Happy Birthday Gabrielle!

Gabrielle turned 17 on December 29th (yesterday)!  She didn't want to celebrate her birthday this year...she never has been big on birthday celebrations.  Gabby doesn't like to make a big deal over her birthday, which is very different from me, as I believe that my birthday is a national holiday that should be celebrated by all and I should be treated like a queen for many days before and many days after the actual date.

What Gabby doesn't realize is that her birthday will always be a big deal.  She was/is the first grandchild for both the Aiden and Drummer families.  Her birth was like a national holiday!  Everyone gathered at the hospital to get a look at the most beautiful baby I had ever seen!  It was like a big house party in our hospital room.  Everyone wanted to take a picture with our little Gabby.  They wanted to watch me change her first diaper (that is what I am attempting to do in the picture above), which would be the first of many firsts for Gabby and our family.

Tonight marks another first.  Now that Gabby is 17, she doesn't have to live by the city curfew laws, just mom and dads curfew law.  So, she and some friends are off to their first 17 and over, being carded concert!  This concert is a big deal.  It's her first concert without me, her first 17 and over carded event, her first time going out without having to worry about curfew laws and....the concert isn't over until around 2:00 am, so it's her first real late night out!  Eric gave her the lectures, told her that he loved her and trusted her and then said good-bye.  He watched me for a second to see if I was going to cry.  I didn't!

Every year for Gabby's birthday, I get a little misty, pull out the baby pictures and reminisce.  I am feeling really old tonight and a little sad that my little 4lbs. 11oz. baby girl is growing up, becoming independent and venturing out into the world.

17 years ago, we were so young and had no idea what we were doing.  I think we did a great job!

Thanks to all that were there on Gabby's first day in the world and who continue to be in her life supporting, encouraging and watching over her every day. (Nana, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Jay, Auntie Tracie, Uncle Dave, Auntie Stephanie, Auntie Nicole and Felice).

We love you Gabrielle Ollie Aiden!

The Day After Christmas.

So, we forgot to mention the other animal in our house...Sicily the snake!  Sicily had herself quite a Christmas celebration, I think she partied the the day and night away, since when I went to check on her this morning, she was gone!

Sicily managed to slither out of her feeding container yesterday, after enjoying her Christmas dinner of thawed mouse.  It seems that Sinobia did not zipper her container completely shut, and the snake took full advantage of the opening.  Luckily, she had just eaten, so she was feeling full and lazy and didn't wander too far away from her tank.

There was about 3 minutes of panic going on in Sinobia's bedroom, before we spotted Sicily chilling out in Sinobia's jewelry box!

Some people go sale shopping the day after Christmas, we search for pet snakes...never a dull moment with us:)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!   

Christmas with a teenager and a preteen is a little different than what it used to be.  There was no 6:00 am wake up filled with excitement about what Santa brought.  There were cookies and milk left on the table last night, no barbies and baby dolls under the tree...just us waking the kids up at 9:30 (so Eric could have Christmas and make it to church on time), coffee brewing,  a Dunkin donuts run and an afternoon nap!

This year, my brother is with us for Christmas.  I think this is the ultimate gift for the girls.  They LOVE their  Uncle Jay and couldn't wait for him to get into town.  He is not used to teenage girls, early morning Christmas' and young girl "chit-chat" all day long.  They have been glued to his side all day long...poor guy needs a nap!

After 4-6 months of subtle hints, Gabby had a mile wide grin on her face after getting her "real camera".  I have to say, it takes beautiful, crystal clear pictures (no, these are from moms "regular" camera) but, didn't erase the dark circles under my eyes:)

Sinobia has grown like a weed the last few years and hasn't had a bike (that her knees didn't hit the handle bars when she peddled), in about 4 years.  Of course, only Sinobia would ask for a neon cruiser bike!  After a little internet searching, Eric delivered.  Geared up with her Christmas Elmo boots (thanks big-sister Gabby) her little Elmo in her pocket (thanks cousin Marcus), Sinobia went for a Christmas cruise around the block today.  The bike is a little too big, but this just gets us off the hook of having to buy another one before she moves out of the house.

