Name Game

 Some friends of ours recently added a new puppy to their family.  We met him the day after they brought him home, and I asked what they named him.  "I think we are going to call him Sam," my friend responded.  She said her daughter had always wanted a boy dog named Sam.  Hearing that reminded me of when I was a kid and wanted so badly for my name to be Samantha so I could go by Sam because it was such a good tomboy name, and that resonated with me.  As an adult, I now see the irony in wanting to change my name from Bobbi to Sam so I could sound more like a tomboy.  

Bob.

I wonder if Sawyer will feel the same irony when he looks back on wanting to be named Beaver because he cuts trees and stuff like a beaver, when his actual name literally means "one who saws." 

We weren't as spot on with Fischer who wanted the name "Red-hot Fire King of Wheelies."  That one was a bit of a mouthful and luckily, didn't stick around for long.  He does like to fish but I've been wondering recently if Hunter might have been more appropriate for him.   

He loves to hunt.  Recently he lost some BB gun privileges because his accuracy needed work.  He immediately started putting in extra time on target practice.  His work payed off. This week he shot and killed his first dove.  With the confidence of a seven-year-old professional hunter, he cleaned his bird, breasted it, built himself a fire in his homemade firepit and cooked it.  He and his siblings all gave it a taste test.  Everybody swallowed it, but the boys determined it was overcooked and over salted.  Emerson, who would lick a salt block given the chance, gave it a big thumbs up.  Fischer generously saved the last chunk for his dad to try when he got off work.  I wasn't offered any and didn't ask.  

Ross was a good sport when he got home.  He gave Fischer lots of praise for his work, graciously popped the blackened lump of breast meat into his mouth, and bit into a BB.  No good deed goes unpunished.  He agreed with the boys that the salt level needed to be dialed back several notches and discussed the importance of removing any shrapnel prior to cooking.  

Overall, it was a successful learning experience.  If the ship ever goes down, these boys now know how to cut fire wood, harvest meat, and build a fire to cook it on, not a bad skill set to have.

...And you can call me Sam.