It's true what they say, all things do run in circles. And because I don't have the best memory or have what I prefer to call a selective memory, some things as a child I just don't remember. My mom and my sister, Michelle, love to tell stories about when we were young and depending upon its personal relevance, I may or may not remember. (I am the same way with school work or work-work too. Fortunately for me, I also have a good short term memory that I can load and unload at will and a knack for remembering the really important work stuff.) But this I do remember...
It was at about 6 years old that I decided I didn't like my middle name. Despite its long family history and my utmost respect and love to those in my family with a version of the same name, the combination of my first and middle names causes me to twitch. For some reason, it must be said with a southern twang and a slight rising in pitch that just sends me over the edge. Anyone who really knows me, knows that they can really get under my skin by muttering those dreaded combination of words. It was about the age of 6 that I began telling people that my name was Marcey Jane. So where am I going with all this... Yesterday, I caught glimpses of my 6 year old self in Camdyn.
As we were driving yesterday, Camdyn announces that she has told her friends that they can simply replace the 'Y' with an 'E'. As I am having panic attacks that she is starting a spelling revolution that will for sure become my fault, I start by somewhat calmly saying "what are you talking about?"
She replies, "I told my friends that they could put an 'E' where the 'Y' should go."
"In what words?" was my somewhat calm reply.
"My name! I have seen it spelled with an 'E' so I have told my friends they can spell it with an 'E'. Some of them thought an 'A' but I told them it was an 'E'."
As I am struggling to hear what she is saying over the clamor caused by her younger siblings who surely won't revolt against their names, I calmly tell her that her name is spelled with a 'Y' and thats the way it is. Or so I thought...
We sit down last night to finish the last of her homework and she writes her name on the top of the paper... then she rethinks it, erases the 'Y' and replaces it with an 'E'. Silly, naive me thought this was closed subject. Apparently not.
"Why did you do that?" I asked.
"I like it spelled that way" she replies.
"But that is not the way I spelled it on your birth certificate so you are stuck with a 'Y' - now change it back!" She erases it begrudgingly and moves on. I am sure the subject is not closed...
After, we began practicing spelling words with a gentle reminder that she is not to giggle today when her teacher asks her to spell the word "but" for her spelling test and that she should consider her handwriting like drawing -- the better (more clearly) she writes and draws, the better people like it. At which point, she promptly draws a beautiful flower on her homework paper. I don't think I'll be reminiscing over my 6th grade memories of writing the handwriting lesson for the teacher on the chalkboard with Camdyn but I still have two more chances with McKenna and Keeghan! Oy, the joys of parenthood!
My apologies to you, Mom, for causing you such grief over such a silly little thing like a name. Just please, oh please, don't call me by my middle name. Afterall, I did give McKenna a version of my middle name for her middle name...
Love ya, Mom!
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