namin' nuts

Even before we left the Stoltzfus' driveway (for that is where we were) we began trying to come up with a name for our new puppy.  I had wanted a dog named "Daisy" for a long time.  I thought it would be clever to give her the name "Daisy Mei" spelled like that after one of the characters in Totoro, one of our family's favorite movies.  Ben thought that was okay, but suggested "Susie" as another option.  I like for my dogs to have middle names, or at least initials, so added "Susie Q".  "We just have to wait until we get her home, then we'll decide," we kept telling ourselves, but I love to name things, and couldn't wait. The puppy was born on St. Patrick's Day, so I thought it might be fun to give her an Irish name.  Andrew's newest niece was just named "Molly Malone", and that appealed to me greatly, but clearly was out of the question.

Almost as soon as we got home, I was sitting at my computer, looking up baby girl names.  I looked at un-prounceable and un-spellable Irish names, and ruled those out pretty quickly.  I started making a list of possible names, with our two favorites at the top.  What were some of the other contenders?  Gracie and Rosie and Cissy  made the list, as did Gigi and Maggie and Josie.  It seemed like our puppy would have the "ee" sound at the end of her name.  Julie and Andrew thought perhaps we could just keep the name she already had, but Ben thought that "Lilly Stoltzfus" was quite a mouthful for such a little girl (!)

After we had our new puppy at home with us, we tried out different names on her.  We tried "Daisy" first since that was my favorite, but we already knew a dog with that name who was docile and gentle.  Our puppy was not.  Once she got used to us all, she tore around the back yard, a ball of pure energy.  For lack of another name, I called her "Lilly Stoltzfus" until Ben was sorry he ever mentioned calling her that.

Ben does not take the same pleasure I do from making up names, but he dutifully looked over my list.  "What about 'Katie'?" he asked.  "You don't have 'Katie' on here."  I hadn't thought about that name, but then I did.  She could be a "Katie", I thought, but "Katie" what?  Then I knew.  Katie Scarlett. Just like Scarlett O'Hara, in Gone With the Wind.  I thought of Scarlett's father in the movie, saying her name with his Irish brogue.  I thought of Scarlett's personality - her stubborness, her single-mindedness, her relentlessness.Yes, our little girl is "Katie Scarlett".   We can agree on that.