Monday, November 8, 2010

Daughter of Dadzilla: The Name Change Debate

Once again, I have to mention that I have the coolest dad ever, but wedding planning brings out a side of him I've never seen. Daddy G is my buddy, we hang out and do all kinds of things together, but he's also a bit of a Dadzilla.

Daddy G helping me set up my garden at the beginning of the summer. See? Greatest Dad ever!

Sit back and relax hive, because here's another tale of my Dadzilla.

This bout of Dadzillaness was brought on by the Great Name Change Debate.

See, currently, I don't know what I'm going to do about my name. I'm really really torn, seeing as I love my last name and can't ever imagine giving it up. Mr. Giraffe supports my decision either way, but I do know that he'll be bummed if I don't take his name, he would really like me to. Although I told him that I have no problem with our future kids having his last name, I just can't see myself without my name as it has been for the last 23 years. Part of me is thinking about compromising, with keeping my last name and adding his after it (without a hyphen) or moving my last name up to the middle so I'll have two middle names, and having his name as my last name. If I did the latter, though, I would go by Miss Giraffe MyLastName HisLastName. (And secretly, I'm kind of trying to avoid that whisper inside of me that says not to change mine all. I'm trying to at least comprise, folks).

It does seem like a very personal decision, and I think that's why brides struggle with it so often. I think it's very hard to walk that line between the love for Mr. G and his name, the love of myself and my name, and that place in the middle where we share everything.

Apparently, Daddy G must have overheard me talking to Mama G about this recently.

Once again, I have to set the scene for you guys, but its so hilarious and ridiculous.

Mama Giraffe, Daddy G, and Miss Giraffe are sitting together watching Dancing with the Stars, as per usual in the Giraffe house hold. Out of no where, Daddy pauses the TV and looks right at Miss G.

Daddy G, "Miss Giraffe, are you changing your name?"

Caught off guard, Miss G takes a moment to recover and gives Dad her wrinkly faced confused look, "Yes. . . No. . .I'm undecided." (Miss G is thankful she read Knitting's post recently about being undecided because it seemed like a good choice for her.)

Daddy G, "Well, I have to weigh in here."

The conversation then goes on to include a few select highlights by Daddy G:

"Well, if your mother did that to me, I wouldn't have married her.."
"No, Giraffe, I know what people do, and people don't keep their name. The woman changes hers, that's what happens."
"It might be different if you were a celebrity. . ."

Daddy G, who I'm super close to, went as far as dropping this bomb:
"Well. . . I'd be very disappointed in you if you decided not to."

Woah - hold the phone! Not changing my name would actually disappoint my parents? Ummm, what? Traditional much?

Oh, and here's my personal favorite (I actually put it on a stickie on my laptop so I wouldn't forget it):
"If your name was going to be Finklestein*, I could understand, but his isn't that bad!"

Ummm,
Finklestein? Hahaha, I love you, Dad.

So, there you have it, hive. My Dadzilla has put his two cents in on the name change debate, and apparently, he feels very strongly about it. I thought I'd make this personal decision on my own, but apparently it's not just my decision to make. I had no idea it was a group decision?

But, honestly, where does this leave me? I have no idea. It was hard enough to make a decision before the family weighed in!

*No offense to the
Finklesteins out there. It's a lovely name, I'm sure.

Anybody else's family a little too into the name change debate?

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