Buon giorno!

Sinobia took off for Italy yesterday for 8 days.  This trip (along with a fine piece of purple leopard spot luggage and matching travel pillow) is her 7th grade "Gabby got to do it" Christmas gift.   I didn't cry, but it's a weird feeling to let your baby go so far away from home without you for the first time.

Sinobia was excited for her trip and Eric and I are excited for her.  This is an opportunity that we were not able to have when we were kids.  We still want to travel the world and will get to it one day, but this trip is for Nobby.  We were actually doing the math the other night, trying to figure out how old/young we will be when the girls are finished with college and away from home.  We will still be pretty young!  That will be our time to enjoy travel adventures together.  We can't wait!

Anyway, during the day yesterday, we got a few messages from the group.  The first one was Sinobia calling to tell us that their flight was delayed.  The second one was a message saying that they had made it to New York and would be departing from there at 6:30 pm.

I didn't sleep very well.  It's super quiet in the house without Sinobia talking non-stop, blasting her music, singing and fighting with Gabby.  No more phone calls.  Eric woke up worried.  "Should we try to call someone?" Poor guy...he's going to be a hot mess when they leave for college!  I checked on their tour diary blog.  Yea!!! There is a picture of the group safe and sound in Milan, drinking their first Italian coffees.  I let out a sigh of relief.  I know that we probably won't get any phone calls from Sinobia, so I'm relying on this tour diary to keep me posted.

So quiet in the Aiden house right now.  Gabby gets 8 days of being an only child again:)  We'll keep you posted.

All ready to go at the airport!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  It's Christmas Eve (well, I guess it's officially Christmas day as I'm writing this) and the girls have just gone to bed.  I will be playing Santa in a few minutes, I'm just waiting for them to doze off.  Yes, I know they are a little too old for the Santa thing, but I just can't seem to get out of the habit.  Every year, the tree sits with nothing under it for the girls and then on Christmas morning things appear!  It was Santa:)  Eric thinks it's crazy of me, but I think it's my way of keeping the Christmas spirit alive in a house full of practically grown-up girls.

I love Christmas, I love shopping for my family, I go broke every year and swear I won't do it again the next year.  I can't help myself. I just happen to love giving gifts.  I love seeing the girls excited every year and I love to see Eric completely surprised that Santa didn't forget about him either.

Usually there are long Christmas lists on our refrigerator for each girl, starting in October. They walk by several times a week and just add stuff to the list.  If I could, I would give them everything on their lists, but Eric reigns me in each year as does my banking account.

This year there are no Christmas lists! I keep hinting to them, that there are no lists this year.  I am a little surprised by this.  I can't figure it out.  Eric says it's because we have done our job...our girls are grateful for all that they have received throughout the year and have chosen to be humble at Christmas time this year.  What?  My rotten girls?  Who are these children?

This has been a great year for both girls.  They do have many things to be grateful for.  Gabrielle participated in her school's Spanish exchange program in October and traveled to Spain for 2 weeks.  Sinobia will leave the day after Christmas to travel to Rome with her art teacher for 10 days.  These trips were not financially easy, but we felt as if it was a gift for our girls to have the opportunity to travel abroad as we never have.  I guess they understood the gift that these trips were...therefore, no Christmas lists, no asking for "stuff" that they don't need, no gimmes and materialism this year.

I feel proud of the fact that they "get it".  I have always wondered if they understood many of the sacrifices that Eric and I make for them to have the life that they live.  I think many parents wonder the same thing, "Do they understand how much I love them and how much I do for them?"

I did do some shopping.  I made my own mental list in my head for each one of them.

We will all wake up together, as a family, healthy, those are the first gifts we will all receive.  They will get a few goodies.  I will too....in my mind, the greatest gift you can give your parent in to acknowledge that you are grateful for what you have, what they have given you and the life that they have worked hard to give you.  No list necessary for me.  My gifts are tucked in for the night, humble sleepers, waiting for Momma Santa.

Merry Christmas!

Tracy, Eric, Gabrielle and Sinobia

Hogar Dulce Hogar!

