Keeping it simple

Things have become way too complicated around here.

First of all, we have more children than I have brain cells, so I can't always remember their names. Joshua (Master7) becomes Geoffrey (Master20), Geoffrey becomes Shane (my brother) and Grace (Miss8) becomes Mishaela (Miss17) and Mishaela calls herself Mishi, which I refuse to do - although I have been known to rattle off Mishtake to rile her up. 

But my worst trouble has been with our youngest. I'm especially forgetful when it comes to our youngest three. Why did we make them all end in an 'ee' sound?

I'm so bad at getting their names right Miss2 now answers better to Mosophie than Sophie because I always go to say Molly (Miss5) then change halfway through. We also have a Molemily (Molly and Miss0, Emily), cause I don't like to play favourites.

"Why don't you just call all three of them Sophemolly?" a friend suggested today when I was explaining the difficulties I was having. There was a moments silence while I weighed up the arguments for and against. 

Who am I kidding? There are no arguments against this: it's brilliant!

"This will work!" I explained to Tracey when I arrived home. "We go from seven names to three! We'll have Sophemolly, Joffua, and Gracaela!"

"And they can combine our names too," suggested Tracey, although I don't think she was feeling it. But I was in the zone.

"Brilliant! Cause they're always getting confused and calling me mum anyway. What do you think? Mud? Dam?

"I think we go with something in keeping with the spirit of the whole idea," said Tracey. 

"Mad?"

"Dum."