What's in a name really?

I love my kids names, but when we were going through the process of trying to figure out names for our unborn children I was somewhat exhausting on what is normally, I'm assuming, a pretty fun process. I would think of every conceivable nickname/make fun of name that I could think of so that I would be as prepared as I could be with whatever people may end up calling our kids. For instance, I refused to name any of our children with a name beginning with "P" because sure enough some kid would call them "PP" in school. Also, I loved the name Reese for a girl, but I could just hear some little boy saying to his friends "I'm going to get me some of those Reese's pieces", so the name was out! I know it's a little overboard, but kids go through enough growing up that I didn't want to contribute to it anymore if I could help it. Well needless to say, I think we came up with some unique names and still carried on family names at the same time.

Now that the kids are growing up and have voices of their own, it's interesting to me what they will allow and don't like me to call them! I'm their mother, I gave them their names, I should be allowed to call them whatever I want right?!?! Apparently not, according to Camden and Maya! Let me see if I can list the names they answer to (or at least turn to tell me that is NOT their name) -

Camden - Cam, James, CJ, JP, Bub, Bubby (which he HATES suddenly)

Maya - Princess, My Pie, Alysa, Baby Girl

Braeden - Brae, Bub, Bubby, Little Man, BP, Joseph

Maya has such a hard time saying Braeden's name. For the longest time, she called him "baby", but I've worked with her so much on saying Braeden that she's mixed the two names and now she calls him Bay-bree, which Braeden now calls himself as well! Braeden doesn't seem to care about the difference in the names, it just seems to matter how it is said. We'll see what he thinks in about a year, where the real opinions seem to begin!

I rarely call my kids by their actual name. Although recently, Camden and Maya have decided they would like to be called only by their first name, no nickname, no middle name, simply the first name. Camden must think he's some kind of celebrity because he, until a few weeks ago, refused to acknowledge that he even had a last name. Camden was it. He was only to be called Camden! (as if he's Madonna or Cher - except a guy.... even if I could think of a guy one name celebrity, the only name that comes to mind is Eminem and I'm not sure I want my boys to have that comparison, oh and there is Prince, even still not the comparison I was looking for... I digress) The point is this, my kids are growing up and developing opinions of their own and I'm just not as prepared as I'd like to be!

Tomorrow is the first day of kindergarten for Camden (let the meanness from other kids begin) AND Maya's 4th birthday! I'll let you know how it all goes...