Last week I ran into a few people who had children on the exchange trip with Gabby.  They told me that their children had emailed home just a few times, but mostly asking for more money.

On Monday, I checked Gabby's account to see if we would be getting the "I need more money call soon".  Much to our surprise, Gabby had not touched the money that we put into her account for the trip!  Eric had given her euros and some American money, to put in her pocket, before she left.  She was living off of that!

On Tuesday, there were 2 messages from our banks fraud division.  They were calling to see if purchases that were made on that day were really done by the card holder...Gabby.  They found it suspicious that there was activity on her card in Madrid, Spain.  She had started shopping!  

Wednesday evening, my big girl returned home tired and hungry.  She looked like she had lost a few pounds, but was happy to be home and super chatty about all of her experiences and adventures during her exchange trip.  Those calls about fraudulent charges?  We all got souvenirs!   She did surprisingly well with the great gifts for Eric, Sinobia and myself considering she is stingy with her money and doesn't like to spend it:)

After a trip with Eric to Bills for a burger and some cheese fries, she was ready to talk, gives us narratives of photos, catch up on some American TV, and have one of moms home cooked meals before heading to her own bed.   

Ah...Home Sweet Home (Hogar Dulce Hogar)!

Dip-Dye...It's Only Fair!

What I have learned in the past 12 years as a mom of 2 girls is that:

• the younger sister always remembers what you did for the older...so you have to be "fair" (according to Sinobia).

So, while Gabby is away in Spain, Sinobia reminds me that I dyed Gabby's hair for her in 7th grade, so guess who's in 7th grade this year?  Now it's Sinobia's turn to have her hair dyed.

How convenient for her that all the rage now is the "dip-dye" look and that she really has to have the look for her "swag appeal".

Dip-dying is the new look, where you just dye the tips of your hair to make it look like you dipped it in the dye.

It's a little more complicated than just dipping, but I'm confident I can handle it, as Gabby received a head full of fuchsia streaks for her first dye job from mom.

I already have hair bleach to lift hair color and I've got a great collection of bright dyes (fuchsia, purple, turquoise, navy blue).  Of course, Sinobia wants a new color.  Her own signature color.  After several trips to beauty supply stores, we find the perfect shade of teal to add to our color collection.

We get up and get started early this morning.  Early for us on a Saturday morning is 11:00 am.

1.  For dark hair, mix the bleach/color lifter.

 2.  Braid hair.  Use a rubber-band to mark how much hair you want to dye.

3.  Apply bleach/color lifter to the section of hair below the rubber-band.

4.  Let color lift to the desired lightness.  I always get nervous during this part for some reason.  I always imagine their hair turning white, which would be perfect for this technique, but I'm too chicken to go there.

5.  Rinse/wash our bleach/color lifter.  Blow dry section.  Add your desired hair color to the section.

6.  Depending on the intensity of the color you want, let color sit for 20-40 minutes.  We let ours stay on for 30 minutes,

7.  Rinse our hair color, shampoo section and blow dry.

8.  I did it!

You'll love this...I'm emailing Gabby to give her the updates from home.  I tell her about my dying Sinobia's hair, because she got to color her hair in 7th grade too.  Here is her response to me:

"Oh okay I see! Actually I got my first streaks in 8th grade so....... Idk if you can do it now:)"

I've totally been scammed by the younger sister!   That is so not fair!   Ha...too late now!

“I don't eat snails. I prefer fast food.”

I am not the best cook.  In fact, there have been days that my kids have begged their dad to not let me cook.  It's just not fun to me.  Too much to do in the day.  I can't seem to get a Paula Deen meal on the table every night, but I do give it the good old Tracy Drummer-Aiden try!

So who would have thought that while Gabby was away on her trip to Spain, that the one thing she may be missing the most is mom's cooking!  It seems that she doesn't enjoy egg sandwiches, blue cheese pizza, salami and ham.  Hmmm, I bet spaghetti with Ragu sauce or my favorite chicken-rice casserole sound good to her right now:)

Besides the food, in my communications with Gabby, she seems to be having a great time in Spain.  I received an email from her Saturday evening saying that it was 3:30 am there and they had just come in from "bar-hopping" (aka: teenagers in the streets everywhere, since they have teenage discotecas!).  She says that Bilbao is a beautiful city and that her host family is treating her well.

