names

   As a teacher I spent a lot of time in schools and working with children.  Some days I would ponder what causes parents to choose a certain name (or spelling) for their child.  Trying to teach a child to write a long, confusing, non-phonetic name is such a pain!  The one that sticks in my head is "Zjhavese".  Seriously. 
   My other pet peeve is naming a boy child after his father.  I think that family names are important, that's why everyone in a family has the same last name.  A child identifies a lot with his or her name, and is stuck with it for an entire lifetime.  Being named after someone who lives in the same house with you would be confusing at best and could possibly cause problems in the future with things like a credit report. 
   While I was pregnant, I had some fun with my husband, suggesting funny names like Aspen, Apple, Ashley, (Ash Tree, get it?), Cedar, etc.  but I would NEVER submit my child to that torture!  Kids are mean enough without fueling the fire.  However, my husband does have a cousin with the name Douglas Fir Tree.  Seriously.