Eat My Bubbles@@@@

Sinobia owns a sweat shirt that says, 

"75% of the world is covered in water, 
but I only need 1 lane to kick your butt!"

Well, on Thursday evening, Sinobia kicked some major butt.  She completed the YWCA Flying Fish Swim Marathon, swimming 105 lengths in one hour!

This is Sinobia's 3rd year participating in the marathon, but this year was different.  It was the most lengths she was ever challenged to complete (her coaches set her goal at 100 lengths).  Last year her goal was 75 lengths.  She got to about 50+ lengths when I had to literally pull her out of the pool, as she was having an asthma attack, but wanted to keep swimming.  Her first year, her goal was 50 lengths, which she completed so she could get all the cool prizes.

This year, her swimming the marathon wasn't about the prizes, but more about swimming her personal best and meeting, if not exceeding her fund raising goal for a good cause.

(These funds help the YWCA continue to provide healthy aquatic programming, provide financial assistance to families who cannot afford the cost of swim lessons or swim team participation, and support YWCA services in the areas domestic violence and violence prevention.)

On Thursday morning, Sinobia met her fundraising goal of $500 before she even got in the pool so she then raised it to $700 .  During the marathon, her asthma started bothering her somewhere around her 80th length.  I kept checking in with her every time she came to my end of the pool, she wanted to keep going.  So, with with her inhaler in my hand, I sat back and let her do her thing....105 lengths (and no inhaler required)!

What makes this even more amazing for me, as a mother, is that I clearly remember Sinobia when she didn't know how to swim, but wanted to be a better swimmer than her sister (who was a pretty good swimmer before she gave her life to the circus).  Session after session, I would sign her up for swim lessons.  She would just sit on the side of the pool, crying, with her floaty on, refusing to get in the water, terrified.  One day, she just got in, started blowing bubbles and took off swimming (it wasn't that easy, but you get my point).  Now, in my opinion, she's an awesome swimmer!

There is still time to sponsor Sinobia and her Swim Marathon cause (you have until the end of February).  The YWCA has made it so easy this year, they set up web pages for each kid, so you can click on the link below, it will take you straight to Sinobia's web page, where you can make a donation (and/or see her cute picture).  

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support YWCA - Evanston/North Shore

Thank you to everyone who has helped her meet (and possibly exceed) her goal!

Way to go Sinobia!!!

No inhaler required, just gatorade for refueling!

Aunt Dorothy Drummer-Lee

My Aunt Dorothy died Friday morning.  I will miss visits to her house for cold cups, praline candy and chasing a new litter of kittens around for cuddling.

When my mom called me Friday afternoon, I wasn't surprised by the news, she had been sick for some time and had been rushed to the hospital earlier in the week.  I think I felt a sense of relief, not for me but for her.  It had grown difficult for this spunky, vibrant woman to slow down and rest.  The Aunt Dorothy that I will always remember made cold cups in the summer out of kool-aid and sold them out of her house, was the Avon Lady, made beautifully crafted quilts, and the most delicious, mouth-watering Louisiana praline candy!  The Aunt Dorothy that I will remember was always gardening and growing vegetables in her yard, kept little kittens and dogs around her house and in her yard and almost always was taking care of one of her grandchildren.  My spunky Aunt Dorothy drove, even when the doctors and family members told her not to and lived a life full of love and gratitude.

Every time we traveled to Louisiana, we made it a point to see Aunt Dorothy.  If we saw no one else, we saw Aunt Dorothy.  In August, during our family road trip, we went to visit her, but she wasn't home.  We returned the next day to find her not moving as fast as usual, but chatty and in good spirits.  There was something about this visit that made me feel like it would be the last time we would see her.  I think that Eric and the girls may have felt the same, as everyone was insistent that we see her before we left Louisiana and content with visiting a little longer than usual.  The girls were more than willing to pose for pictures with one of their eldest aunts still living on the Drummer side of their family and aunt Dorothy was ready to pose for the camera.

When I returned home, I had several copies of the pictures with Aunt Dorothy developed (I mean printed...I'm dating myself again).  I wanted to make sure that both of the girls would have a memory of their Aunt Dorothy and their last visit.  When it was time to mail out our Christmas cards, I realized that I had not sent Aunt Dorothy her copies of the photos, so I stuck them in the envelope with her card.  There was something inside of me telling me that I did not to be in the position of saying to myself, "I wish I would have sent these pictures to her sooner", "I wish she could have seen these".  I'm glad I sent the photos to her and she hopefully had the opportunity to reflect on our last time together.