Eric is missing Gabby.  Sinobia is perfectly content having everyones attention.  I miss her, but know that she will be back in full force in another week....college applications, the start of gymnastics season, catching up on 2 weeks of school work plus her regular life!

They will be leaving Bilbao on Saturday and heading to Madrid.  I hope she gets herself some good food there!

Hasta La Vista, Baby!

I tripped over Gabby's suitcase this morning at 6:00 am.  It was empty.  It was the suitcase that was supposed to be packed for her 4:00 pm flight to Spain...Today.

I left work early to get her to the airport.  When I arrived at home, the suitcase was overflowing with two weeks worth of shoes and clothes.  After a few adjustments, a backpack and a duffle bag later, she was all set to go.

Gabby will be rejoining her friend Ane, our fabulous exchange student from a month ago.  She will have the opportunity to stay with Ane's family in Bilbao for a few days before heading to Madrid.

As I left her in the airport, she willingly gave me extra hugs, looked at me and said, "Mom, please don't cry!"  I didn't.  I wanted to, but Eric was looking at me, waiting for me to start sobbing.  He had his cute little grin on his face, that grin that was saying, "Go ahead, I know you're gonna cry!"

I'll miss her.  She'll be back in two weeks.  I've got Sinobia all to myself:)

I'm excited for her to have this opportunity.  Excited for her to see the world, travel and experience other cultures.  This is what we bust our butts for everyday... for our kids to have these extraordinary experiences, extraordinary childhoods, so they can grow up to be extraordinary adults.

Of course, I'll keep you posted on how the trip is going.  Until then, Hasta Luego!

Evanston-Blibao Exchange 2012

This Job Is Not For The Weak.

On Saturday, our family headed down to Navy Pier for the National College Fair.

Yes, I said college!

Gabrielle is a senior this year and we are beginning our journey through the world of college choices, applications, waiting, acceptance (or maybe not) and $$$$.

I must say, that on my end of it, it hasn't felt too stressful.  There is the financial burden of dropping $70 to $80 per application that we submit and the worry of how on earth are we going to pay for college, but that's it for now.  I imagine it will feel a little more stressful around April when we are waiting to hear back from schools.

I feel as if the past few weeks have brought us all closer together.  Gabrielle has asked for me to help her organize her college prospects, remember all of her extra-curricular activities, achievements and awards of the past 4 years.  No eye rolling, no sighing, no being "annoying"....just collaboration and me totally admiring Gabby for all her hard work and achievements.  Sinobia is getting a crash course in college 101 and Eric is taking a breather from the college trips and visits for now and quietly glances over our shoulders as we continue our college research.

This morning, a good friend and colleague ("shout out" to Lizzy B) handed me a piece of paper with the title "The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto".  I couldn't read it in front of Liz.  She knows I'm a big cry-baby and passionate about my children and take my job as a parent too seriously.  She has listened to me telling stories about my girls...their successes, their failures and me and my never-ending love for them.  I brag about them to her and I bitch about them to her.  She listens.  She knows that outside of work, these girls (and Eric) are my life.  She knows that parenting is not for the weak.  I have been the strongest I have ever been in my life over the past 17 (almost 18) years, working beside Eric to raise strong, confident, loving, compassionate, risk-taking, tell-it-like-it-is girls.  Thanks Liz, this says it all...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bren/wholehearted-parenting-manifesto_b_1923011.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp0000

Hasta Luego...

Our exchange student, Ane has returned home to Bilbao, Spain. Gabby will be going to stay with her and her family for 2 weeks in October.

The past 2 weeks have been a whirl-wind of activities and plenty of coming and going in our house.  The house is quiet without the hustle and bustle of a third kid.  There's one less girl squeezing in bathroom time, one less lunch to make, one less "good night" to say each night.  We miss our guest, our new friend, our third child....Ane.

