The chore war

I know that it is my job as a parent to instill responsibility, and feelings of community with my children, but the chore war has me exhausted! We have a simple system that separates the chores by week A and week B, which alternates. These weeks are labeled clearly on the calendar. We also have a check list. This came about because my middle guy would fight and argue that things were done when they weren't. As we have been working these chores for over a year now, there is still fighting and whining about them! I have had to make another rule that no tv, or playing outside is allowed until they are done. My oldest has figured this out. Most mornings he will do some of them if not all of them, just to get it over with! The other guy finds more excuses and arguments about why he can't get them done. Then he will be distracted and it takes him five times longer to accomplish what can be done in 20 minutes. Now the new argument is that the list is not fair, that one week is harder than the other (inevitably its always the week that he has currently) so I told them to sit down and divide the chores how they see fit. Then come back to me with a new chart... this has yet to be done. Most days it seems that the chore wars are much more exhausting than just doing them myself!! Because, as I am informed regularly, they are the only kids who have to do chores!!! Well, I have never been a follower... sorry kids. :O)