Coreena and Nera got in on the Christmas action too!  Plenty of paper, bows and boxes to play with.  Their pictures were some of the first ones to be taken with Gabby's new camera!

Enjoy your family and friends.  Relax and reflect on all that your are blessed with on this day.

Way To Go!!!

After a long dry spell (according to plenty of people, Varsity hasn't won a meet in many years) the ETHS (Evanston Township High School) Varsity Gymnastics team has been winning.

I don't want to jinx it, but they are off to a great start this year.  They are 2-1 and took home the Third Place trophy today at the Glenbrook North Spartan Classic Invite meet today (#3 out of 11 teams)!

They seemed a little stunned when their name was called...they didn't know what to do, this had never happened to any of them before!  They all gathered their composure, went to receive their trophy, and were ready for pictures!

2011-2012 ETHS Varsity Gymnastics Team

Congratulations girls!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Before my mom moved to Louisiana, every year we would take the girls to the circus the night before Thanksgiving.  Sinobia doesn't remember this annual event, because she was only 4 when her Nana moved away.  Gabby, our circus lover, fondly remembers theses days and missed them terribly.

This year, I bought tickets to the circus for the girls.  Eric opted out of this exciting event (smart man/lucky man), so it was just us girls.

Half way through the show, I realized that this was an event that I had not really missed all that much, but I could tell that the girls were loving every minute of it (except for the elephant smell)!  I mostly missed my mom taking part in this event with us.  She would be all smiles, spoiling the girls with cotton candy and light-up twirly toys, enjoying their excitement more than the circus itself.

I'm not sure if this is a tradition that we will uphold every year...maybe every 5 or 10 years:)

Here's to love, family, traditions, fond memories and the circus.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Good Day:)

This weekend, Gabby was in a really cute show at the Actors Gymnasium called The Heart Tree. Because of her busy schedule, time did not allow her to actively participate the way she wanted to, so it was a different kind of role for her...but she rocked it (of course, I liked it because my kid was in it)!

What was even better than the show (for me at least) was the fact that the theater across the hall was having a show too.  When they have shows, they have a concession stand right outside of the Actors Gymnasium doors, and you get to purchase the goodies too.

Well, guess what I found on the concession stand last night?

CANDY CIGARETTES!

As you may remember from the summer, this is a "blast from the past" for me...a fond childhood memory.  The girls were super embarrassed that I bought 8 packs.  I probably would have bought the whole display if I had enough cash on me.  Cigarettes and a show! Aahh... what a good day:)

Happy Halloween!

I've never really been a great fan of Halloween.  It may be because my mom was not the stitch and sew kind of mom, so I never had any great homemade costumes to parade around in.  My parents were all about going to Woolworth's and picking out one of the boxed costumes that were made out of plastic, so you would sweat all day in it.  I was constantly the kid in the lame costume, so I gave up on Halloween early in life.

My dad always insisted that Halloween was the biggest money making holiday, next to Christmas.  I never believed him...who cares that much about Halloween?  Well, it turns out that he was right, people spend the second largest amount of money on Halloween after Christmas.  Have you been in one of those Halloween stores? There are $50+ costumes and decorations galore!  Do you have neighbors who have the giant inflatable pumpkin, spider webs and pumpkins all over their yard?  I guess a lot of people care about Halloween.

It seems odd that I teach little children, yet Halloween is my least favorite holiday.  Every year I wake up with a headache and dread the costume changing, the parades, parties, candy, trick-or-treating and sugar hang-overs the next day.  Ugh...it all drives me crazy!

This year I had a new approach to this over-rated holiday, I embraced the holiday and joined in the fun.  I actively put together a costume (with enthusiasm).  My girls kept reminding me, "Mom, you hate Halloween" as I joyfully put together my costume over the weekend.  I bought Halloween candy instead of stickers, toys or tooth brushes for trick-or-treaters, I woke up without a headache and enjoyed the day.

I started to get a little irritated by 7:15pm when the teenagers were still ringing my doorbell, but greeted them with a smile and then shouted "enough of Halloween!" once the door was closed.

