<p>I see what you did there :P</p>
<p>Illinimom - what are you doing in Coral Gables? It appears you’re down there for an extended period. Enjoying the weather?</p>
<p>My husband and I are down here for six weeks; we arrived ten days ago and are staying through the end of March. His company has an office is located right here in Coconut Grove and he worked out an arrangement for the six week period that allows him to work mainly from the apartment we’re renting using special software he had installed on his laptop for this trip, along with the availability of his office nearby. He’s walked over to his office twice since we arrived. </p>
<p>This had been our plan long before we convinced IllD93 to head down and check out the []_[] - which took some arm-twisting at the time since 1. it required MISSING TWO DAYS OF SCHOOL - something she had never agreed to do in the past, and 2. wasn’t located within a five hour drive of home which at the time was one of her requirements… such a momma’s girl! (but keep reading…)</p>
<p>So we booked airfare for S/S weekend and then told her it was non-refundable. The second day she missed was due to much lower airfares on the Monday after the weekend. That was a double blessing - those extra two days down here after the weekend (when she wasn’t holed up in the hotel studying, which was half the time at least) allowed her to really get a feel for the area, meet up with old friends from home who’d relocated to the area, and become comfortable making the decision to attend somewhere so far from home. The fact that we had always intended to spend part of the winter here at some point in the future due to DH’s branch office location was another positive during her decision making process. “Don’t worry honey - we’ll be down for a month or so in February - you’ll be ok!”</p>
<p>Sooo I was expecting a transition period with some homesickness… however two minutes after she arrived in August she forgot we existed : ) and we barely heard a word from her all semester 
She LOVES it here. She stayed at school over Thanksgiving, changed her voter’s registration to Florida and got a Florida Driver’s License. I think the only reason she came home for winter break was the halls were closed! If it wasn’t for her beloved summer job at the park district back home in the infant/toddler room I think she’d have figured out a way to stay here all summer too. </p>
<p>We saw her for the first time briefly last Saturday afternoon when she needed khaki shorts for S/S weekend and combined that required shopping trip with lunch at the Dadeland food court with mom/dad quality time to kill two birds : ) We have plans with her for dinner this Saturday night after S/S weekend ends - she says it has to be a quick meal since she has lots of studying to do I heard mid-terms are coming up. I’m hoping she’s not thinking Pollo Tropical drive-through. Love that place but we’d like to show her a bit of the grove. Something tells me she’s never taken that shuttle the []_[] runs here on Thurs/Fri nights. </p>
<p>Since she’s not coming home again until they close the halls in May, her grandparents are heading down and joining us here over spring break to see her (and check out their housing options for next winter when we all plan to spend some time here in gorgeous sunny Florida together). In the meantime we’re going to the basketball games (she’s never been of course - too much work to do!) and sending her texts about all she’s missing staying holed up in the dorms while we’re eating dinner outside in Coconut Grove : )</p>
<p>Pshh, there’s always time for basketball! I’m a triple major, and even I have been to (nearly) all the home games. Tell your daughter that she can take 2 hours 2 days a week to cheer on the Canes!</p>
<p>wow ryan kelly went off in that duke game… wish miami would have tied on the buzzer tho.</p>
<p>My status from Facebook: “You know what? We played a HELL of a good game. In the end, this loss won’t matter. We’ll win the ACC tournament, and get a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament. Even if we don’t get a 1-seed, we’ll at least get a 2-seed. That is a damn good accomplishment, and something we should still be proud of. For Duke, props. You also played a hell of a game. Who would have thought that Kelly would be so dominant? I can’t even hate on anyone right now, because that was probably the best college basketball game I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch. Go Canes!”</p>