Friday, July 15, 2011

Call Me MeMo

Grandma, Gramma, G-Ma, Yaya. Nanna, Grandmama. Grandmother. Granny, Grammy, Gaga. Mimi, Mormor, Meemaw. What would Ellie decide to call me?
I knew I was not a fan of "Grandma." I knew Anne was not a fan of "Yaya."
The Swedish "Mormor" would be okay, but if you are a language purist, you would know that the name would work for Anne's children as I am truly Mother's Mother. But, John's children? They would need to call me "Farmor" (father's mother) and confusion might occur as one grandmother has two different names to her grandchildren. For me, this just doesn't seem quite right. Add in the Morfar (mother's father)) and the Farfar (father's father) and the poor grandchild has four grandparent names to remember!
So, the dilemma - the drama - of it all was weighing itself in my heart. What's in a name? Plenty!
I can now report that, happily - the situation has resolved itself. Ellie came up with her very own name for me, and I love it. She calls me MeMo which rhymes with the word "Nemo" as in that Disney fish who goes searching for his father after becoming too tired of the routine. Just like someone else I know.
As for Wes, she has come up with "Papa" and he is thrilled with her choice as well.
Question: What names did you use for your grandparents, or what names are your children calling their grandparents?

10 comments:

Sharon said...

Love MeMo. I like it because it's different and she came up with it by herself. Wonderful! Tom and I are Nana and Papa...which is great for us. I called my grandparents Grandma and Grandpa so I knew I wanted something different. Erin started calling us Nana and Papa for the boys and it stuck. Call us blessed!!!!!!!

Lindahl News 2 said...

Sharon, thanks for the note. I think Nana and Papa are very sweet names as well. I appreciate that you wanted something different than Grandma and Grandpa, too.

Bottom line: we ARE blessed, no matter what they call us, right?

oatley said...

I had called mine, although until he had grasped the language, Scott reversed his syllables and called my mother ma-gr.
I have tossed about being something other than "grandma", maybe Jackson will decide for us. I somewhat like gran-dad for Ray. That's what my mother called her grandfather. Who knew this could be so hard?

oatley said...

ok, so part of the comment didn't get in ... I had started with "I called both sets of grands - grandma and grandpa. Ray's mother's parents were Ma and Dad Shea; the other set was Mime (said as mim me) and Pa. The boys called both sets of their grands as ..."

I should pay closer attention to cut and paste.

Lindahl News 2 said...

Sandi, it's so good to hear from you! I remember hearing about Grandad and I think that's a wonderful name for Ray as well. Can't wait to hear what Jackson will come up with! Somehow, I think Grandmama (with an accent on the second syllable of mama) would suit you well.

Sandi said...

My sister-in-law goes by grandmama with her grandchildren. Not so in love with that one as it makes me think of the Adams family. But it matters not, the blessing is in the hugs and kisses.

Katie said...

"MeMo" fits! Ellie is so wonderful!

Colin calls Duncan's mother "Grandma Karol". He calls my mother "Grandma Olsen" although we don't know how he learned her last name. He calls my father "Grandpo" but I think that will morph into "Grandpa" after a while. I like "Grandpo" especially because he called both my parents "Grandma" for quite a while.

No matter what they are called, grandparents certainly are a blessing!

Lindahl News 2 said...

I love the name Grandpo, Katie!
Kind of you to call grandparents a blessing~

Daydreamer93 said...

I know this is really random, but actually Nemo is a fish who gets taken from his home by a scuba diver and his father, marlin, is the one who faces an entire ocean of danger in order to get his son back... so sweet haha

Libertyville History Blogger said...

I called my grandparents by their last names, although we shortened Grandma and Grandpa Peterson to Grandma and Grandpa Pete. My younger sister, who had a knack for words and sounds, called my Grandma Falk "Ma-Goo."

My parents and Grandma Pete and Papa to my children, and my in-laws prefer to use their first names, Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Ray (although sometimes we get mixed up and call them Grandpa Joyce and Grandma Ray).

A granparent by any other name still means "love."