It's 8:17 pm, the neighborhood is quiet and there is still candy left over in our trick-or-treat bowl (to be stashed for mom snacking and lunch treats).  My costume has been dis-assembled and I am in my "mom pants" and sweatshirt.  Ahhh...Happy Halloween!

Sister Iris Sabree

My teenage thinking led me to a sure-fire college strategy. I applied to all the colleges that did not require a written essay or an application fee.  My dad's only rule was I had to stay in the state.  So I applied to a few schools and was accepted by 3;  Western Illinois University, Illinois State, and Northern Illinois.  Without ever visiting any of these schools, I chose Western based on it's "party school" reputation and my desire to study Law Enforcement and become a cop one day.  So, My mom and I loaded up the mini van one weekend to attend Western's incoming freshman orientation.

The very first people I met when I arrived at that orientation were Khalisha and her mom, Mrs. Sabree.  Khalisha with her Whitney Young proper talk, Gucci bag and Evergreen Plaza Regis salon hair style and me with my valley girl talk, Jeri curl and bobbi socks with gym shoes.  We instantly connected (Khalisha is one of my best buds and Gabby's Godmother) and her mom immediately took me under her wing. 

Mrs. Sabree was a big woman, in my mind she was at least 2 feet taller than me.  Even without her height, she commanded respect with her deep voice, but gentle nature.  All of my memories of Mrs. Sabree are of her smiling, chatting and taking care of people. 

Mrs. Sabree handed me an extra plane ticket one year to travel with the family to Florida and the Bahamas for spring break, she hung out with my mom during parent's weekend at Western, when all we really wanted to do was go to parties and not hang out with our parents, she very sternly, yet gently gave Khalisha and I a stack of articles on "the dangers of tattoos" when we set off to find a tattoo place that would give us our first tattoos while we were under-age and she sat proudly at my wedding, helping out where needed but making sure to have a good time.

Khalisha and I were just having dinner together last Friday and reminiscing about our parents, so I was completely unprepared for her phone call early Monday morning.  Mrs. Sabree had died at home after a dinner with her family on Sunday night. 

Today I attended a simple, but magnificent tribute to Mrs. Sabree's life.  She was the rock and support for many, dedicated to her family and fiercely vibrant, independent and strong.  I was privileged to have known her and have her welcome me into her home and her family. She will truly be missed.

Yahoo!

My beautiful, 4lb. 11oz, first born daughter, that was born 16 years ago, got her drivers license today! 

Yahoo! 

I have been waiting for this moment just as much as she has.  It seems that, the closer she got to getting her license, the more stuff I had to drive her to! 

It is very bitter sweet.  It will be lonely in the car without my student driver chauffeuring me around everywhere in the attempt to fulfill her 50 hour driving requirement.  She is a lot more independent now and needing me for a little less.  Of course, this is what I have wanted all along...to have an independent daughter that can maneuver herself around town and negotiate the daily tasks of teenage-hood without me.  Right?  As I waited for her to return from her driving test, I was sweating from nervousness and about to wet myself from giddiness.  All I needed to see was the huge smile on her face as she emerged from the car with the driving instructor to know that Eric and I had done our best to put her one the right path.  The journey (with driver's licence) is hers for the seizing!

Today's trip to the Secretary of State was a top secret mission, we hadn't even told Sinobia we were going.  Much to our surprise, Gabby's friend Carly (shout-out to Carly. You made the blog!) was there this morning too.  Carly's mom (Shout-out to Meg!) and I have been good buds since high school, so it was a treat to have someone to chat with, sweat with and yell "yea" with this morning.  Congratulations Girls!  

Carly and Gabby's proud moment...cheese!!!

Eric

Eric and I have been together for almost 20 years (married for 17).  During our 20 years together, we have had many conversations about spirituality, living Christian lives and church.  Neither one of us were raised going to church.  My grandfather was a baptist preacher, so my dad grew up in the church.  Once he moved away from home, he stopped attending church (or at least while we were children).  My dad would send me to Reverend Love's church for Sunday school when I was grounded or in trouble, this did not leave a good impression on me about church.  Eric's mom attended church, but mostly took his sisters, so he had very little experience in the church growing up.

