And the name of my softball team is…

The “I’d Hit Its”.

That is all.

Happy Friday!

 

How to Name Your Nugget

First of all–new look to the blog.  You dig?  🙂

Alright, so yesterday in my rant about dead barn cats, I promised to talk about what should go into naming your nugget.  And for those of you who are confused, nuggets are children–from the infant stage to about 3 years old.

But you’re not naming a 3-year-old!  You’re naming infant nuggets, right?  So how do you go about it?  How can you pick the right name?  Is there a right name?  I’m having a panic attack and I’m not even pregnant.

There’s so much to think about–so here’s my advice when picking out a name for your nugget:

Think about whether you really like the name, or it’s a fad. I can’t stand these people naming their children “Bella” and “Edward” simply because they’re Twilight fans…plus, I can’t think of a guy who would let them happen, but apparently, and sadly, it happens.  I was named after Susan Lucci’s character Erica Kane on All My Children...  Ha ha thanks, Ma.  But don’t name them after a fad!  Even if their generation won’t know what the heck movie you are talking about.

Will the name be easy to make fun of?  Because if it is possible to make an mean joke about a name, kids will do it.  And while the possibility of a mean name isn’t a reason to ditch a name completely, it has to be something you think about.

Will the kid have a nickname?  If you name your kid Maximillian, chances are he’s going to be called “Max”.   Think about the ways that the name can be abbreviated…and if you want to start your family and friends calling the kid a nickname.  My very wonderful Jenny’s name isn’t Jenny at all.  In fact, it’s Jean–but very few people call her that.  Think about it!

How will it sound with a middle name that you may be obligated to use?  Middle name, first name, sometimes you just have to pay homage to a relative.  Sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s bad.  Regardless, think about this.

How will it sound with the kid’s last name?  That’s important!  Even if you like the name Robert, it may not be smart to name a kid Robert Roberts.  See my second point.

What does the name mean…and does that actually have an affect on what the kid is like?  I’m torn on this.  I watch Legends of the Fall and think, “I’m so naming my son ‘Tristan.'”  But then I see kids named Tristan that are the complete opposite of tough–in fact, they’re pretty wimpy.  And I want a tough little boy!  Unfortunately, I don’t think the meaning of a name really changes how a kid acts or grows up–unless the kid is constantly made fun of for the name.

My name means “honorable ruler.”  I like to think I’m honorable…but I’m not sure I can say I’m a ruler.  I do think that name meanings are cool, though, and sometimes knowing what your name means really does make you want to embody that.

So that’s what I’ve got for you on naming your nuggets.  With that said, I already have my children named.  And no–I won’t tell you what they are because you preggers will steal them. 😉

Cheers!  And let me know what you think of the new bloggity!

 

What Happened to HERITAGE?!

So I’m back at it again.  Hyphenating in all its stupidity.

I found this article about how many children these days have to deal with hyphenated names…and even combining a mother and father’s last name to a whole brand new name.  WTF!

See what could happen?

No no no.  This is bullshit.  I’ll give you hyphenating over combining, but seriously.  Here’s what I’m thinking:  At one point, man (and I mean mankind/womankind/shut-the-hell-up-kind) decided to simplify things, to make families one, to give them the same last name.  That is why women take their husbands’ last names.  That is why children are given the same last name.

Yes, I realize that at one point, men were considered to be the superior sex.  The way I see it, men are superior at some things and women are superior at some things.  But in history, men were just considered to be superior, so they got the rights to the last name.  Big farkin’ deal.

My problem with hyphenating and combining stems from something much deeper than gender/sex arguments.  We’re losing heritage!  How the hell are those ancestry seekers going to trace their heritage if everyone goes all willy-nilly and invents and hyphenates names?  Why can’t we just follow tradition in all its simplicity and just take our husbands’ names?  I just don’t get it.  Seriously.  It’s complicating things like you wouldn’t believe.

That is all.

 

Should A Woman Take Her Husband’s Last Name?

Yes.  Duh.

