What’s in a name?

I came across this quote today:

“The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word ‘Mother,’ and the most beautiful call is the call of ‘My mother.’” -Kahlil Gibran

Such a sweet sentiment. Especially for those who have children who call them “mother,” “mom,” “mommy,” or “mama.”

I have a child who calls me “mama.”

I have another child who calls me “Liesel” or “Liesel Vasher” with an occasional “Moooom!” thrown in the mix.

She also calls her father by his full name. Her “th” is still a little off so it sounds like “Nasan Vasher” or just “Nasan.”

Which means Josie is now “Josie Pie Vasher” and Kendyl refers to herself as “Kendyl Baby Vasher.” The “Baby” is because that is what she aspires to be. Really. If you ask her what she wants to be when she gets older, it’s to be a baby.

Kendyl has switched back and forth between calling us by our first names and calling us Mom and Dad ever since she could talk. But since she recently picked up on the concept of last names, she now calls us more often by our full names. 

And because we are the modern parents that we are, we don’t really care. I’m sure one day she’ll sort it all out when she realizes its cool to call your Mom and Dad “Mom” and “Dad.”

It just makes us laugh inside when we hear, “Liesel Vasher I need to go potty” or “Nasan Vasher can I have some chocolate milk?”

Because really a mother “by any other name would smell as sweet.” Unless she is changing a diaper.