Eric and I have always been sure that we would one day take the journey to find a church home for ourselves and our children.  We both have strong beliefs about being humble, kind, loving, compassionate, generous, and connected to our community.  We believe that we are blessed to have each other, our children and our glorious lives.  We have weathered some difficult times and it was our belief that these trials were messages to us, letting us know how fortunate we were to have survived our difficulties and remain intact.  We have instilled these same beliefs in our children.

Several months ago, Eric started talking about his spirituality, church and Christianity often.  He kept telling me that he felt as if he was receiving signs from god that he was truly blessed.  Eric was feeling the need to be close to god, pray, and honor him for his plentiful gifts in our lives.  At first I was a little stunned at Eric's strong urge to be closer to God.  I had always assumed that we would approach this time in our lives together, but I was not at this path yet.

As Eric's feeling became stronger, he made the decision to being to attend bible study once a week.  Each week, I would wait for him to come home, so we could discuss what he had learned and talked about  with others at bible study.  I want to know what he is feeling as he enters into this new phase of his life.  Although I am not there, I want to support him and allow him to continue on his journey towards god.  Eric is not rushing me to come along with him, but he is informing me and sharing his new knowledge and thinking with me along the way.

Two weeks ago, Eric was Baptised.  I was not there for his Baptism, as we decided I was to attend a college information night with Gabby.  Sinobia and Eric's entire family attended (even uncle Brian was there!) his proud moment.

What I love about Eric is that I don't feel left behind because of his new journey in his life.  I believe that he was meant to go first, to help usher me in the right direction.  He understands how strongly I believe that this needs to be my journey when I am truly ready.  I do not want to make this huge step in my life because I feel pressured, or the need to do what others are doing.  I am not one to follow the crowd or be swayed easily.  I make up my own mind in my own time...when it is my time, the right time.  Eric will be with me, holding my hand every step of the way.

So now he's off to church on Sunday mornings, when we are usually sleeping in, drinking coffee together,  or watching TV.  I'll miss him in the AM of Sundays, but know he'll come back a stronger, wiser and better man.

17 years...Happy Anniversary!

Today is the 17th anniversary of Eric and I being married.

I remember my maid of honor going to get her hair done and locking her keys in the car (do you remember that Tracie?) and my dad cutting his finger while unfolding table and chairs.  He needed stitches, but insisted it would fine.  It rained on the morning of our wedding.  We had an outdoor wedding and I was in tears because of all the rain.  My dad assured me that it would be ok and that it was good luck for it to rain on your wedding day.  I believe he was telling the truth.

We were so young, but knew that we were supposed to be together.  Never had I ever imagined that I would get married, until I met (or re-met) Eric.  At some point while we were dating, I knew that he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  I knew he would be a terrific husband, father and provider.  He has proven this over and over again.  

I remember our rehearsal dinner, where I insisted that Rev. Wade not say obey in our vows.  I knew we would alway love and honor, but also knew that we would always be in it together, holding each other up, supporting each other and making decisions together...no obeying necessary.  During the ceremony, Rev. Wade paused at the obey part, gave us a huge grin and continued on with our vows (minus the obeying).  We both looked at each other, giggled a little bit and started our life together.

Anyone who says that marriage is easy, is either crazy or not giving you the full truth.  It's not easy, it's hard work, but worth it.  Like every marriage, we have seen our share of troubles, but remembered our promise to each other always.  I hope that our 2 beautiful girls understand how rare it is these days for couples to still be together and cherish the fact that they get to grow up with both their parents present every day.  I hope they understand how sacred the union of marriage is and that it is not something to take for granted or take lightly (is that part of the vows?).  

Anyway, 17 years is a long time.  We have both grown so much, as individuals and as a couple.  We have weathered difficult times and always kept focused on what was ultimately important, our family and our love.  

Happy Anniversary Eric...here's to 17 more glorious years!

9/11

The 10 year anniversary of 9/11 was last weekend.  Many people commemorated this day with ceremonies and flash backs of where they were on that dreadful day.

