Music Lesson

This is the lesson Afton has learned this week: these 3 people are, in fact, the same person...

Afton loves to listen to music, and to watch videos and concerts on TV. She's been on an MJ kick lately. This morning she woke up and found me and Mya in the living room. The first words of the morning from Aftie were, "Can we watch Billie Jean again? Mya will really, really like it." I'm surprised that as she watches the videos that she just accepts that MJ is the singer in each of them and isn't thrown off that his face keeps changing so dramatically as she goes from Rock With You to Billie Jean to Remember the Time.

More Talking with Afton

Just a recap of some of the fun conversations we've had with Afton lately.

- Stefanie and I often communicate via Messenger while I'm at work. The volume on our home computer generally stays on, so there is a little ding that goes off each time I send a message over. Afton has apparently gotten used to that, because one day Stefanie said she was in the other room when the Messenger notification sounded and Afton yelled, "Mommy, Daddy wants to talk to you!"

- Afton had a balloon that had been twisted and turned until it was shaped like a flower. She was walking around the house desperate to find her flower balloon. I asked why she needed to have it..."Because I need it so all of my dreams will come true." Later she insisted Mya hold onto the flower so her dreams could come true too.

- She normally eats her lunch and dinner at our kitchen counter. She started a habit of getting off her stool in between each bite to go and do anything else other than sitting down and finishing her meal. We tried and tried to get her to just stay put until her food was gone. During dinner one night this conversation took place:

Stefanie: "Afton, don't get down until you finish your food.

Afton: (starting to get off the stool very slowly) "Say 'No' before I get down."

Stefanie: "What?"

Afton: "Say 'No' before I get down."

Stefanie: (laughing with me, realizing what Afton was saying) "Okay...No!"

Afton: (hopping off the stool onto the ground) "Didn't work."

- Yesterday at church Afton was pretty tired during sacrament meeting. I asked if she wanted to lay down on the bench. She said she wanted to lay down on the bench but she wanted to rest her head on my leg. She crawled up on the pew and then looked down at my suit pants that had some lint on them from the shedding sweater that Mya was wearing that day. "Dad," Afton said, "you're pants are really dirty." I explained that they weren't dirty, but just had some stuff on them from Mya's sweater. "Dad, I think I'm just going to lay down on the bench," she said as she slid away from me and rested her head on the pew.

Tuesday Top 10 - Top 10 Places I've Been With Stefanie

10) Hoover Dam - Remarkable and awe-inspiring. And big.

9) Orlando, FL - This is the back patio of the home we stayed in with friends from graduate school while visiting Orlando. Nice of them to throw that perimeter fence up to keep the gators out of the pool. Universal Studios, Sea World, Gatorland, and a nice break from school..but I think I lost a solid 10 lbs sweating from the humidity.

8) Kortrijk, Belgium - Great European feel to the city, with old castle turrets mixed with downtown shops. We stopped over for a drink, sitting outside the cafe to take in some beach volleyball on the city centre court.

7) Las Vegas, NV - It isn't my thing to fund the next big casino construction project but one benefit to having your in-laws live in Mesquite is you aren't too far from Vegas and all of its attractions.

6) Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous - You park your car in a parking garage, certain that when you return either the car or at least two of its windows will be missing. Then you walk down an old city alley full of old dumpsters and trash that should be in the dumpsters. I know, how could such a paradise only make #6 on this list, right? But then you walk into the restaurant and the aroma lends immediately to the overriding thought of, "How in the world do I get all that goodness in me...right NOW?!" If the smell didn't tip you off to your presence in BBQ heaven, how about the fact that they bring you your very own pitcher of Dr. Pepper? None of this small glass and refill charade. Order the BBQ chicken nachos, a full slap of dry rub ribs, and a side of beans.

That, my friends, is what you call a plate of finger-licking, artery-fortifying goodness.