Alright–I’ve seen it too much.  I finally have to speak up.  Ladies, why are you putting up such a fight to keep your own last name?  I don’t get it!  When you get married, it’s not like changing your last name to match your husband’s is a “bow down” to him.  It’s not like you’re losing your own personal identity.

Here’s my reasoning as to why women should take their husband’s last name:

1)  It unites you two as a family.  How often have you heard someone’s full name, like, “Oh hey, aren’t you Bob Miller?”  And thought, “Bob Miller, I wonder if he’s Kathryn Miller’s husband…”  (I don’t know a Bob or a Kathryn Miller–all completely made up).  What’s wrong with being identified as a man’s wife?  Not a damn thing!

2)  It keeps it easy on the kids.  Which last name do you give your kid then?  Hm?  Little Johnny goes to school and says, “My mommy and daddy have different last names, and mine’s got a hyphen in it.”

3)  Hyphenating is kind of ridonkulous.  Okay, so Kate Smith marries Joe Miller, and she becomes Kate Smith-Miller, and her children are Smith-Millers.  Judy Smith-Miller, their oldest daughter, falls in love with the dude who grew up down the road from him, who had a similar naming arrangement and whose name is Kyle Chandler-Bing.  So if they follow the rules of their parents, when they get married, Judy becomes Judy Smith-Miller-Chandler-Bing.  Do you see where I’m going with this?  A name could go on for decades!

4)  And just because back in the day, taking your husband’s name meant you were his subordinate does not mean that it’s true today.  It’s just tradition.  So shut up.

5)  Not to mention that it makes it really difficult for people to retrace their ancestry.  REALLY difficult.

P.S.  To men taking their wives’ names…I’m not even opening that can of worms.  I will just ask you to stop it.

 

Choosing Your Own Name

What would you have called yourself had you chosen your own name?

Back when I was into the Babysitters’ Club, I would have called myself Stacey or Claudia.  When I was a hippy in college, I was kinda going for Willow or Storm.  Both of those still kind of make me happy.  I could go with either one and feel content.

Please don’t get me wrong.  There’s nothing wrong with Erica.  Mom chose it after watching soap operas all through her pregnancy with me.  Something about Susan Lucci’s character on Days Of Our Lives.  I don’t know.  But no one calls me Erica.  They call me Hooty. They call me this because of something I used to do as a child.  Whenever we were in a store, I’d ask, “Who is that?  Who?” to everyone that passed.  My father eventually looked at me, threw his hands in the air and asked, “Do your feet fit a limb?  You’re like a little hoot owl!”

They only people that call me Erica are the people that don’t know me and people at work.  Sometimes, I forget to respond to it.

Jenny calls me Rico.  Carmen calls me by my last name.  My Grandpa Gene calls me Ca. Sometimes, my father calls me Lou.

But what if we chose our own names?

I always figured that the names people chose for their children were the names that they wished they’d been given.  I know that I’m in love with the names I have picked out for girls (I’m not telling you, because you’ll steal them).  And the names I have picked out for boys are names that I believe encompass who I would be if I were a boy.

Some  Indian (Native American, for you PC folks) tribes choose their own names when they gain a certain understanding of who they are.  Often these names are based on an aspect of nature or animal.  Well, they already call me Hooty, so do I choose to stick with the owl?  Do I still maintain that desire to know who everyone is?  Does that stick to me?  I like to think that everyone I encounter, I try to learn something about “who” they are.

In terms of elements of nature, I could do without living by water or mountains.  But I love the sky, and wide open spaces (not-so-subtle nod to the Dixie Chicks).   I probably belong in Kansas, which is also a name I wouldn’t mind having.  She Who Sees the Sky?  Cloud-Wisperer (spelled incorrectly on purpose–get it?  Wispy clouds?)?  Sky Owl?

Prairie Storm.  That’s it, because of the way I can explode like a storm front.  Maybe…  But I don’t live on the prairie.  I live on the plains of Ohio (ask Mike–he’ll tell you how wickedly flat it is).  But “plain” has so many denotations!

What would your name be?  Would you choose a nature name?  Or would you just change your regular name?