9/11 was a day that changed my life.  It was not because of the tragedy that occurred in the United States, but because it was my first day stepping into a classroom as a teacher.  With all that was going on in the world on that day, I dropped my children off at school and grandmas and headed to School for Little Children to meet my new co-teacher (shout-out to Donna) and enter into my first classroom.

I remembered being completely overwhelmed with all of the events of the day.  I truly wanted to go retrieve my children and run back home for safety.  Instead, I continued on my path towards the school....towards being a teacher.

I have been a teacher for the past 10 years now.  I believe I took the right path 10 years ago.  My co-teacher has become one of my best friends...I love her dearly.  I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing educators along my journey.  Many have mentored me, inspired me, encouraged me and pushed me to be a better teacher.  I have been lucky enough to have worked with a fabulous collection of people.

After many tries at many careers, I have found my place in the working world, a place that I enjoy being every day...amongst children and their families.

I am not the teacher that I started out as, I have learned a lot, let go of a lot and evolved into someone who is thoughtful and respectful of young children, their learning and their growth in the world.

This is my belated "being a teacher" anniversary post, celebrating and honoring all who I have crossed paths with in the past 10 years and all who have been a part of my continued journey as an educator.

Back to Our Routines.

Sinobia asked why I hadn't posted any new stuff on our blog lately.

Well, we have settled back into our "back-to-school" routines.  Carpooling, swimming practice, 5 am wake-ups, making lunches, gymnastics, Actors Gym classes, auditions, rehearsals, board meetings, parent nights and open houses, oh yeah, did I mention work.  None of this is too exciting...we're just back to our regular lives.

Don't get me wrong, I love my regular life.  It keeps me happy, busy, involved and often times cranky and  tired.  I wouldn't change a thing about my crazy life (except for maybe getting a few more hours of sleep).

Everyone seems to have settled back into school quite nicely.  Sinobia is loving middle school,  Gabby has declared that Junior year is going to be "a lot of work!", Eric is working hard to keep the tech stuff running smoothly at the high school and I am getting to know my new crew of kindergartners in my classroom.  Dinner time is filled with stories from our day, as we are at 3 different schools amongst us.

Saturdays are like a gift...sleeping late, pajamas, watching TV!

Sundays are now back to being dedicated to laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning the house and mentally preparing for Monday.

Life is good.

The First Day of School!

Today was a big deal...the first day of Middle School for Sinobia!  In classic Sinobia style, she made sure everyone saw her coming in her bright yellow jeans!

Junior year for Gabby this year... AP classes, college visits, SAT and ACT tests!  No bright jeans, just Gabby being Gabby, cool, confident and comfortable.

Big day for mom too...this was the first year that I did not shed a single tear on the first day of school!  I was feeling a little tear tug this morning, but contained myself for fear of embarrassing the children:)

My Cousin Clint

Yesterday I attended the funeral of my cousin Clint.  Clint was young and his death was unexpected.  My heart is heavy because Clint and I were in a fight/disagreement when he died, we had not spoken to each other for some time. 

The reason for our disagreement is irrelevant now.  The fact is, Clint loved his family with all his heart and he attempted to reach out to me and mend things between us. I was being my usual self, stubborn, and did not accept his advances to make-up.  I had thought about it a lot, and I knew that I loved him dearly and  one day we would come to terms with our difference of opinions and get back to the way things used to be.

The tragedy in my thinking is that I assumed we had more time. I assumed that there would be a tomorrow for Clint and that I could take my time to let my anger subside and forgive.  I took the gift of time for granted and lost out on the opportunity to reconnect with my cousin.  I feel like an awful person.  I let my pride and anger cloud my judgement.  I pushed forgiveness aside for a moment too long.  I have learned a lasting lesson in a terrible way.

It's too bad that most of our eye opening and profound wisdom comes when it is too late.  All week I have been mindful of every time I part from those I love and cherish.  I want them to know that I love them when we part.  Was I mad at the girls when I put them to bed?  Did I kiss Eric goodbye when I left for work?  Did I say "I love you" when I hung up the phone with my mother?  I never want to feel this way again, I am filled with guilt.  I never want to have to experience this again, the feeling of knowing that I will not have another opportunity to tell someone that I love them. I have learned that there are no "do-overs". 

