The Great Name Debate - Jr. Version

Following up on the previous post a bit...

Lately, we have been getting asked at least once a day what the baby's name is. We then have to go through the whole spiel that not only is the baby nameless, but we can't even come close to agreeing on anything. And I think what makes it even worse is that Kate and I are not used to disagreeing on something so vehemently. When we do disagree on most life matters we tend to compromise rather quickly. Naming this baby, though? Not so much.

So. We decided to run some names (that we have been arguing about) by the kids after dinner tonight and get their reaction hoping it might help us. It didn't.
 Like the previous post, I will be giving their reactions only. (Though, some of you may be able to figure out a name or two.)


J: Ha ha ha ha! That's a real name?
A: I wike it!

Jack: No, we can't name her that! The neighbors down the street have a Boxer named that!
Amelie: I wike it!
(FYI, our next door neighbors have a Golden named Lily, so this would make for some amusement.)

J: No way! That name has the word "tear" in it! You would say her name it would be, like, *makes ripping noise* thump!
A: I wike it!

J: (Vehement head shaking in the negative with pursed lips and an incredulous look)
A: I wike it!
Kate: Thank you Jack. Amelie, don't encourage your Father.

J: No, Elle has a baby doll with that name. That would be confusing.
A: Yes! I wike it!

J: Really? I love that name. Yes, let's name her that!
A: No. Dat's not a good name.

J: No, I liked the other name better.
A: Can we name her "Pocky?"

J: No, I...Hey! That's just like the other name, but it is missing the "M!" Hmmm, how about you put a "D" where the "M" was? That would make a cool name.
A: I wike it!

J: No, that's a weird name. Maybe you can make that her middle name?
A: I wike it!
Me: Yes! Thank you Jack. Amelie, don't encourage your Mother.

J: No, that name is too long.
A: I wike it! How about "Pocket?" Dat's a good name, too!

J: No. I still like that other name better. I guess we are naming her that, right?
A: No! We are naming her Pocket! Or Cheeky!
J: Or Arm? Or Leg? Hahahaha
Kate: Uh, I don't think either of you get to name the baby.
J: (Cries)
Me: Jack, sorry, but you also think "Earthrumble" is a good name.
J: (Laughs)

The Great Name Debate

Kate and I are knee deep in trying to figure out a name for Jellybean. (Confession, I originally typed balls instead of knee *cough*.) Jack has given up on his aspirations of having a sibling named "Earth Rumble," and has mostly decided to not play the name game. Amelie, though, is all about trying to come up with names for the baby. Surprisingly, none of her choices ever derive from a Disney Princess. She rotates between wanting us to name her Lucy, Peppermint Patty, or "Cheeky."

For Kate and me, this has been a lot harder this time around. We both arrived at Jack rather quickly and we both were rather pro-Lily from the start. (I think I kind of had to convince her of the coolness of Amelie, though.) This time, though...well, it could go down to the last second the way we are currently going. I thought I would share a snippet of how our conversations go by providing only Kate's responses to some of my ideas from the past few months.

• Hmm, put it on the list and we will see.
• Sure, put it on the list. It will give me something to cross off when we narrow down.
• No. No names from Wagner operas.
• No. No names from Tolkien.
• Oh, it's not from Tolkien? Still no.
• How did you not know the names of Obama's daughters?
• That's how you would pronounce that? This is southern Ohio, you know.
• ... [cold stare]
• Uh, we're not Indian.
• I don't care how you try to spell it, we're not naming our daughter that.
• You do realize there is a character on Glee named that, right? Oh, you don't like it anymore?
• She'll be a baby, not a little old lady.
• Well, that name will ensure that she grows up to be wild.
• HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-oh, you were serious, weren't you? I'm sorry...HAHAHAHA

Cupcake Practice

 Amelie has been having a hard time deciding what type of birthday party she would like to have. Actually, that's not true. She knows what she wants: A Princess Butterfly-and-Ladybug My Little Pony, and um, Michael Jackson party. We just have wanted her to pick one of those and she has had trouble narrowing it down. We finally compromised and it will be a Princess (Rapunzel) Butterfly-and-Ladybug party. (And maybe we pressured her a bit to throw out the Michael Jackson part.)

Kate decided that if she is going to make the cupcakes for it, she should practice. I think her practice ones turned out awesome, and Amelie is very pleased and excited to have the "real" ones at her party. (She kept telling us that we were having a practice party.)

Kate made purple butter cream frosting for them. She plans on making the icing look a little nicer for the party than they look in the pictures, but her icing bag kept breaking the other night.

Here are the princess crowns.

And her first attempts at ladybugs. She got a little carried away with the antennae, but the kids thought it was great. As soon as she finished they both gleefully shouted, "Toebiters!"

Kate tried a couple of different butterfly styles. We were all in agreement that the one on the right was the way to go. 

Finally, she made one I named the "Drunken Frog Takes a Bubble Bath with His Magic Wand."
I don't think it will make the cut.

Amelie's New Look

Kate has been threatening for several months to chop off Amelie's hair. Actually following through with it has been another matter. To put it bluntly, her hair was beautiful.  Everybody we told that we were going to cut it gave us grief. Of course, they did not have to deal with taking care of it. Washing it has been an ordeal, usually involving screaming in the shower. And she has not been crazy about letting me fix it in the morning. (That is an understatement.)  Well, Kate finally found a place not called Cookie Cutters that specialized in kids and...

Before...

After...

We were worried that she would be upset, so we kept talking it up telling her she was getting it cut like a couple of the older girls she likes that live down the street. But we didn't need to worry because she was so proud. (Look at that grin!) She kept admiring herself in the mirror and talking about how pretty she looked. And it did indeed turn out super cute!

Jack's New Look

Well, it was inevitable. Given Kate's and my atrocious vision, our children apparently are genetically predisposed to have bad eyesight. We had hoped it would be awhile yet before Jack needed them but we have noticed him squinting quite a bit while watching TV the past couple of months.  I took him to the eye doctor and, sure enough, he is just like me--astigmatism and near-sighted, with the right eye worse than the left. For now, he does not need to wear them all the time, just at school and while watching TV. (Thankfully, not when he is playing or I don't think they would last long.)
 
Luckily, he was super excited to find out he needed glasses. He was counting down the days until they arrived and  (literally) bouncing off the walls today before we went and picked them up. Hopefully, this enthusiasm continues.

Amelie was a bit jealous, so she has been wearing sunglasses non-stop since Jack got his glasses.

We Made Jack Cry

We knew Jack really wanted a little brother. What we did not realize was just how much he was counting on the baby being a boy. I'm not sure what plans he had, but they must have been good.
We gathered Amelie and Jack on the couch to break the news to them. Kate asked them one last time if they thought it was a boy or girl. Both Jack and Amelie shouted, "Boy!" Kate then told them, "No, you are having a little sister!"

And then Jack fell apart. I was videotaping it, but I can't bring myself to post the video. I've never seen Jack's face just crumple like it did. And then he just started sobbing. (Amelie shouted, "Yay!" by the way.) He was heartbroken. After he stopped crying he marched into the other room to play by himself. But, as five year olds do, he got over it rather quickly and fifteen minutes later was talking excitedly about what he is going to do when his new little sister arrives. (It also helped that I pointed out to him that he now gets most of my old Transformers from when I was little.)

Before tucking in Amelie, I asked her if she was excited that she is going to have a sister. She told me, "Yes! She will pway with me and say 'I'm a baby! I wuv you!" (Imagine that last bit said in a super squeaky voice.)

Now to figure out a name...

Happy Holidays!