Mia Quotations

Mia, Jill and monkey swim ring
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On picking her up at daycare: "Grandma! I was so worried about you!"

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In the car on the way home: "Unicorns are very polkadot horses."

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Does she have any friends at school? "I have a friend and his name is Ms. Rodriguez." (her teacher)

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"Prehensive (apprehensive?) means they are a little nervous."

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??? I never know what she will say next!

Alan's (and Darlene's) Birthday Celebration at Cody's

Alan and Karin

Rick and Darlene

ribs

ribs

ribs

Joyce and Peggy

Roger, me and Alan. Water drops from the cooling spray can be seen.

So much going on lately. We went to Cody's again for Alan's birthday. Darlene's birthday was also coming up on the 7th. Jaime and Aaron split some ribs. Cory stayed home and watched the kids. We had a Scottish waiter who was funny but not very efficient. The band never got started while we were there. We did have to steal an umbrella from another table to block off the sun until it finally moved.

Wedding Shower for Stephanie and Cory

Living room at 2:53 p.m.

Debbie (bride's mother) and me (groom's mother)

Food table with velvet bride bouquet centerpiece

Gift table and roses from Jaime

Sylvia decorates Jill in a tp wedding dress competition

Joyce designing Darlene's dress which does restrict arm movement a little

Darlene - Sorry her eyes are closed.

Jaime in Peggy's winning wedding dress design

Platter - one of Steph's favorite wedding gifts

Jaime and Sylvia

Karin, Joyce, Peggy and Debbie, Stephanie's mother

Linda, Steph's co-worker and Tina Ackerman, owner of Ackerman's Jewelry where Stephanie works

Opening presents with Jill and Mia

Steph and her mom, Debbie

Jaime in her dress from the Blackwater Music Festival

Stephanie's wedding shower. Jaime, Mia, Jill, Karin, Joyce, Peggy, Sylvia, Darlene, Debbie, Linda and Tina and me. Mary Campbell was invited but was unable to attend since she just got out of the hospital. One of the games was to write down marriage advice. Jill won that one. She said something like, "When you are sad, buy me a present. P.S. Don't cuses!"

Back to School

Jill and new friend at bus stop

All 3 grandchildren are happily (more or less) established at school this morning. Mia has adjusted very well to her new school and willingly went to play with the dinosaurs while her mom filled out some papers. Roger and I stopped at the church up the street to vote in the Florida primaries. I think I am getting a cold, but generally all is well. Getting ready to host a bridal shower and take a trip to Virginia for my son's wedding in September.

Birthday Party and Mia's First Day of School

The girls' faces were pictured on this screen while they road a virtual roller coaster. Amazing!

Mom and Birthday girl

Joyce

Grandma (me), Mia and Jill

Jill and Mia

Mia and Jill went to a little friend's birthday party on Saturday. I'm posting a few pictures.
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Monday was the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL for Mia. She started at Headstart and she was very excited. A space opened up and Jaime only had two days to get all the paperwork done. I forgot my camera but Mia looked adorable with a little hat and her book bag. The building was completely plain on the outside but had the cutest little classrooms I ever saw on the inside. Jaime and I hung Mia's things in a cubbie with her name on it and she started playing with the toys. We said goodbye and she barely looked up.

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We waited anxiously to hear what she would have to say when the day was done. Well, here is what she said about 50 times. "I missed my mommy and I cried and he got away." (She still gets her pronouns mixed up sometimes.) We asked about the playground, the other kids, the food, etc. but this is all she would say.

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This morning was very different from yesterday. She cried and fought and didn't want to get dressed. She begged to go to Grandma's instead. She tried twice to run out of the room and finally they had to restrain her, screaming, while Jaime left. The worst possible scenario. Jaime called when she got to work and they said she was eating breakfast and being good. I plan to pick her up at the earliest possible time - 3:00. I think that will be long enough for today.

School Girl

If her birthday were before September 1st instead of in November, Mia would be starting VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) at Florida schools. Alas, her November birthday means she has to wait a whole year more. The lady at the school said, "No exceptions!" But she will be starting Headstart day care next week. She has a new backpack and lunch box (which I don't think she can actually take to school) and close-toed shoes (which are required). Could this really be my last week of watching her full time??? Transition time for both Grandma and child. It is time. Right now she is in the kitchen playing with the Play Doh Fun Factory and making linguine, spaghetti and rigatoni. Grandma came up with the food references. That thing reminds me of a bad experience with a pasta machine a few years ago.

Mia - warts and imaginary friends

Like all 3 year olds, Mia says a lot of funny things. For instance, I noticed some warts on her hand that looked kind of red. I said, "Oh, you have some warts on your hand." She said, "Yeah, I wanted to keep them, but mama says 'no'." I found out from Jaime that she has been treating the warts to get rid of them.

Yesterday Mia spent all day playing and arguing with imaginary friends. This is especially creepy because the kids have always insisted that there is a ghost in the kid bedroom. Mia says they won't be quiet and won't do what she tells them. Yesterday she said one was named Donald and he was with another little boy. She said they were "scaring themselves".

I have always discouraged the kids from talking about the little girl they say is in the closet. Jaime started it when she was little. She freaked Cory out so much that he would not sleep in that room. I have to say that I have never seen anything weird, though I do think about it a little on the nights I have slept in that room.

One night when Jonah was little, we were watching TV and the picture started rolling. He reached up and opened the blinds above the bed. I scolded him and asked what he was doing. He said, "There's a ghost out there." I closed the blinds quickly. Then he said, "He talks." Yuk! I did get some cold chills down my back.

I especially didn't want Jill to hear about this. She gets scared enough already. All the children do insist that the closet doors be closed at night and I tend to feel more comfortable myself when they are closed. One side doesn't fit very well and tends to come open a little bit. One day, Jonah came running in the kitchen and said, "Come see what is in the closet!" I was on the phone with Roger, who knew the stories. When I came back he asked, "What was it?" I said, "What do you think? NOTHING!"

These events have happened occasionally over twenty years. I even met the son of a previous owner one time and have talked to my neighbors. There is nothing I have found in the history of this house to give any credibility to these stories. But it does creep me out a little when Mia talks this way. If there are any children ghosts in this house they should be happy with what is generally a sunny happy little room.