With the royal baby-naming on so many minds, I started to evaluate the names we've given our family members, and how we hardly ever use them. I never call my kids or my pets by their given names. I spent all this time carefully considering the perfect monikers, and, yet, those names are only used on formal occasions. You know, in times of punishment. Here are a list of my kids' and dogs' names and what they have morphed into: Porter (my son, currently age 6): Po-po, Po-diz, Diz, Po-dizzy-diz, Po-dizzily-diz, Dizzy (um...perhaps the kid was lacking in balance as a toddler?), P (only used by close family friends...we never call him this, but it's totally cool), Shiz, Fo-shiz, and, most commonly, "Po."
Fluffy (our Sulcata tortoise): Fluff, and most commonly, "Fluffers."
Campbell (my daughter, currently age 4): Campbellina, Tam-bo (coined by Porter when she was born because he couldn't say Campbell), Tambelina (you can see where I'm going with this, right?), Tam-tam, Tam-tam-a-roonie, Tam-a-lamma-ding-dong, ding dong, Sissy-moo, Sissy-moo-too-head, Tap-tap (coined by the same family who calls Po "P," because their youngest can't say "Camptell," Tu-tu head (what we called her for the first four days of her life when we couldn't decide on a name) and, most commonly "Sissy," "Sis," "Tam," and "Cam," used in equal proportion.
N.A.S.H.A. (our dog. Hubby named her as an ackronym for "Not A Siberian Husky Again." He wants one of those, and I tend to bring home squirrely-looking mutts). Nashie, Nashie-ree Nasie-ree-made-out-of-pee, Nash-a-rino, Nash-Nash, Nash-Nash b'gosh, and, most commonly, "Nash."
Brennen Jr. (my step-son, currently 16): Brennenino, Dude-seriously, and, most commonly, "B," which is why I have this tattoo, along with the fact that the queen bee protects her worker bees to the death, even if they aren't biologically hers...
Brennen, Sr. (my hubby): Babe, Honey, and, most commonly "have you mowed the lawn, yet, bleeper?" Yes, he counts as a kid or a pet, or something like that.
Kermit (our first dog as a married couple, preceded our children, no longer with us, but deserves a mention): Kermie, Kermalicious, Kermalicious and nutritious, Kermalicious and nutritious–we eat you on our very best dishes (for real), Ker-meister, Pookie-peanut, Pook, Pookie-peanut with sugar on top and a cherry, OPP (original pookie-peanut), Kermit the dog, and, most commonly, "Kerm."
Kristen (that's me): I'm mostly called Mommy or Mama (even my hubby and friends call me Mama). B calls me "Kristen," which is not really a nickname. I've encouraged him to call me "evil-stepmother-extraordinaire," but it never took. My favorite is what Po will occasionally call out: "Mamacita, salty senorita."
Aren't nicknames the BEST? I think we sometimes don't even realize we are giving them, they become so second-nature. They make us feel bonded and closer to each other, and I just can't argue with that.
What are the nicknames in your family? Mamacita-salty-senorita is dying to know!