The Spain exchange program is not about speaking the best Spanish.  It's about exchanging cultures with one another and becoming immersed in something new and unfamiliar.  It's about sharing pieces of you, your family, and the things that make you who you are.  There is a lot to be learned from this experience, both culturally and about your self as you spend 2 weeks with someone who is a complete stranger to you.

On Monday, after we dropped Ane off at the airport, Gabby was exhausted.  She was ready to re-claim her bedroom and then retreat to the couch for a little nap.

"Mom, you just don't know how exhausting it is to be responsible for someone else 24 hours a day!"

I give her a sly smile..."Oh yeah, your right...I guess I don't."

She realizes that she has just experienced in 2 weeks, what  Eric and I have been experiencing for the past 17 years.  She sighs and smiles.  "OK, I guess you do know!"

I wonder if this life lesson was part of the "Spanish exchange" curriculum goals?

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is my Birthday!  

Today I turned 44 years old.  

Year 43 went by fast.  It's been a good year...not a single complaint from me.

I've been thinking about getting older, being a wife, raising kids and having a career.  I've been thinking about all of the knowledge and wisdom I have gained, just by living my life...being myself, preserving who "Tracy" really is.  I wanted to share some of the things I learned and tried to live by during year 43...

1. Make-up and concealers are my friend.
2. Motherhood is the hardest job on the planet.
3. Raising strong, independent, confident girls is the 2nd hardest.
4. Starbucks (often/daily) is a luxury that I deserve!
5. Good friends are hard to find.  Cherish the ones you have.
6. "I've got this", "I've got that"...Who Cares!  Be humble, live humble.
7. Material things don't matter, they can be replaced.
8. You can love someone more and more each day.
9. Your one true love can melt your heart every time you see him (yes, you Eric).
10. Oh yeah, that what my parents meant!
11. Cherish your memories, especially memories of those you have lost.
12. "Mom we promise to take care of it" is ALWAYS a lie!
13. The world is quiet at 5:00 am (or at least in our house).
14. Try to take care of yourself.
15. Time flies, even when you are not having fun.  Stop and appreciate.
16. Embrace failure, learn from it, find strength from it.
17. Own who you are.  Don't try to be any other way.  Just be.
18. Appreciate.
19. Be grateful for all that is around you.
20. Let the ones you love, know that you love them...tell them you love them.
21. Family matters, love matters, your heart matters.

22.  Each day I am thankful for the nights that turned into mornings.

And So It Begins....

The first day of school for the girls was almost 2 weeks ago.  I am just getting around to posting my "1st day of school" pictures!

When Eric and I were first married, we were sure we wanted to have 3 children...that was our plan.  After 2, we decided that we were done.  

For the past 2 weeks, I have an extra kid at my house, Ane, our exchange student from Spain.   I have been making 1 extra lunch, washing extra towels, cooking extra dinner, carpooling 1 extra person and keeping up and keeping safe 1 extra girl.  Whew...so glad we stopped at 2! 

I'm saying all of this to lead to my excuse as to why I'm late with my "back to school" post:)  Too busy with 1 extra kid!

Anyway, the girls started school on September 4th.  

After complaining most of 6th grade that she couldn't see, I finally stopped being a neglectful mother and took Sinobia for an eye exam.  Sure enough, my poor kid needed glasses!  So, armed with her smart, cute looking glasses, a new backpack and tons of school supplies,  Sinobia started 7th grade and was excited about getting back to school and having a little structure in her life after a fairly lazy summer.  She seems happy about her schedule and her new teachers this year.  So far, so good.

Gabrielle started her Senior year!  She said to me the night before school started, "This is my last first day of school."  I just about cried!  My 4 lb. baby is going to college in a year!  I know this year will slip through our fingers so fast.  I need to make sure that I cherish every minute, every hug, every eye roll, every smart comment and all the Gabby attitude I can get this year.

In addition to school starting, so has swim team, swim meets, circus classes and soon gymnastics!  

And so it begins...