How Do You Choose Grandparent Names

Did your children decide on their grandparent’s name or did your parents make the decision on what they wanted to be called?  My grandson ultimately made the decision for me.  I had initially selected the name Gran, but it didn’t stick. 

I was visiting my grandson one week-end, and when I walked into the house he said Mawmaw.  Where’s Gaga (referring to his grandfather)?  At that moment, Gran went out the window.   I must admit, I was surprised he called me Mawmaw.  I’ve often wondered how he came up with those names for us.  Especially, since I had been calling myself Gran for almost 2 years.  His grandfather had been calling himself granddaddy.  Isn’t it amazing how things can change in a split second. 

Now, I must admit that I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the name Mawmaw.  I didn’t think it was a fit for me and it sounded so old fashion.  I felt somewhat disappointed.  Afterall, I’m not your typical grandma.  I’m a high heel wearing diva who’s into blogging, texting, social media, and a need for wine.  I just wasn’t feeling Mawmaw.  I chose the name Gran because I didn’t want to end up with an old fashion out of date name.  Gran was traditional, but still had a sophisticated ring to it.  My daughter stated, “Mom you have to be whatever he calls you”.  I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed because I had spent 9 months selecting a name and it was suddenly gone or because the name sounded so country and out of date.  The only other person that I knew as Mawmaw was my 60 year old Aunt.   My grandson had thrown a wrench into the plans.  My siblings had chosen their names, and I wanted that opportunity too.     

Our grandchildren use a variety of names for us.  In my family there’s Poppy, Nana, Granny, and Granddaddy.  As I was discussing the name change with co-workers, I was surprised to find out that many of their grandchildren called them MawMaw.  It was actually a popular name.  Who knew!

As I continued to think about it, it suddenly didn’t matter what he  called me as long as he called my name.  My grandson had changed my life forever.  I looked at the change totally different.  What’s in a name?  I realized that my grandson had a mind of his own, and he was demonstrating his personality, his individuality, and how he felt about me.  I was a Mawmaw, and he believed it was a fit for me.  He didn’t see me as a diva, texter, blogger or wine taster.  I was simply his Mawmaw.  He has made it clear over the course of the years with his cousins, that’s my Mawmaw.  I have happily accepted the nomination.  I’ve held that title for 5 years, and I’m proud to wear it.  I now have a grandson and granddaughter.  I will continue to strive to be the #1 Mawmaw, because that is what is truly important. 

What do your grandchildren call you or your parents?  Leave us a comment, we would love to know.  

Misfit Grannies


Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

When I saw this video, I was shocked. I was shocked at the Great Grandmother’s behavior and shocked that the officer would taser Granny as a result. OMG! She’s 72 years old. She could have been wearing a pacemaker or had a heart condition, it could have killed her. I’m picturing my mother, and asking myself if she would conduct herself in this manner. Now my mother is known to put on a performance or two in her day, but I can’t imagine her going to this extreme with an officer over a traffic ticket. The question of the day is, should the officer have used the taser on this misfit Granny? When I watch the video, I wonder why he just doesn’t restrain her and place her in handcuffs. It certainly appears that he could have overpowered her without causing injury. It’s clear she wasn’t going down without a fight, but I find it hard to believe she could have really caused him harm. She wasn’t packing a Saturday Night Special or an AK 47. On the other hand, it’s hard to believe that a respectful Granny would challenge an officer of the law on a highway over a traffic ticket. According to records, she was clearly speeding in a construction zone, which is why the officer pulled her over. If she disagreed with the ticket, she could have challenged it in court rather than resisting arrest. The vulgarity coming from this elderly woman’s mouth is amazing too, she has a potty mouth. She clearly shows no respect for the law on this video. What truly amazes me, is the fact that she intended to deny being unruly with the officer. At the time of her interview, she didn’t know the entire incident had been recorded and being watched by the world. She’s been caught in her lie, so she has no comment on her behavior now. I bet her children got a shock when they saw this video, especially since they hired an attorney to represent her for enduring the officer’s abuse. This video also caused me to think about an incident with my mother. She wasn’t tasered thank goodness, but the story is worth sharing. I received a call from one of brothers on a Saturday night years ago. Here is a part of our conversation: My brother – “You are not going to believe what your mother did this evening. (Yes we came through the same birth canal, but she suddenly turned into my mother). “She did the unthinkable at Duane’s baseball game.” (Duane is his son). Me – “Oh God, what did she do.” My first thought was she let the umpire have it for calling a bad game. My brother – “She hit some woman over the head with her purse because she was criticizing Duane.” Me – “What?” My brother – “She hit some woman over the head with her purse because the woman was talking about Duane while he was pitching.”Me – “OMG, is she in jail?”My brother – “No, the cops couldn’t find her.” Me – “What?”Summary – A lady who was sitting in front of my mother criticized my nephew throughout the game. She had no idea my mother was Duane’s grandmother. My mother quietly endured the badgering of her beloved grandson throughout the game, and decided she would seek revenge when it was time to leave the ballpark. She lived up to that thought. She stood up, took her purse and hit the woman over the head, and than walked away. After recovering from the shock of being hit in the back of the head, the lady headed to a police officer who just happened to be patronizing the game to inform him of her encounter with the “Purse Lady” as we’ve dubbed her. After giving a description of my mother, the lady and cop scoured the ballpark in search of my mother. The lady moved a little too slowly, my mother quietly slipped away and made her move into the back of my brother’s van. Now my brother and his wife were completely unaware of this incident. He’s chatting with the other dads and praising my nephew for pitching a great game. His wife is taking hundreds of pictures of her son for the scrapbook. After the smell of sweet victory wears off, they head for home with our mother in toll. They drop my mother off and head home to wait for the greatest pitcher on earth to arrive for dinner. Duane arrives shortly thereafter, and asks about Granny hitting the woman over the head. Here’s Duane’s memory of the incident: My brother – “What are you talking about?”Duane – “Granny hit some woman in the back of the head at the park.” My brother – “What?”Duane – “Granny hit some woman in the back of the head at the park. The cops were looking for her, but she was hiding in your van. I saw Granny when she hit the woman in the bleachers. Granny is slick, she just walked away and got in your van. The woman didn’t know what hit her, she just knew Granny hit her. Granny don’t play.” My brother – “OMG!”Duane – “Granny said something to the woman before she walked away.”The next day, we asked my mother about the incident and what she said to the woman. My mother admitted to hitting her over the head, and she said she told the woman, “You better be careful about whose grandson you’re talking about, bitch”. Leave us a comment on these law breaking Grannies and any unbelievable stories about your mother, grandmother or you. We would love to hear them.