Sweet Afton - "My Song!"

The original idea to use Afton as a name for our first daughter came after hearing the song "Sweet Afton" by Nickel Creek. This past week, we played the song for Afton so she could hear "her song". I told her to listen really closely and see what the words to the song were. This is the first verse of the song:

Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes,
Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.

She could barely contain herself when she heard her name being sung. She has recently become very interested in what songs are called and what the songs are about, so she pays a little more attention to the lyrics than she used to. So this was a perfect time to let her listen to "Sweet Afton". Each time we would hear her name during the song she would cover her mouth and raise her eyebrows...it really seemed like she just couldn't believe that she was listening to a song that was made for her, with her actual name in it. Of course she wanted to listen to it over, and over, and over again after that. And then she wanted to her Dad's song, and Mom's song, and Mya's song. I had to explain that not everyone is lucky enough to have their own song.

But here is a video of the song. The video itself isn't much to behold, but it was the best I could find on youtube with this version of the song. The lyrics to the song come from a poem of the same title by Robert Burns.

Lyrics
http://www.robertburns.org/works/340.shtml

Comfy

Nothing like a good night's rest.

Prayers Needed

I spoke with a close relative recently and found out some really sobering news. It has really brought about a poignant moment in life. My heart is heavy, feeling great pain and sorrow that this person has to go through such a difficult trial, while at the same time dealing with thoughts of gratitude that I haven't had to go through such trying times. Knowing that this is affecting a young child and his struggle to find direction and make an incredibly important decision for his life makes it all the more difficult.

This person's son is contemplating...I almost can't bear to say it...becoming a fan of...

There. It's out. I've confronted this all-out offensive by the adversary of all that is right and good in the world. Now it is imperative that all who can help band together and prevent this atrocity from taking place. Donations to help purchase game tickets to BYU games to help this troubled young soul see the light can be made to the University Credit Union, to the account titled "Magic Happens: Austin 4:18". Together, we can make magic happen again.

Elephant?

I guess I need to try to be a little lighter on my feet when walking around the house...

Stefanie told me last night about a little conversation she had with Afton while putting her to bed a few nights ago. She was tucking Afton in when Afton said, "What's that noise?" Stefanie wasn't sure what she was talking about, but Afton repeated, "What is that?" Stef asked what noise she was talking about and Afton said, "Who is stomping around like an elephant?"

Stef has always said I'm a "heel walker" and that she can hear me walking around the house no matter where I am walking or where she might be sitting and listening. I'm going to continue insisting that this little "elephant" talk was obviously an act of coercion with mom planting the idea in daughter's head. Especially since the only elephants Afton has ever seen and had a chance to hear were at Hogle Zoo, and I'm guessing it has been at least 3 years since those elephants have moved at all.

Biggest Loser, Milk, and Estrogen

There are a few shows that Stefanie and I like to watch that will keep Afton's attention for a while. She will often sit on one of our laps while we watch So You Think You Can Dance or American Idol. Last night we were watching The Biggest Loser and she climbed up on the couch with me and started watching.

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Moments of tears, insanity, and hilarity

Afton started watching the show when the contestants were having their weights checked towards the end. She would pick a color of shirt she liked and then cheer for that team to do well. She liked the brown team, then the green team, then couldn't wait for the pink team to get a turn. Throughout the process, she kept hearing people talking about going home. After they all weighed in, she asked what was going to happen next. I told her they were all going to vote now to see who would go home, the black team or the brown team. Julio, pictured above, was the sole member of the black team left and he was voted as the one to go home. During the voting process Afton saw a lot of the contestants crying, talking more about someone going home, and then a lot of crying and hugging after Julio was sent packing...

Afton's bottom lip turned. Her eyes started to well up. Her lips started to pucker a little more...and then she just started crying. Nay, bawling. She was distraught. She climbed off the couch and just stood on the floor staring at the TV with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't want him to go home!" she cried.

While trying to stifle our laughter, we comforted little Aftie the best we could. Once she calmed down enough to communicate, we asked what she wanted to make her feel better. Sometimes she'll ask for a book to be read to her or to watch a show on TV, but last night she said, "I need milk in my mouth so I can feel better." It was classic to hear her put it that way through her sniffling.

