said that but I pointed out that without a job or a place to sleep he is homeless. I suggested a shelter and offered to take him but he prefers sleeping in his broken down car for now. I'm afraid we've been watching him spiral downwards since May and if this isn't rock-bottom for him I sure as hell hope it's close. This boy so needs to turn his life around and if he doesn't C needs to accept that he made that choice and cut him loose...Needless to say that stresses her out now too so I'm trying not to meddle/pile onto her stress level.

I know motherhood is the best job in the whole world, but some days it is SOOOOOO hard!