The Name Game

Coming up with a name for our children has always been a daunting task because there are so many factors to take into consideration. First of all, being the second youngest out of eight children, all the "good" names have already been taken by my older siblings when they brought their bundles of joy into the world, so I am left with names like Wilma or Clifford. Another problem of sorts is that while we might really adore a name in English, being a multicultural family, we always need to test out the name in Spanish, just to see if it's acceptable. You might say, well, just teach people the English way to say it. Trust me, there's always someone out there who is going to want to know what the Spanish translation is for Ruphardt, and they are going to want to use it. We really liked Isaac, both Luis and I (which was a miracle in and of itself)...but in Spanish it sounds like EE-sock....no thanks. Another thing we have to consider is Luis's accent. It's still pretty thick for being in this country since 1985, so we have to be careful. I don't want the poor kid to have his or her name mispronounced by his or her own Dad! My poor niece was called Weeny by most Spanish speakers (instead of Whitney) for years, much to her chagrin. One of my all time favorite names is Sarah, after one of the little (not so little anymore) girls that I cared for at the daycare in high school. Being Luis's grandmother was also named Sara, I thought, fate had officially knocked on our door! Unfortunately, most English speakers pronounce our last name wrong, and say Pear-a. Consequently, Sara Pear-a, would cause our child to be the brunt of much taunting, no doubt...and no matter how much you like a name, you just can't do that to a kid! Every once in a while, Luis and I will be sitting on the couch and I'll throw out a name...usually only to have it rejected. Then he'll counter with another name, (usually one of his old girlfriends from grade school) and I'll just roll my eyes. So, the search continues. My friends Phillip and Sarah used to live in Austin, and it got me thinking...hey Austin! Then I said "Austin Parra"out loud...too close to Austin Powers...as funny as Mike Myers is, I don't think so. We could always go redneck with Billy Joe, Anna Sue, or Jim Bob...but we would never be able to travel outside of Hampton County. I really like the name Ashley, but it will forever remind me of our neighbor's child in Arizona who whined at an unusually high pitch and volume. Other names like Kelly, and even Leslie, for that matter which are typically girls names up north, suddenly become boys names down here. I wonder if other families have as hard of a time picking out a name for their children as we do. Maybe we are just making it too hard, and should just pick a name out of a hat or something...

Jonathan has a new found passion...talking on the telephone. I guess it's not new found...it probably started back in Arizona when he placed his first call all by himself...to 911!! You can imagine my surprise when the police showed up at the door, and wanted to search the house, to make sure everything was OK. Anyway, he loves to talk on the phone. He'll talk to whoever calls...Nani and Papa are his regulars. Uncle David brought home a box of toys that his boss's wife gave him that her children had outgrown. Many of the toys were for girls, but Jonathan selected a pink and blue Cinderella cell phone, and uses it daily. The other day, while I was reading at the kitchen table, he took my hairbrush, hopped onto a chair next to me, and proceeded to brush my hair, while holding a very interesting conversation with someone on his Cindy cell phone...he went on for a few minutes, and was completely serious as he was talking. I had all I could do to hold back the laughter! He really has a good imagination. Today, I asked him why he wasn't talking on his phone. He informed me that it hadn't rang yet. Silly me...

Yesterday was Josh's first soccer practice of the season. Jonathan BEGGED me to go...not because he loves to watch his brother practice, or can't bear the thought of an hour without Mama...no, it's because the school where Josh practices has a cool playground!

Game Boys

We are a game family. The boys love it when I say, "who wants to play a game?" just like my Mom used to say to me. They squeal with joy and run to the game cabinet and rummage through the many games that we have to find just the right one. They have several favorites...Sorry, Guess Who (Josh's recent birthday gift from Papa and Nani) and Perfection (from Aunt MB and Uncle Robbie). They also like Candyland, Trouble, and Yahtzee. Most of those I had as a child, and it gives me great pleasure to see the boys enjoy them as much as I did. Mom and I usually played Scrabble, which Mom always won, and probably still would today. Some of my other childhood favorites were Mousetrap, Life, Operation and Trivial Pursuit. Gramma "D" would often play card games with us like Gin, Spit, War and Spite and Malice (nice names)...it was fun playing until we were old enough to realize that Gram cheated. Anyway, we somehow managed to have lots of fun in the pre-Nintendo/xbox/PlayStation era!

The joy of giving

Josh received some birthday money this past week, and he has been walking around with it ever since. It's probably the most money he's ever called "his own", albeit, not a very large quantity to you or me. Nevertheless, he has been so excited, thinking about what he might buy with his money. Well, today at church, he leaned over to me and told me he wanted to put a third of what he got in the offering. I told him that it was his money, and it was up to him how he used it (within reason, of course). I could tell during the prayer he was going back and forth in his mind as to what he should do about the offering. As the usher approached our row, I saw Josh move to the edge of our pew, and place his money inside the plate. Then he came back down and sat next to me. He leaned over and said, "I really wanted to keep that money". I told him how when God tells us to give, it is a good thing, and we need to ask God to help us to give with a happiness, not with regret. About five minutes later, Josh leaned over to me and said with a smile from ear to ear, "My heart feels really good inside". After service in the car, I told Luis, in front of Josh, what had happened. Luis asked Josh to tell him how it made him feel to give to the Lord out of his own money. Josh told him, "My tummy feels like it is full of good, and not bad anymore".

Isn't it funny how kids can simplify the issues that we as adults can really confuse? Josh learned a good lesson today, about sowing and reaping. I learned once again that God is always after anything in our heart that might come before Him, and to never underestimate the ability for God to talk to and teach anyone, even the littlest of his creation. What an awesome thing that the God of the universe cares so much for each one of us.