What's In a Name?

Ania probably has the most nicknames of anyone in our house; almost everyone in the family has a different name for her. Poor girl! she will probably end up with permanent psychological damage just from trying to remember who she is and what her name is.

Mommy calls her her little ladybug, or "lagybug" as Ania pronounces it. I wonder how Ania feels about that title; true, ladybugs are probably the cutest member of the bug family, but there must be some aversion to being linked with the insect family. I call her Scout (a.k.a. Jean Louise Finch), because I thought she shared the same spunk and tomboyish vivacity as the little heroine in To Kill A Mockingbird, but, as we know some dogs named Scout, I fear she might again feel some amount of consternation in being linked so closely with the animal kingdom. Leisel calls her Fee Fee (where she got the name I have no idea), but whenever I think of that name I picture a small French poodle prancing down the sidewalk beside a Paris model.

Jonathon, well, his names are more numerous than all of ours put together. Ever since she was born, it seems that Jonathon has considered it his duty to come up with a new name for her every couple of months. A couple of his names for her, Hunky and Chunkable, though they separate her from any association with the animal realm, they yet leave her open to people's undo speculation about her proportions. Bipsy was another of his names, and it would be very apt if she had a twin who could take on the corresponding title of Bopsy, but as there is no other to bear that appellation, Bipsy seems rather incomplete all alone. His latest title for her, however, has finally raised her not only to the human realm, but also to the special grown up world. His current name for her is Girlfriend. She, in her turn, has awarded Jonathon with the correlating name of Boyfriend (although she sometimes forgets which title belongs to who and calls him girlfriend). They are best buddies; he has her picture on his cell phone and several more in his college folder and is proud to show off his "girlfriend" to all of his college friends. I think that she has already gained a crowd of admirers among people that she has never met. She, in her turn, loves to pick Boyfriend up at college and has become his greatest cheerleader and fan club.