While I was driving everyone to tennis lessons, my nine year old daughter and her friend sat in the backseat and planned their entire lives, right down to the number of children they’ll have and their names.
My daughter’s friend states knowledgeably, “I’m not getting married until after college, because boys don’t even grow up until they’re about twenty-three.”
She’s only nine and she knows more about men than I did in high school.
My daughter’s friend continues, “I’ll probably have two kids. A boy and a girl, named Jackson and Jordan.”
Alliteration still reigns supreme among pre-teen fantasies, I’m glad to see.
“Okay,” said my Trinity, “Let’s say I have three kids after college. I’m going to name them Ian, Iyla, and Susan.”
“Ooooh,” says her friend, “I’ve never even heard of the name Susan before!”
“I like unusual names,” Trinity answers modestly.
As the girls bounce ideas off of each other they come up with more and more names to call their fictitious offspring. Justin, Jennifer, Issac, Edmund, Lucy, Natalie, Simon, Rebecca, and Jasmine are all contenders. Finally the girls agree to have four children each, then six children, and finally eight children to accommodate their growing list of names.
I had to smile at them (even though a large portion of my brain kept shouting “Stop talking about having babies because you’re still babies yourselves!) because I know I did the same thing when I was their age. In fact, I went as high as nine kids to use up all my names and even decided that the title of my best selling memoir would be If Eight is Enough, Then What is Nine?
I still maintain that is a fine title. The TLC channel should jump all over it.
My four year old joins the conversation when she mentions, “I’m going to name my daughter Sally, after my Build-a-Bear.”
For a few moments there is silence in the car.
“MOM!” Trinity shouts horrified when she’s finally able to speak. ”Make her stop! She’s too young to talk about getting married and having babies. It makes me feel awkward!”
We’re stopped at a red light, so I catch Trinity’s eye in the rearview mirror and answer, “Yep, I know exactly what you mean.”
I always wanted a daughter named Megan. I’m pretty sure it was because I loved Anne of Green Gables who was played by Megan Follows. I even remember that my friend and I discussed how to pronounce it. We were sure that it should not be pronounced Mee-gan, but the much more sophisticated Me-gan instead.
I did not end up with a Megan of my own, but I do have a beautiful, amazing niece named Meghan. She’ll do.
I always wanted to use the name Audra. Sadly the contributor of 50% of “Audra’s” DNA had other ideas. So we have an Eden, which is never what I planned, but still feels right.
I met a baby named Jennifer and another one named Trina. It’s like the 80s are coming up all over again. I graduated with eight Jennifers (I’m one) so it cracks me up when my girls focus on names I think clearly went out of fashion. The “i’ve never heard the name Susan before” cracks me up!
I had several Jennifers in my graduating class and that many Rebeccas as well. It boggles my mind that these names aren’t considered overly popular now. Boggles.
I never considered my name unusual. I was always sad that it was so plain. How funny that Trinity finds it unusual. Maybe after 54 years of going by it I will reconsider it. I never much liked it.
Well, it’s one of Trinity’s top picks, so she thinks it’s beautiful.
Oh, I love so much about this blog! Thank you.
Thank you for reading!
Oh, that was the BEST! My sister and I would write stories where, in the future, we each had a dozen children, just so we could name them. Totally chuckled at Susan being an unusual name.
Trinity is going through a Chronicles of Narnia phase and she thinks the name Susan is so fancy. She really cracks me up.
Love this! The Susan thing cracks me up! I, too, graduated with many Jennifers and Rebeccas (Becky). Ironically, I also used to like Audra (a la my fascination with the western show “Big Valley” – don’t ask). I have three daughters, but I’ve only ever heard the oldest discuss names of her future children – she chose Crystal and Tommy.
Crystal and Tommy are classics! In the 70′s I rode the school bus with a few Tommys and Crystals.
I read through your comments and I KNEW that the Chronicles of Narnia needed to be involved in this somehow! (Susan, Edmund, Lucy…)
You get to overhear the best conversations.
I really, really do listen to the best conversations. How blessed am I.