First in Line

My firstborn turned 7 the other day. She was certainly the adventurous one in choosing to come first to me and her dad. Adventurous and long suffering..... Afton is definitely an old soul. She's a 7 yr old , in the body of a 5 yr old, with the personality of a 25 yr old. This is a child that was reading at 2 and attempting mommy's crossword puzzles even before that.

She's sharp as a whip and a straight A student- although her dad likes to tease her that her O's (for outstanding) are really zeros and that technically, her 1 S+ is a B+. She is a perfectionist, with a knack for words. She never studies her 30 weekly spelling words, she just takes the test and gets 100%.

Afton is my right hand and though I am sometimes hard on her, I am extremely proud of her and reliant on her. I could not function a lot of days without her help. It all started when a sleep deprived mother of a newborn asked for the baby wipes in the other room. Afton, 2 at the time, didn't need to be asked twice. She disappeared and then suddenly reaappeared with the wipes and My Girl Friday was born.

She loves fruits, vegetables and exercise. I have many times been admonished by her that I should get up off the couch and do jumping jacks or situps with her. She is quite amazed to find out that I used to be as thin as her. She loves salad and is our healthy little anomaly. Unfortunately, her Coke drinking mother has passed down a taste for it to her. When she was really tiny, she would show her satisfaction after a drink of Coke with a resounding, "AHH!" which cracked us up and anyone else who happened to be nearby.

Afton is a great big sister and is learning to deal with being a little sister when her 14 yr old half sister is around. This does not always bode well with the Little Woman In Charge, but she adores her sister Aubreigh and although she fights with her, loves to be around her.

She is a beautiful little girl, both inside and out. Even when I am short with her or frazzled, she is the first to be compassionate and help when she can. I sometimes have to remind myself that she is only seven and hope that she remains so for a little while. Other times I wonder just who is the mother around here........

Someone once said that having a child is like having your heart walk around outside of your body. This is true with Afton. She is my lifeblood and my legacy. In her quiet self-confidence and kindness she truly makes me proud. I would gladly put up with more dramatic hair days and many conversations where someone knows it all, just for more days with her.