The Birthday, the Paint, the College, the Pay Phone

We have been really busy around here.  I blogged all about it-then I lost it, text, pictures, everything but the title. This was enough to send me to bed. Now I am going to try again.  Birthday with my family was wonderful.  They took me to one of my favorite place to eat and then to Barnes and Noble where Jia found the last surviving pay phone in the United States.  Katie our resident germophone  screamed "PUT THAT DOWN!"

Speaking of Katie, she has decided to come home from Stetson.  Being away from home was very difficult for her.  So her new plan is to live at home, get a job and go to Florida International University, which is located in Miami and has her intended major (Education K-3 with a specialty in ESE)  This is a specific program and it is one that Stetson did not have.  So perhaps this was for the best.

Katie has taken over the cooking in our house.  We are now eating WAY healthier.  She loves to cook, and I hate it so it works well.

Katie is redoing her room, she and her Dad are turning it into a dorm room.  When she is done we will take pictures she has some great ideas.  Meanwhile Jia is doing a great job (hmmmm...) helping her Dad and her sister help painting.

Anna is having a great time in college she has really bonded with the other kids on her floor they do all kinds of things together when they are not working.  I am going to let her to post and let her tell about her exploits.  My baby is coming home this weekend on the train.  after we bought the tickets we found out that UCF has a shuttle bus to Miami and it is much cheaper, so next time...

Jia's Weekend- The Good, The Bad and the Ugly or Thank God for Katie

Since everyone is home today we decided to take Jia to a place called Java Joe's   it is an indoor bounce house, wall climbing, slide etc.  There was a game room as well, we haven't counted the amount of "coins" she won but she got a wonderful assortment of plastic toys to show for it. One of the funniest part of the day was in the game room, they had this booth that simulated a category 1  hurricane we had a big laugh at Jia's expense!

Next stop was Barnes & Noble where Jia got a puzzle that Mom and Katie will help her with.

Jia then went to help do the family grocery and checked out the brown M&M.

 Jia at Little Java's

Jia at the beginning of her hurricane experience

 The  storm is getting harder

The eye of the storm

This is how exciting our lives are, we are taking pictures at the Grocery store!

My college, but I am a Gator though and through!

Ok, here comes the ugly part - remember Jia is in the THIRD GRADE.  She had to study for a Social Studies test, here is some of the information:  Name the three branches of government and what they do, how many states does it take to ratify the constitution, who was responsible for presenting the idea for three branches of government etc.  THEN she had to choose a project idea for her Science Project that will make up over half of her Science grade for the second quarter.  Thank God for Katie who is patiently working with Jia.

UCF FAMILY WEEKEND

Three Beautiful Smart Girls

Another pic of our girls

Jia in her family weekend tee

Daddy and Jia (she is in a sweater and it was in the high 90's)

Tailgatng party for football game

Go Knights!!!

UCF LIZARD (NOT SURE ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND THAT ONE)

I love lizards

Anna is a member of the college Democrats

Jia and the Knight

Who Knew? Anna actually found a UCF giraffe

Anna has joined the campus Habitat for Humanity
organization, these are their tees

 

Chalkboard stickers on the wall

Anna next to her collage of friends from home

Jia Bowling

Katie bowling

Jia thinks we should go bowling everyday

Anna's Desk-her room was spotless, I almost fainted!

Anna's bowling stance

THIS FRIDAY WE TRAVELED TO ORLANDO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA FAMILY WEEKEND. (THANKS SO MUCH TO ELLEN FOR DOG/CAT SITTING NOT AN EASY JOB)

I AM GONG TO EXPLAIN THE WEEKEND IN PICTURES.  IT WAS SO GOOD TO SEE ANNA AGAIN.

Katie and Anna Together Again!

Katie at the Deland Pottery store
She made an owl

Anna at the DeLand Pottery store
No surprise she made a giraffle

Giraffe spots
You'll notice the place is big

WHO is hard at work??

Katie and Anna's  weird version of Yoga
 

Notice Benny is trying to do yoga on the floor

Kaie's tiny dormroom

This is sOOOO not yoga

I made her a deal to at least go to college with regular color hair
and she did ask me....
Wonder i she will do the same in November when she turns 18!

Bennyfoo in his bed with all of his toys
he is just going with the flow!

I have been begging the girls for pictures and finally I got some!  Anna drove to Stetson for Labor Day.  The schools are about 40 minutes apart.  To my relief they were their own silly selves.  Dying Anna's hair back to blue on the ends. pretending they were doing yoga (neither one really knows how) and visiting a pottery place that is on the main street of DeLand. Anna has made friends with Katie, showed her that it is not a big deal to eat in the cafeteria alone, and to join some dorm events.  Tonight the whole dorm is having a slumber party in the commons area.  With Katie's penchant for neatness I don't know if that will  work out...
Tomorrow Anna leaves in the afternoon to go back to UCF.. We get to go up to or parents weekend at UCF on September 14th.  So Excited.