5) Picayune MS - We visited Picayune while living in Memphis, while my sister and her husband lived there. Absolutely loved the house they lived in, the area it was in, and how close it was to the Gulf coast. Their covered patio overlooking the green back yard fenced in by a pond and Forrest was beautiful. Also loved the gator bites with crawfish dip we ate in nearby New Orleans. Would happily make Picayune a regular vacation spot if that home was still in the family.

4) Wimbledon - Stefanie and I visited Centre Court at Wimbledon with my sister Diane during our England trip. One of my all-time favorite sports venues and one that I never really thought I'd get to see in person. Walking the grounds was kind of surreal, as was eating actual strawberries and cream at Wimbledon.

3) Lavell Edwards Stadium - So I'm going to guess that if Stefanie were to compile a similar list that LES might not make it in the top 10, let alone the top 3. But while we were attending school I don't think we missed a home game. Our typical routine was to arrive early, buy a pizza, and sit and watch warm-ups in the perfect setting for college football on a Saturday afternoon. If you could get some dry rub ribs at the stadium we might as well change the name to City of Enoch.

2) 162 Broadway, Peterborough, England -This was my grandparent's home in England. After having visited twice, I'm beyond thankful for the opportunity to do so. I'm also grateful Stefanie got to go with me the 2nd time.

This was the cottage in the back of my granddad's home where Stefanie and I stayed during our time in Peterborough. I flew Stefanie over the Atlantic for a dream vacation in Europe and we ended up staying in a small cottage without a real bed, limited power, and no shower/bath. (Yes, we got to shower, we just had to go to the main house to do it) But we loved it...right, Stef? You loved it?

1) Salt Lake Temple - Happy Anniversary, Stef.

Beautiful Blue Day

'"Foster wonderful family traditions...In doing so, we can create a bit of heaven right here on earth within individual families." - Ezra Taft Benson

I'm pretty sure Pres. Benson had something like the above picture in his mind when he talked about heaven on earth.

We had a great Saturday with the girls down in Utah County. We attended the final spring football practice at BYU, and afterward the fans were allowed down on the field so the kids could run around and get a chance to take pictures with the players and coaches. Afton and Mya loved playing on the grass field; as soon as Mya was put down she took off and didn't look back. I'd catch up to her, she'd turn around, and then walk the other way until we stopped her again.

This is Afton with Kyle Van Noy, a freshman linebacker for the Cougars. As we walked around the field where the players were I kept asking if she wanted to give anyone five or get a picture with them. She would get timid and quickly walk the other direction. But for some reason when she saw VanNoy she wanted to get a pic with him. She walked right up to the 6'4", 230 lb padded up player, but once he picked her up she got pretty bashful.

After the practice we did some shopping and stopped at Coneys for ice cream. Afton loved sharing the vanilla and chocolate cones we got, while Mya puttered around the shop getting oohs and aahs in her cute BYU shirt.

We ate dinner at Pantrucas, a Chilean restaurant in Provo (resturant review to follow in another entry). And then we wrapped up the day attending the men's volleyball match on campus and visiting Legacy Hall, which contains all of the individual and team honors the different sports programs at BYU have won.

This is a video of Afton during the Cougar Fight Song after BYU won the volleyball match. That is her favorite bear, called "Brand New Bear", that she got long enough ago that it really isn't brand new.

This is another video from another volleyball match last month. It is funny to watch all the people in the background notice Afton at different times, then they tap someone on the shoulder and point, and eventually she's got almost everyone is in the camera shot watching her.

I won't take all the credit, but talk about raising your kids right... :)

Heaven on earth indeed.

Impromptu Photo Shoot

Just some cute pics Stefanie took of Mya at home one day. She ended up with lots of cute pics, catching Mya's personalities. And yes, I meant to type the personalitieS. Afton likes to call Mya the "wacko baby" because she changes so quickly from being serious to giggling to crying to making animal noises and back again.

