I didn't change my name when we got married. Though it's not like we had real get-married desires or anything. If we ever had kids it might get a bit ungainly, I suppose, but I still don't think I'd ever change my name. I already get mail with Mrs. MyRealName because I tell people I've kept my maiden name, but they put the Mrs. in anyway, which really irritates me.

Glad to hear Karen's news, David! Much continued -ma to her & to Suzi's assistant!

My SiL, who is a 2nd grade teacher, says she never hears kids teasing each other about odd names anymore. Like, that's no longer a thing kids do.

That's nice to know! I've got no perspective on this anymore; in my present class along with fairly unremarkable names like 'Jean' and ''Lachlan' and 'Kaowton' I have a 'Prim', a 'Non', an 'Awe' and a 'Chin'.

Thais. Gotta love 'em.

fwiw, I always think of Meara as Meara, and Shrift as Shrift.

I have no strong feelings about my own name - I don't love it, but I don't loathe it. I sort of wish I'd formally adopted Fay (which is my second name) when I went to Uni, as a couple of friends of mine did, because I actively like Fay. Nichola, on the other hand, is more of a '...yeah, whatever' name. There were 8 Nicolas (or Nicholas, or Nicollas) in my class of 32 girls when I was 11, and I think that says all that needs to be said, really. As a nick-name, I'm perfectly well-disposed to Nic, but really really really hate Nicky. It is Not. My. Name. At. All. When people who do not know me presume to call me by the diminutive, I have to come out and make it clear that it's not my name, even though this invariably comes across as rude, because otherwise I'll be wanting to knife them. (My little sister got a free pass on this when she was wee, but she grew out of it once she realised that I was tolerating it rather than embracing it, and that anyone who actually knew me wouldn't call me by that name.)

I quite like this notion of both changing your names upon marriage.

Random Student Anecdote:

during playtime, while kids are supposed to be outside and I am inside on the computer, as is my TA

SmallGirlCalledCindy: (opening the door and wandering in) ...Miss Fay, I...

Me: Go away! Shoo! I'm not here! I'm invisible!

SGCC (not missing a beat, turning to the TA): Khun Bun, where's Miss Fay?

I do like her. She's a bit of a nutter, and not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to the maths or the written work, but she's a character - and that particular response won her a metric shitload of brownie points, imho.

SGCC (not missing a beat, turning to the TA): Khun Bun, where's Miss Fay?

That's adorable.

OK. It's 4:30. Why am I still awake? I'll probably end up falling asleep in a few hours and then sleeping past noon. Really need to break myself of this habit.

Hee! Great kid anecdote. I'm so not that sharp with one liners. Out-funnied by a six year old.

It's 4:30. Why am I still awake?

Because the internet is the place of things that keep people awake. Plug it out! Out! Damn internet!

More ~ma going out to Karen. Glad to see her note, Hec.

YAY meara!

~ma to Hil's mom. Hope you're getting some sleep now, Hil.

On names...as much as I can be old-fashioned and romantic about some things, I have no intention of taking my currently-non-existent-husband's last name. First, I love my name. Second, I hope to publish under this name. Third, this name has some history and definition of me. I don't know. Maybe I'll change my mind, but I doubt it.

~ma to Hil's mom and Karen.

I didn't change my name when we got married and never even really considered it. I like my name, I'd used it in my career and for publishing, and I didn't think his last name was anything special. shrug One of my sisters changed her name, one didn't. I think both of them did the right thing for them.

health ~ma all around. but especially to Hil's mom and Karen.

am I getting sucked into the September screw-with-the-head thing? Next week, I'm in Baltimore for 3 days (Mon-Wed). Meetings and conducting systems training for most of 2, helping a friend in his district for a few hours on election day, and a little (eep) dermatology-exercise on Wednesday. I'm staying with one set of Iris' godparents and extremely psyched about that. The other set of godparents have offered the use of one of their cars. But. Butbutbut. Iris is nearly 3 and I haven't spent more than 8 or 9 hours away from her ever - certainly not overnight. I've been sick (god awful daycare flu, tyvm), but not completely out of reach. Two nights - possibly three if the dermatology-thing is more painful than not - seems extremely long.

I freaked when she cranked a fever on Tuesday and I was in Baltimore. DH was amazing and took great care of her. But still. So now, I have that worry-bug. PLUS all the press coverage of new scary-sama (hey, we never DID find that guy, did we?) and the angst and worry, I know I'm going to be completely wound for the full 3 days.

I am completely awestruck that people can live through this around the world on a daily basis and horrified that I am cranking about it for three mere days.

blarg. help.

I have 5 names. This comes from having had my name changed several times since I was born. I was born Aimee Middlename Mother'sLastname. When I was 6, my dad adopted me and I became Aimee Middlename Father'sLastname. When I married Joe, I joined them all up and became Aimee Middlename Mother'sMaidenname Father'sLastname Conat. No hyphenating, though, and I mostly go by Aimee Father'sLastname Conat. Eventually, it will be Aimee Middlename Mother'sMaidenname Father'sLastname Conat Radcliffe.

With Em, using my Father's last name was important to me so it's also a part of her middle name which means she'll have lots of names to.

All your names are belong to me!!

Also, if you want close attention to detail talk to a fetishist. I'm sure The Boy could give a dissertation on rope maintenance.

Heh. You mean, like he did when we all had dinner in North Beach?

I have no idea if The Boy and I will ever get married, since the living-in-sin has been enough of a HUGE life change to wrangle/plan (and we haven't even carried it out yet!), but I strongly prefer to keep my last name. I realize it's my dad's last name, and therefore still a patriarchal tradition, but it's been *mine* for 36 years, and I intend to keep it.