I hope that Clint's spirit is standing over my shoulder, reading my thoughts and my blog. In fact, I truly believe that his spirit knows that I truly loved him and that I was on the road to forgiveness. I believe he knows the anguish I feel for what has transpired I know that he has forgiven me, he already had it in his heart to do so.

Why am I purging myself on my blog?  Because, I needed to get these thoughts out and put them to words.  I needed to remind myself out loud to cherish the time I have with those I love and to open my heart to forgiveness.  I needed to share my late and tragic wisdom with others, to spare a few hearts the pain I am feeling.

The end of Summer (for Mom).

Yesterday marked the end of my summer vacation.  I'm returning to work today to prepare my room for my  little kindergartners that will be joining me at school in a week. 

I have been waking up with headaches the last few days and just not feeling well.  Eric asked me if it could possiby be anxiety about going back to work.  Humm...I hadn't thought about it that way!

Anyway, I went out of summer with a bang, taking the girls to an end of the summer concert to see Katy Perry.  We all had a blast!  It was a fantastic concert.

I rolled into bed a little past midnight, way past by school night bedtime.  Much to my suprise, I jumped out of bed this morning ready to go.

The girls still have another week of summer vacation left.  My guess is they will be doing some sleeping in, getting in some TV time (before the TV rule begins to be strictly enforced) and beach days before it's all over for them.

Thanks for spending your summer with us.  I''m looking forward to some great back to school blog entires!

Home-Sweet-Home!

Day #12 and we have arrived back home in good old Evanston, Illinois!  We're just a little tired and hungry, but we are mostly glad to be back at home so we can sleep in our own beds.  The girls counted it up, and during our 12 day road trip, we slept in 6 different beds!  I'm anticipating some grand sleep tonight!

We thoroughly enjoyed our summer vacation!  Sinobia noticed that I had not written about any of our fights in the car or how we occasionally got on each others nerves.  Yes, I admit, we did have quite a few of those moments...what family wouldn't?  The fights were not the highlights of our time together.  We shared most of the highlights with you as we chronicled our trip.  Thanks for following along with us:)

Back to our regular lives tomorrow...work, Dr's appointments, unpacking, laundry, school supply shopping and Chipotle!

Our Last Day of Vacation:(

Day #11 of our Aiden road trip and we are stuffed from dinner and exhausted from our day in DC.  There was more walking, some train riding and visiting museums today.

We explored several Smithsonian Museums, The International Spy Museum and the Capital Building.

We are so tired...too tired to eat our last Georgetown Cupcakes (they will make a great breakfast tomorrow). 

Off to bed.  Back home (home-sweet-home) in the morning!

Washington DC

Day #10 of our Aiden road trip and we are in Washington DC!  There is plenty to do and today we walked a little over 5 miles checking out monuments, attractions and landmarks.

Our first stop this morning?  Georgetown Cupcakes and coffee from TLC's DC Cupcakes TV show.  There was a short line, but it was so worth the wait!  Today is auntie Stephanie's birthday, so we ate a cupcake in her honor (Happy Birthday Stephanie!) and then bought a dozen to snack on in our hotel room:)

After cupcakes, coffee and strolling down M Street in Georgetown, we headed up to Georgetown University to check out the campus.  We sat through an information session, took a tour of the beautiful campus and then had lunch at one of the campus restaurants.  From Georgetown University we headed over to Howard University to explore their campus.

This is where all the walking begins.  Next stop...The White House, photos in front and of course the gift shop for postcards and magnets!

The Washington Monument came next.

Jefferson Memorial.



Lincoln Memorial.

We were sad to find out that the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial will not be opened until the end of August.  Eric and I decided to try to get a glimpse of it even though it is still under construction and fenced off.  The girls were not so adventurous and sat this one out (resting their feet on the lawn).  Much to our surprise, we were able to get an awesome view of the memorial (without climbing the fence)!

We have headed back to the hotel and of course, Sinobia is in the pool!  There will be a little late-nite dinner, cupcakes and movies before bedtime.  Another full day awaits us tomorrow!

(We avoided the rain today.  There was a rainbow behind the girls that I was trying to capture in the picture)