I am feeling a little anxious about my beloved Drummer Family.  I am starting to realize that we are slipping away from each other; through death and distance.  As my Drummer family slips further away from me, I sometimes wonder if the Drummer in me is slipping away too.  Am I loosing bits and pieces of who I really am, how I was raised and the lessons that were taught to me to carry on to the next generation?  Do my girls fully understand how strong and mighty the Drummer Family is and how they were bred to be independent, creative and resilient like so many Drummer women (and men) before them?  The loss of Aunt Dorothy has brought these thoughts to the surface of my mind again.

There are many pieces of the Drummer legacy that will forever be a part of us.  Gabrielle is so much like my dad that it's scary.  There were many years that most everyone who knew her believed that she had an Aiden temperament.  As Teenage-hood had approached, it has become clear to everyone that she is all Drummer; smart, opinionated, always ready for an argument, short tempered with very little patience for those who do not see things the way she does! Sinobia has the mouth of a Drummer; always talking, a little sassy, creative, a risk taker and fiercely independent!   I am truly a Drummer woman, Eric reminds me of it often...stubborn, independent, resilient, a "know-it-all",  argumentative, laughing only at my own jokes and loyal.   Drummer is in our blood, this I know.  We just need to keep Drummer in our hearts and minds forever.  We owe it to Aunt Dorothy and all the Drummer Family members that we have lost.

Cotillion...Past and Present

  

This past weekend was The Cotillion in Evanston.  

Gabrielle was invited and attended.  This event was another one of those moments where I felt VERY OLD!  

Unfortunately for Gabby, I save photos and mementos from my past, so I headed to the basement to dig out Cotillion evidence from my senior memory book (this book has caused be much embarrassment, as when I was writing in it almost 30 years ago, I never imagined my children reading it. WARNING....hide all incriminating high school evidence from your children!!!!).  With some eye rolling and "I know, you told me this story already" Eric and I shared with her our Cotillion adventures from over 25 years ago.

Eric and I remember how much of a big deal it was for us to both be invited and attend Cotillion. Eric went Senior year. I went Junior and Senior years.  I thought I was a happening girl, Eric was a happening guy (I had a serious crush on him in high school).

I attended both years with a group of girlfriends, no real (boy) date for me.  My dad let me drive his 1969, turquoise,  Fleetwood Cadillac both years.  Boy, was I hot stuff:)  My mom made a huge dinner for me and my friends before the dance, my dad took pictures and off we went.  Back then, the Cotillion was held at the Women's Club of Evanston.  I remember walking up the staircase my Junior year to make my "entrance".  If you knew me then, not much has changed, I clean-up pretty well for special occasions, so in my opinion I was quite a stunner for my entrance.  Junior year I wore a backless, royal blue, sequined dress with black patten-leather pumps.  Senior year, my aunt Constance crafted a purple velvet and lace strapless dress with matching lace, fingerless gloves (yes, it was the purple rain era).  I was not allowed to go to the "after parties", that was where all the mischief happened...you know, the stuff you heard about at school on Monday morning (no Facebook back then, so you had to wait to get the gossip).

Anyway, as Gabby got all dressed up and headed out with her date, I held back my "I'm so old" and "my baby has grown up so fast" tears.  Just like her mom, she cleans up well!

No Cadillac for Gabby, I didn't cook a big dinner for all the friends, but of course took plenty of pictures. She did get to go to the "after party".  Someday, she'll have these pictures to pull out for her kids.

p.s.    I'm not sure if I owe my mother an apology, but if our cotillion shopping experience was anything like the past few weeks I just endured with Gabby shopping, then "I am so sorry mom!"

Happy New Year!

Today is the last day of our holiday break.  It's a somber day, we are mourning the loss of sleeping late, staying up late, watching Red Box movies while laying by the fire place and walking around in pajamas most of the day.

Over this break, I consumed an enormous amount of sugar and caffeine! I was not mindful of a single dietary restriction for 2 whole weeks.  Back to salads, lean meats and healthy snacks... starting tomorrow!

  

After canceling 4 previous appointments, I also had my 2 top wisdom teeth pulled.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...very little pain and 1 1/2 days of bed rest granted to me by my family:)

My brother spent the first week with us!  Uncle Jay came in to town from Louisiana.  The girls were in heaven, they LOVE their Uncle Jay.  For most of the week they could be found glued to his side, every minute of the day.

I managed to get the girls to clean their rooms for the new year...now I can see the floors!  There was a little bit of tidying up in the house done by me, but not much, I was on vacation.

Today there will be homework, laundry, grocery shopping and back to school prep going on.  There are no resolutions made by the Aiden family, just the continued journey towards growth for each one of us and the commitment to love and take care of each other.  Eric and I are constantly reflecting on all we have to be thankful for, this will continue as we work even harder to provide for our girls while helping them appreciate all the gifts, privileges and opportunities that they too should be thankful for every day.

Thanks for reading...have a fabulous 2012!

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:)