Advancing the cause

It was such a big weekend that I didn't have the energy to sort through all the fun stuff. Alison and her Auntie Jen helped -- and hurt me -- today in that endeavor.

Jen started it off by wondering via email about whether she should change her middle name to keep her maiden name when she gets married next month. (I did that and found out later that Miss Manners totally approved.) The mere discussion sounded like a TeamReedblog entry to me, and it just got better. Of course that pushed back all the other stuff held captive in my camera and my memory, but a good story trumps everything…

I gave my opinion about Jen’s future name, and then when I picked Ali up from camp, I asked her what she thought about it. She opined that Auntie Jen's premise was without merit.

"Why doesn't Uncle Peter change his name?" she asked, truly puzzled.

We asked Jeff about it over dinner. He really wanted me to change my name when we were preparing for our wedding, and I waffled for a long, long time. I ultimately gave it to him for a Christmas present in the guise of a brass door knocker for the home we were to move into the following month.

"Back a long time ago, honey," he started.

"You mean back when we were still slaves in the olden days?" she asked, frowning in direct reference to her outrage that women didn’t always get to vote and have jobs and everything she takes for granted.

It was a fun conversation. Suffice it to say Jeff didn’t win her over.

I think Jen is taking Alison’s advice into consideration, and I totally want to be there when Peter hears about it…
Weekend highlights:

Jenna and Ali had a sleepover. They're like old women just gossiping and giggling and having fun every time they get together no matter how long it's been. At one point I had them at Huddles yogurt and they were scarfing down frozen loveliness. I skipped it because I was at my point limit.

"Is your mom still on that diet?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah," Alison said. "I don't really like it. She's not as good a pillow as she used to be."

Alex Ogden was over, too, and he got to come down to Greene County with us for a surprise party for my niece and cousin. (That's two different people for you folks who think the country is full of interesting gene pools...) We went down to one of our favorite places, owned by the family of one of my closest friends from high school. My brother and Lea Anne Blanton were destined for holy matrimony -- I could have sworn it. Every time I see her I think of him and that summer... oh my!

But anyway, we went down for the party and Jeff put on a fireworks show that only set us back a couple of paychecks. (You're welcome, Tom Vielee) We kept Alex for a little while longer Sunday when we got back. But eventually, we had to give him back. On the way home, Alison was asking when we could have both him and his sister Hannah back over.

She sighed. "I like the Ogdens," she said.

I'm sure there's more. I'm going to have to download the camera.