Say Your Name

As long as there has been a Max, I've called him silly nicknames. Peanut or tadpole before he was born. Baby Magooey, because I thought he bore a resemblance to Mr. Magoo as a newborn. Maxby came about as a combination of Max and baby.

Max loves it. The more outlandish the nickname the more he giggles. And when he isn't feeling well he will curl up in my lap and say, "Poor Maxby."

Sam, my younger son, doesn't share Max's love for silly names. He prefers Sammy or Sam. Or on occasion, when he is feeling super cuddly, Baby.

Sam has always had his own ideas about just what is proper. As soon as he could talk, he would correct people that called him, "Little guy," that he was in fact, "A small man."

That's okay. Max can be Mr. Cuddles. Major Stinky. Mr. McGoof.

Sam can be Baby, but only when he wants to be.

As I have said before, Max is not big talker. He sings all the time, but usually only speaks out of necessity, or extreme surprise. As in, "Want milk. Need thirsty." or  "Holy Crap! That's Mickey Mouse!"  His speech is short, direct and concrete. It gets the job done. Max has been doing better making requests, but he still requires prompting much of the time.

So imagine my surprise when he started this exchange with me last night:

Max: Say your name
Me: Mama.
Max: Great Job!
Me: Your turn. Say your name.
Max: (giggling) Apples.
Me: Your name is Apples?
Max: Apple... Apples.
Me: Hello, Apple Apples.
Max: No. I mess... I messed.
Me: You can try again. Say your name, please?
Max: Sid the Science Kid.
Me: That's not your name, silly! Will you say your name?
Max: Name... name is Max
Me: Great job!
Max: Don't want to say
Me: Don't want to say your name?
Max: No.
Me: Why not?
Max: (laughing a lot) Want to say Stinklefeets. Booger Boy.

That's a pretty good back and forth, and it wasn't even about food!

*I admit to Stinklefeets. I don't recall calling him Booger boy... but I probably have.