Back To Your Own Bed

Afton has been sleeping in our bedroom for the past little while. It started with Afton having a bad cough and we didn't want her to wake Mya. Then Mya started waking up and crying at night which woke Afton, so we have kept Afton in our room until Mya's sleep patterns get back to normal. We just make Afton a little bed on the floor; she brings in a few of her stuffed friends, and she sleeps pretty well there.

Last night she started coughing again and it kept waking her up throughout the night. At one point she started crying to be able to go back into her own bed. I think she was awfully tired and a little incoherent, but she was adamant about going back to her own bed. We finally coerced her into sharing our bed with us so she wouldn't wake Mya up with her coughing. We got her pillow, moved her into the middle of our bed, and then got ready to go back to sleep.

I laid my head on my pillow and not more than 5 seconds later noticed Afton's eyes wide open and staring at me. She whispered, "Sleep on this ear," as she tapped her exposed ear, opposite the side that was laying on her pillow. I didn't know what she was saying so I didn't respond. "Lay on this ear," she said, again tapping on her own ear. "What are you talking about?" I asked her.

"Lay on this ear so you don't make your booger smell get in my nose."

How's that for a 4 am wake up call? Your 3 year old crawls into your bed and then promptly tells you to turn over so your "booger smell" doesn't get in her nose.

Church Ball

You gotta love the weekend warriors, gathering together to relive their former greatness. At least you love it until the injuries start to pile up. It's all fun and games until someone's arm stops working and they can't keep their head on straight.

Stefanie was playing in a regional womens tournament on Saturday. I took the girls up to a meetinghouse in Tooele where they were going to be playing their 2nd game. But not long after we got there Stefanie called and said she'd gotten injured during her first game so she wasn't going to be able to drive over to meet us. She said her arm was numb and she couldn't move it. I thought that was code for "I didn't really want to play in this anyway, we were losing, and I don't want to play anymore." I guess she was driving the ball and for some reason a mack truck was on the court and ran into her.

Then she came and sat by us once we got over to the other building and I saw that she really couldn't move her right arm. It just hung down at her side like an appendage on reserve. And then the scary party tricks started...if she turned her head to the left, it would involuntarily just fall backwards and she'd have to really strain to get it straight again. Yeah, that was a super comforting sight.

She was with the doctor for a few hours. I think the official diagnosis was a shoulder stinger and vertigo. I'm throwing in the diagnosis of at least a mild concussion. As of today, after a follow-up with the chiropractor, she's getting some range of motion back in her shoulder, she can rotate her head more without it looking like it is going to fall off, and the dizziness and vertigo are decreasing.

And to think I had just gone through my first ever volleyball session with the 6th ward. I would only put myself through that embarrassment to make Stef happy. So the ward just lost two of its players...well, 1.5 of its players I guess.

A.I. Season Something Update

I read that one of my sisters utilizes the fast forward on her DVR to get through most of the American Idol episodes now. I felt obligated to update her on the goings-on this season, even if I can't remember what season it is.

The New Judge

There is a new judge on the show this season. I'm not sure exactly who he is, but he does dress nicely. I really quite enjoy some of the ties and sneakers he's rocked so far this year. He is a decent addition to the show and brings some pretty good critiques, even though it seems the same critique is relayed to every single contestant. But at least the new judge is working out better than...

The Judge Who Should Have Quit

I'm not in the group of AI watchers that wishes Paula was back, I just happen to think Paula and Kara should have both left the show. But I'll give Paula this, at least when she spoke she knew darn well that the only people who were listening and/or cared what she said were Corey Clark and the voices in her head. Kara starts to open her mouth, looks around the room, sways her head from side to side, points her finger a time or two, and expects everyone who is still paying attention to hang on her every word as if she were Moses delivering the law. Kara has an ego that would make Oprah and Obama blush.

Listen up, Ms. Dioguwhydon'tyajustzipit, you write songs for Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Jessica Simpson. You are currently employed as a pseudo music critic for one reason and one reason only...unfortunately, none of us can figure out what that reason is. We're probably all too confused by the...