So we got Aftie her milk and then walked her to bed. She laid down, still a little torn up about Julio's departure, so Stefanie and I both knelt by her bed, thinking we'd talk to her for a little while and calm her down. No more than a few seconds passed when a very certain and calm Afton looked at us and said, "You both need to go to bed."

For some reason I had nightmares last night about the teenage years.

Sisters

Mya continues to adore Afton.  Big sister can walk into a room and get an immediate giggle out of little sister.  If Mya is crying in the back of the car (like during our drive to Tooele yesterday), we'll often ask to sing a song to Mya and the crying will stop (again, immediately).  The song of choice is usually "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"...that is Afton's "go to" song to calm Mya down.

I'm sure this is how the sister relationship will continue from now and onward forever.  There won't ever be hurt feelings, fighting over clothes, arguments about bathroom use or cleaning responsibilities, etc.  And as a disclaimer, I certainly never saw any of those things while growing up in a home with five sisters.  That's why I'm assuming they won't ever happen between Afton and Mya.

New Book

This is a new book Stefanie bought for Afton as part of our never ending search for things to keep her occupied during church.  Afton was super excited for the handle on the book so she could carry it all over the house.  The first Sunday she had it she carried it to church, chanting, "Mormon book! Mormon book!"  It goes through many familiar stories from the Book of Mormon (Tree of Life, Abinadi, Christ's visit to America), as well as some not so familiar ones (Hagoth).  Each story has two pages of cartoon illustrations and a short poem.

Afton's favorite parts of the book:

"Wee-a-hona, it is kind of like a ball."

"Ammon has to protect the sheep.  Those guys are scared to Ammon."

"He has to go up the tower to talk to the people.  The people listen in their tents." (King Benjamin"

"The mean people try to throw things at him, but they miss.  He is safe." (Samuel the Lamanite)

"There's their mom to teach, because they forgot their shirts." (Strippling Warriors)

I'll say I'm mildly more pleased to read this book with Afton than Teletubbies Christmas that we've gone over 2,532 times.

Family Photos

"It's time to get some new family pictures."

Yeah, those words rank pretty high on my worst possible things to hear list, right in between "Dr. Pepper has decided to discontinue all future production" and "University of Utah". But when the wife says smile, you say how many times and for how long...and this time it was approximately 515 times and for 2 hours. I'm pretty sure any dimples in my cheeks are actually there from smile muscle atrophy.

But the great thing about having a smokin' hot wife and the two most darling daughters in the world is that nobody even notices that there is a bald guy in the photo.

Lil' Teethers

Mya has 5 teeth now, and probably a few more on the way.

Keep Out of Reach of Children

One of they very distinct differences between Afton as a baby and Mya is that Mya wants to put any and every little thing in her mouth. We're dreading the day she becomes mobile! Especially now when she is teething, the first motion whenever she touches anything is to put it right to her mouth; that includes wrappers...

That is what Stefanie fished out of the back of Mya's throat one day when she was choking. Yeah, that wasn't scary at all. She'd gotten a hold of a nutri-grain bar wrapper that was sitting on the counter next to her Bumbo chair, and proceeded to rip that large chunk out of the wrapper. How does that saying go? Something like, "You don't know how good you've got it with a child that doesn't put anything in her mouth until you have a child that does the exact opposite."?

Computers and Balloons

Afton has two new obsessions: playing computer games and holding balloons.

Once we showed Afton that many of the TV shows she enjoys watching have associated computer games she wanted to use the computer all of the time. At first it was cute, then quickly morphed into a trial of patience because she didn't know how to play the games herself. But she's quite handy with the mouse now and has learned to navigate her favorite websites (PBS Kids and Playhouse Disney) on her own and can play most of the games by herself. With most things Afton does, she is pretty focused when on the computer.

On Stefanie's birthday, Karen brought some balloons over and Afton immediately claimed them as her own. Whenever we mention party or birthday now she shouts, "And there will be balloons!" She carried Stef's birthday balloons around the house non-stop, took them to bed...essentially inseparable for days. And you know she just had to combine the two obsessions on more than on occasion.