Grandma Names

Let me let you in on something: having a "grandma name" is a 'UUUUUUGE deal. Did you know?

Don't feel bad if you didn't...I didn't, either.

But it is.

And it's no longer "cool" to just be called "Grandma." UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE. Many people tie that name to an older family member, and they don't want to feel like they are "old," just because they have a grandchild. So they, some of my friends, want to be called something else...something "younger" sounding.

Which, here's the thing: even if you call yourself "GLAMMAW," or "SASSY," now, in 20 years? You will be old.

Lord willing.

ANYWAY, after Holly announced her pregnancy, and before we had even found out if she was carrying a boy or a girl, people started asking me, "what's your grandma name?"

MY WHAT?

Isn't that something the first grandchild kind of comes up with themselves?

Jim's Dad was going to be "Papaw Gene," but Joshua called him, "Papaw GENIE..." And he's been Papaw Genie to this day.

My Mom was going to be "Nammaw Betty." When Joshua was little, she had this stuffed toy parrot that she used when she played with Joshua. She would hide it behind her back, and then pop it out in front of him and say, "ahhhhhhhhhhh...BOO!" And Joshua would lay-uff and lay-uff.

And that's how she became "Abu-Nammaw" to my children...because Joshua associated her with the "ahhhhh-BOO" parrot game.

Our friend, Earl, wanted his grandchildren to call him, "Big E." Well, when the first one came, he would call himself "Big E," but his granddaughter heard, "Piggy," so...you guessed it: his grandfather name is PIGGY!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

As time went on, everyone kept asking about what my grandma name was going to be. "Moose" would be the logical choice, because that's what Jim, and the rest of my family call me...but that doesn't sound very "grandmotherly," does it? Holly suggested I could be "MOOSIE," which is adorbs, but I can't imagine my grandson, at 13, telling his friends that he has to go to Sunday lunch with his MOOSIE.

(SIGH)

I realllllllllly wanted to be Honey...or Lovie...or Sweetie. Something like that. But, let's be real. When you've been called, "MOOSE" for most of your life, it's gonna be hard to pull off a really "sweet" name.

Joshua tried to help me out. Here are some of his suggestions, "G-Moose644 (NO clue where this came from)," "MooseKENOBI (which is a Star Wars reference)," "Mammaw Moose," and "Moose Maw."

MOOSE...MAW?

Please, NO, Lord Jesus.

The other day, I was asked about my grandma name again, and, AGAIN. I said that I didn't have one, but that I was "open to suggestions." And then my friends started giving me suggestions. 

"How about, Grammy?" No.
"How about, Mammaw Marty." No. 
"How about Nana? Gigi? Mimi?"

No, No, and HECK No.

(My Dad's Mom was "Mimi," and she was as mean as a snake. I have friends who are "MiMis," and they are very kind...but I can't get past the Mimi from my own family)

Holly said, "sooooooooo...when you say you're open to suggestions, you really aren't?"

I don't know. Nothing seemed to really FIT.

I have a couple of friends named, Amy, and they already have their grandma names...even tho they don't have grandchildren. They are going to be Mayme (pronounced may-mee). Isn't that so, so cute?

I wish my name was Amy.

A couple of months ago, I ran into a friend at The Academy Sports. We started talking about my upcoming "Grandmotherhood," and she started asking me about my grandma name. I told her I didn't have one, and that I didn't realize it was such a huge deal.

She said, "Oh, it IS a huge deal...I've had my grandma name for years, and I don't even have grandchildren."

WHAT?

I said, "what is it?" This girl's name is Martha, just like my "given" name is Martha. I thought she might have THE name for me.

She said, "Marnie is going to be my grandma name."

I said, "OH, that is SOOOO CUTE!"

She said, "you can have it. We can both be Marnies."

And then I said, "nooooooo...that's okaaaay."

AWK.

Because I had just gushed about how cute her grandma name was, and then she said I could have it, too...and I basically just told her..."NAHHHH...you keep it. I don't really think it's that cute after all."

Like that scene in "Mean Girls," when Regina George told Cady Heron that she loved her African bracelet...when she really hated it.

I don't hate it. I think it's really cute. It just doesn't feel like ME.

Speaking of ME, Holly suggested the name Emmie, after my initials, M.E. That's cute, right? I was pretty much set to go with Emmie, even tho I don't really FEEL like an Emmie. It's just such a cute name.

I actually had a name rattling around in my mind for a week or more, but I didn't share it...because I wasn't sure.

Then, last weekend, when Logan and Morgan were here...they went over to a friend's house to see some brand-new puppies. Clark went with them.

When they got home, they were gushing about how cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute the puppies were, trying to convince Jim and I that we neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeded one (or two) of them. Clark said, "we got to see the puppy's mother, too, and she was really sweet. Her name was Millie."

And I sat straight up in my chair.

Because that was the name.

I am Millie.

At least for now. :)

"A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth..." Proverbs 22:1