Judges' Criticism/Advice

Contest A needs to quit playing around with the song so much, just sing the harmony. Contestant B needs to take some risks, play with the song, and make it her own. Contestant C took a risk but it really didn't work, just bad song selection. Maybe pick something totally different, really get out of his comfort zone. Contestant D needs to reign it in a little bit and stop confusing us all; we don't know what kind of artist she is going to be. She just needs to stay within her comfort zone and stop singing such odd songs. The contestants will be grateful just to find work with the advice they're currently getting...

Movies to Music?

Admit it. You've often wondered what the albino from Princess Bride is up to, haven't you? Such a transcendent performance, and yet never heard from again. Well now we know he's just been honing his musical skills:

The Pit of Despair

Fitting really, the link between Lilly Scott's previous movie character and fellow contestant Paige's performance this week. While Paige was up on stage singing "Light up your face with gladness/Hide every trace of sadness" I couldn't help but hear "The Pit of Despair! Don't even think about escaping!" You know the influence of AI is alive and well because Paige's, um, moving rendition of the song extolling the virtues of positivity and perseverance led to a huge spike in the nation's depression rates.

So Alison, that is about all you're missing while skipping through the singing this year.

I Once Was Blind, But Now I See, Part II

In the annals of great sequels (Godfather II, Rocky II, Superman II, Ghostbusters II, Magic Happens II and III) this week's happenings will rank right up there with the all-time greats.

Tuesday night I received the same ICL procedure that Stefanie had just over one month ago. Dr. Cionni performed the surgery as part of a continuing education course for area optometrists, so he and I had an audience of about 30 other doctors. Everything went well, I didn't have quite the reaction to medication that Stefanie had, nor the pressure spike after the procedure, so it was a really easy process for me. I went right from the surgical table into the room where the doctors had watched the procedure and then into an exam room so they could look at the new lenses inside my eyes. I think this definitively proves that I could handle child bearing and birthing.

Less than 12 hours later I was seeing 20/25 in my right eye and 20/30 in my left. Not too shabby for a surgery that is quite a bit more invasive than LASIK. I haven't felt any discomfort in the eyes since it was done, and no additional dryness which is a nice advantage over LASIK. My vision seems ultra-crisp right now, so I'm sure my visual acuity is closer to 20/20 in each eye. If I can find a place with an eye chart I'll be sure to double check today.

Orgill Family Oscar Party

No pics associated with this entry, just a big fat thank you to my awesome family for another year of what has become an epic tradition that is anxiously looked forward to each year.

I believe it was 1996 when our family started gathering together to view the Academy Awards. We fill out ballots of our own, predicting the winner in each category awarded during the show. Originally the winner each year would be awarded their own Oscar replica. Now, the person who gets the most guesses correct wins a movie actually worth watching and the person who gets the fewest guesses right wins the honor of taking home a gastly Hollywood production of epic yuckiness.

Karen and Jim were the gracious hosts once again. We did our best to help with the cleanup, sending Mya around to vacuum up much of the dropped food on the ground. I didn't win or lose in terms of the balloting, but I'm going to count the diabetic coma I fell into last night as a fantastic victory because I can vividly remember the wonderful food/treats that took over the Holt home. And since it was yet another year that I finished with more points than Stefanie that made it an overall successful night. She still has yet to guess more right than me and I believe this was her 8th Orgill Family Oscar Party she has attended.

Amazing Race - Who Knew?

Well, apparently a lot of people knew. I've been hearing different people rave about this show for years now. I think they are on season 16 this year. I finally recorded the first show of the season just to give it a shot, and 3 weeks in I think Stefanie and I have officially been hooked.

Honestly...how could you not be? Rodeo cowboys, a brother duo who would make Johnny Weir blush, Miss Teen South Carolina and such as, all competing by dressing llamas, finding buried bounty, and walking hundreds of feet on wires above an old Chilean city?

So add another show permanently to the DVR. We've got to get a TV in our bedroom.