HOLY SMOKES!!! how time flies. I can't believe that Ayden is four and in preschool and Ryleigh is turning 2 on Monday! It seems like not too long ago Doug and I had just gotten married and our biggest worry was getting the homework done so we could graduate. Lots has happened since I wrote last (not that I am consistent at all) we have moved into a new place. We are in a condo/apartment like place. We have more room for us to grow into, although it sure filled up with our crap already. We are still trying to get into the routine of things. With where we are living we are currently about halfway between both of our jobs. I take the kids to my sister's in Fort Collins to be tended to and pick them up on my way home from work. Doug travels about 20-25 minutes southwestish of where we are to teach for a 1/2 day and then drives 12 miles south to teach the other 1/2.

Ryleigh has finally began to talk and it is starting to make some sense. We started using more sign language with her so that she would have some way to communicate and I think that has helped her out. She has her vowels down great, it is the hard sounds like "c" in cows comes out more like "ows". Ry doesn't have much of an understanding that she will be a big sister come January though. . . I think that she will adjust okay, but it will take a while. I hope to potty train her while on maternity leave, she is so close!

Ayden is growing like a weed. He is thoroughly enjoying school and can hardly wait for the next day when I pick him up. He is a smart cookie though and there isn't anymore tricking him or skipping pages in the longest book ever that he may choose. He has many books memorized and will "read" them to Ryleigh, Brown bear is the favorite. He has also adjusted to the new ward finally, he is excited to have 4 other people in his class with him and the teachers are wonderful. They bought him a birthday present his second week there. He is really excited he does his first primary program on Sunday, geez he is growing fast!

Doug is tooling right along. He was accepted into the citizens police academy which meets weekly on Thursdays. He is pretty stoked about that, he hopes it will help him get a job when the time comes. He is still playing army once a month, he has gone down twice and the second time he achieved his goal of not puking! I think that it is probably a little more mentally and physically challenging than he thought it would be. He still can't wait for the opportunity to play in the band again.. . . we just hope he doesn't have to wait until after basic next summer to do so.

I am still plugging away at my job. I am short staffed so I currently am working probably 50+ hours a week, it has been hard on me and on the kids. I finally went to my boss and said if she wanted me to stay sane I needed to take some time off and do so soon. Hopefully things will start to slow down a little. I am trying to do my best with maintaining a positive attitude. The pregnancy is continuing to go well I am in somewhat of the awkward stage where regular clothes don't fit but most maternity clothes are too big. But what can you do. For those that don't know we are expecting another little boy come January, I am excited to see if he will look like Ayden did or like Ry or if he will be a better mix between Doug and I.

Till next time. . .

Ayden's first day of school

Today was Ayden's first day of preschool. I thought I had done everything I could to prep him and keep him excited about school. When the time came to get dressed so that we could go to school, the "Kile" side of the family started to show. Ayden refused to say anything, he sat at the breakfast table just staring at me. Eventually, Ayden decided to get dressed, so that we can take Ryliegh to Candice's for the day. I asked if I could take a picture, he refused.

Once we arrived at Candice's Ayden's stubbornness came again. Once again with an attempt to get a picture taken, i loose the battle and give up, it was time to go. He refused to come with Mom so that we could go to school. Finally after a bribe of McDonald's when school was done and carrying him down the hall and halfway to the car, Ayden's decides he is going to walk; of course with pulling my arm back towards Candice's. We get in the car and to help ease Ayden's mind of school I let him pick the music. Nothing is better than listening to Prairie Dawn and Grover discuss the letter "Y" and everyone singing the "Z" song, and ending of drive with Big Bird sing "A" words.

We walk into the building and at first Ayden sticks close and is afraid to let go of Mom's hand. We are shown were his classroom is and walk in to meet Miss Terri and Miss Lib. Ayden has now become a shy boy who will not let the blood flow through Mom's hand. He finds his name tag to wear for the day. After hanging up his backpack Ayden's sees a tool toy area and starts to play, all the mean while holding Mom's hand. Eventually he decided to let go. Mom sighs a sigh of relief. Ayden tries to grab Mom's hand again, but Mom says she will stay close for a little while, but won't hold his hand.

I eased to the door and all was well. I stop by the front desk to ensure we are all set for Candice to pick him up in the afternoon, and then it started. I hear in the background "I want my Mom" and Ayden screaming in the background. I leave as fast as I can, trying to keep my composure to the adults I pass. I call my sister trying to hold back the tears, to let her know what she needed to do to pick Ayden up, and she does her best to comfort me.

Later in the afternoon Ayden calls me at work to tell me all about school and how much fun he had. It is amazing to me that something can start so rough for a 4 year old and turn so great, that he had a hard time keeping caught with his mind when talking he would stumble when explaining the different activities he participated in. Ending with how he couldn't wait for tomorrow.

In a nutshell, it was a good day. Hard day on Mom, a day full of worry that I had abandoned my child at preschool, but to learn that it all ended well and he can't wait to go back the next day. We all look forward to another day!

The Savage Family

This is something new for me, but we are going to try it out and see how it goes. Currently my husband and I live in Fort Collins, although in about a month that will change. We currently have two wonderful kiddos, Ayden Kekoa who will be four in September and Ryleigh Leiolani who will be two in October. Life is always changing for us and we have a hard time communicating it sometimes. So my aunt suggested this (among other people suggestions) and I decided why not jump on the band wagon.

My fantabulous husband works as a middle school teacher, although as you would guess (because life has to be interesting) he is considering quitting after this year to become a police officer. In July he joined the national guard band. Good thing is that it is the band, very little chance of being called overseas. He teaches at South Valley and North Valley Middle schools in La Salle and Platteville. Lots of traveling!!!

As for me I am a manager for a local bank. I love my job most days, but long for the day when I can do what I truly love and that is take care of my kids. I have been with the bank for coming up on 5 years. It is crazy to think that I have had a job for that long. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was working crazy jobs just trying to get through school. If someone told me that real life was going to be a challenge, I might have changed my mind about growing up.

Ayden is a hoot!! He is full of energy and if you let him he will talk your ear off. He already has the oldest child syndrome. We are constantly getting after him for disciplining his sister. Ayden loves to read and will take a book to bed over a toy. He loves playing with all of his cousins and aunts and uncles.

Ryleigh is growing up fast. I wish that she would learn to clarify her words that she uses. There are times that I think she is speaking a different language. She is getting better, and I think she will progress more when her brother is in preschool and unable to talk for her. She is only two and already has a fetish for shoes. Very often you will see her running around the house with somebody shoes on, her favorite are Ayden's Lightening McQueen flip flops.

I guess that is a quick overview of our family. We will be having another special person be added to our family in mid January and pray that she will have the same sweet spirit that Ayden and Ry have.