What is in a name?

When I became a grandparent for the first time the proud parents of the new baby asked my husband and I what we would like the children to call us. The only answer I could blubber was "Anything but grandma." I set about finding myself an appropriate name.

Grandma? It conjures up with me, and I'm sure with others a little old lady with grey hair pulled back in a bun, knitting as she rocked in a rocking chair. Definately not me!

As it turns out I heard a discussion on radio, about grandparents who had chosen their own names, and it set my mind racing.

After much thought I announced that I'd like to be called DeeDee - a name that I had never been called, but somewhat a play on my own name. DiDi (if pronounced "dyedye" did not appeal, so that was my decision. My own children thought initially that I had lost the plot, but I had a good argument in my favour.

The other grandmother was happy to be grandma (as she was to her other grandchildren), and my own mother was and still is alive and she is Nanna to all, and the only other option was some play on "gran" etc - still conjuring up the thought of the old lady in the rocking chair. No way!

So DeeDee it was.

In retrospect it was very clever - for DeeDee is easy for little ones to say, and so with 3 of the 4 grandchildren (the last one is just a few months old and not ready for talking yet)one of the first words they uttered was "DeeDee." Can you picture my smug look?

Now, with the eldest now almost 6 - we have a few funny stories to relate. Which I will do in a later blog.

How glad I am that I chose my own name - I'm happy to be a grandmother, but that is a role, not a name, I say!