Kozy? Not so much.

Kozy Shack tapioca pudding is alright, but not as good as my mom's homemade tapioca. Mom's has this ever-so-scrumptious taste of vanilla and fluffy white goodness. I wish I had some right now. Instead...I had to settle for Kozy Shack. (Sure, I could make my own...but why bother). Oh, and bread pudding....Mom's is the best.
Anyway, enough randomness. As you know, I have wanted to be a teacher for a very long time. But, more than that, I wanted to be able to take better care of my kids. This morning I gave Paige 5 bucks and she acted shocked. Like, "hey, what's this for?" I also wanted to be a kinder mother (and perhaps not worry about buying my kids an ice cream off the truck, for example). I am able to do that now...however, I have made things bad for others in the process. Take my husband...he gave up a 17 year job and now has horrible credit because of me. Paige can't stand it here. Sean hates it here and hates me for it. Lindsey gave up her friends, too. All because "Amy had to be a teacher". Nice.

Talk about nice...kids now days. I think I have totally had it with kids who think they can talk to adults any way they feel like it and get away with it. Well, actually, they can get away with it. They have NO consequences to deal with any more. Ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous. When a child tells an adult to "shut the f#@! up" and isn't so much as talked to about it, I am shocked. It makes me sick to my stomach. When a child feels as though he (or she) can make his (or her) own decisions at too young of an age, that gives that child a very false sense of power. Too many families allow the children to be IN CHARGE and it's just plain wrong.
My mother and father didn't ALLOW us kids to disrespect adults. We didn't have to worry about consequences...there were none. BECAUSE WE DIDN'T NEED THEM....WE RESPECTED ADULTS!!!!!
When we don't demand that children respect adults (and forget just children...when we don't demand respect from one human being to the other) how are these people going to go out, get jobs and keep them? How are they going to have a decent relationship with another human being and be able to raise a family (if that is their desire). How are they going to live in a community with others in peace? Most likely, they aren't.
Maybe the parent(s) of these ill-respecters are worried that the child will leave. This in turn would leave the parent(s) feeling as though they didn't do their job as a parent and they are not worthy of parenthood. They feel like they didn't make a difference at all. Well, what's better? Giving up your well/hard earned title of "adult" because a child thinks he (or she) can run your life? Please.

Dark as Night...

Well, we're all boarded up again! Waiting on our special guest, Ike. Unless you've experienced it, you can't realize what a cave a home turns into when you have shutters over every window. It is a tad disturbing, actually. Today was solid sun outside but dark as night inside. Oh well, keeps the cooling costs down!
Don and I and all the kids chipped in our efforts and got mostly all of the 28 windows done. I lifted and carried 145 panels all around the house. Therefore, I am quite sore right now. I try hard to not be a complainer, but the shutter business really took its toll on me today. I know everyone did their part and everyone is sore, I just think people don't realize how particularly painful it is for people with this Fibromyalgia business to get some things done. People think it is a made up thing...it isn't. I don't have it near as bad as some people and quite frankly, I don't understand how someone with worse symptoms gets through the day.
For me, there are only a couple major things and then some minor things. I have sensory issues because of this....that is to say, my nerves overreact in certain instances. I get jumpy with any sudden or loud noises....like my body actually gets jittery. Along with the noise thing I can't seem to tolerate loud and sustained noises most of the time (like when our dogs bark or people play their music too loud). Don thinks I am just being moody...I'm not. The biggest issue I deal with is the fact that my muscles always feel like they are holding all of the stress of every facet of my life.
The reason I put this in my blog is because it REALLY hurts me deeply when people just assume stuff about another person but have NEVER taken the time to understand what that other person goes through in a day.
Oh well, enough about that. After all, it's Grandparent's Day!! It is a special day...my mom and dad are the best grandparents in the universe. Think I'll go call them.

My Peeve and a Little Halloween Fun...

I decided today what my biggest peeve is...something that really gets my goat...makes me aggitated beyond recognition...gets the cortisol traveling at high velocity in my bloodstream causing ungodly amounts of tension in my body. It is when someone cuts me off mid-sentence as if to say, "What your telling me isn't worth my time, I wasn't really listening to you in the first place, and now I am just totally done." I don't think there is anything more rude in the entire world. Next on my list and tied for first place in the Peeve Me Off category is when someone flat-out ignores what you say. Whether this be in person or in a text message it is still one of the most sickening things you can do to a person.

I have been guilty, at times, of cutting my children off in mid-sentence. Possibly because the other child is talking to me, too, or if I have a ton of things on my mind. When I realize I've done it, I apologize right away or at least try and explain why I seemed, at that moment, to be a non-caring, insensitive beast.

Speaking of beasts...let's move on to something a tad more thrilling (after all, my friend, Sam needs a little excitement....Summer Camp is over at Lifetime Fitness!!) Paige, Lindsey, and I went to a Halloween store the other day. Take a look at these pics!! LOL...Yeah, that was me...(I know it was hard to tell!!) And here is Paige...(this picture almost makes me pee my pants).

Oh, it made you almost have to pee, too? Go ahead...go the bathroom...I'll wait.

So...you're back? Good...here is Lindsey in her Pimp-Mama hat.

We are waiting patiently here in North Port for our special guest. I don't know if he will really show up or not...only time will tell. One day we think he's coming, the next day we aren't sure. Regardless, we are going to have extra water and canned goods on hand in case he decides to pop in on us.

Hopefully we'll know tomorrow whether or not we need to prepare our home for Ike's arrival.

Here are a couple last photos of the girls before I sign off: Our pool is coming along quite nicely as you can tell.