Travelingjenny

Grace recently started asking to be called by a name of her own choosing, and not her given name. This really doesn’t bother me, as I am not completely convinced that Grace is the most fitting name for her – it simply doesn’t seem spunky enough. The first name she chose, a couple of weeks ago, was Susannah (as in “Oh Susannah, don’t you cry for me…”). One day when I picked her up from school, all of the artwork in her cubby had the name Susannah written on it. I stood there for a few moments, perplexed – how did she end up with someone else’s work? And how is that even possible when there is not a child in Grace’s class with that name? I asked Grace why she had Susannah’s artwork, and she replied, “That’s my name, Mommy.” Of course – what was I thinking? What I find most hilarious about this is that Grace’s teachers play along with her name changes. The other names she has chosen are: Rain-bee-ah (similar to rainbow), Daisy, and – get this one – Penelope Kitty. Depending on her mood, she will actually correct people who try to call her by her given name: “I’m not Grace.” This afternoon, the kind teachers at the kids’ art studio got the hang of this right away, and even made her a nametag with her chosen name. She has stuck with Penelope for several days now, and I have to admit I kind of like it – it’s unique, and maybe even a little spunky.