The Name Game

It's funny how sometimes our normal, day-to-day routine and things that we, as adults, don't give much thought to can impact our children.

This week I had a very similar experience as my friend, Jenny. She also has a little guy, who is just a few days older than my little man. In her blog this week, she shares a discussion she recently had with her son, in which he informs her he does not want to be called any nicknames. That he is "Just A.J."

Tonight my husband had a dinner meeting and thus came home late, making it just the little man and I for dinner. We began discussing names and I worked with little man on pronouncing our last name - which is very unusual, complicated and thusly slaughtered by everyone.

Then little man asked me what my name was.

"My name is Desiree," I replied.

Little man sat there, silent and with a confused look on his face.

"No it's not!" He finally said. "You're funny, mommy."

Then I was confused. What, exactly did he think my name was?

"No, my name is Desiree," I said.

"No mommy, your name is Mommy!" Little man said. "Mommy Kwdddelwleeod." {Which was little man once again trying to pronounce our cursed last name.}

He was insistent that mommy was tricking him.

"And this is Cwasper," he said, pointing to our dog, Casper. "Cwasper Kwdddelwleeod."

I opened my mouth to correct little man and explain to him the differences between a title - mommy- and a name. But instead chose to keep my mouth shut and just bask in the wonderful light of being "Mommy."