Friday, April 13, 2012

What's in a name?

Many people have asked me why my granddaughter, Avery, calls me "Gaga". My answer is - because she wants to!  I'm not sure really - but my sweet little cherub could call me "B*^@%" and I would probably think she is wonderful! Not really - I am sure as she gets older she will call me something else but for now - I am Gaga, her other grandma is "GriGri", her uncles are all "Quik", and her grandfathers are both "Poppy".  We try to help her learn the right words (ok her parents do that - we all just answer to her sweet little sounds), but for now - her language is her own.  For example -

"Kiki" is blanket, "Unc" is milk, and "beacon" is sippy.  She knows what the real words are but no matter how many times we all try to encourage her to say the right words - she remains true to her convictions as only a 2 year old can. They are just names - or labels - she has assigned to those three prized possessions. While labels can be limiting in some circumstances, they can also be changed over time with the right education and lots of patience.  But that is a topic for another day.

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