{Live} Five Years
June 5, 2012 in All Posts, Parenting
Last year, I contemplated our anniversary by the numbers, so to be consistent, here’s the numerical play-by-play of Year Five of our marriage:
- Our 5 year anniversary - the first real milestone.
- Hubby’s 4th decade - guess we’re really grown ups now. (Well, he is.)
- Jane’s 3rd birthday - she’s an official preschooler.
- Sam’s 2nd birthday - no more babies in my house.
- 1.5 years of blogging - on three different blogs.
- 10.75 month career as a stay-at-home-mom - not that I was counting.
Around last year’s anniversary, I was pondering changing my last name in this post (and offending a few of my real life friends who confronted me after they read it!). And this year, I’m still thinking about it - as in, still thinking, but haven’t decided yet. I basically had forgotten about the idea after a while, but remembered the dilemma when I was at my sister-in-law’s wedding a few weeks ago.
Oh, before I forget, here are those photos I promised:
And still, I’m neither here nor there about it, even though I was leaning towards changing my name - or so I thought - after last year’s post.
I’m not sure if the decision to change your name depends on your concept of marriage or your perspective on being shackled to another for eternity? Or if it’s just a romantic gesture? Or if it’s something that helps the children feel part of a unit? (Which I sort of doubt since there are so many strong family units that don’t even rely on familial blood relationships or traditional family structures). Maybe the decision will come when the kids’ ask me to have the same name as them, in the vein of the reported catalyst for Brangelina’s impending nuptials?
Even then, I’m not certain that would motivate me. Though, they’ll probably ask me why I didn’t change my name like Shelby Flint sings in our favorite nighttime lullaby, Joey:
Did you change your last name? Are you happy about it? Did it change anything for you?
I wonder what Angelina’s going to do.
(Joking).
(But not really).
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I had a friend who changed her name and I would have NEVER done it- She had a pretty cool last name to start and then she married a guy whose last name was PIGG. That wouldn’t normally be an issue but she was an Army Officer who made O-4. That means that she officially had to be referred to by EVERYONE as MAJOR PIGG. Does that not suck marshmallows? No way would I have changed my name. I would have waited until I got promoted to Lieutenant Colonel for that one.
Ha ha ha ha ha! That’s AWESOME.
Congrats on your anniversary! And Happy BD to your hubby, Jane and Sam! And wow … 1.5 of blogging!
A lot of things to celebrate!
Thanks for your sweet congrats
Love seeing new visitors and finding new blogs through the comments!
Congratulations on your anniversary (we will be 5 years in August). I changed my name initally not by my choice my husband decided to book our honeymoon in our married name and sent off my passport to be changed as well. I miss my old name it was different, it went well with my first name I was also “known” in certain professional circles with that name that I did before getting married - however I’ve grown into my name I like that my children and I have the same name and I’m now known by this name in different professional circles. I still miss my old surname but I’m also glad that it was changed. It is a hard decision to let go of your identity and form a new one
(Early) congratulations to you, too! Well, that is one way to take care of the decision
It’s funny you mentioned that you liked your maiden name better because so do I. If I was going to come into some awesome last name that went well with my first, then I might be more eager, but it’s just so so. Lame, but true! If I end up changing it, I may keep my maiden name just for work - I know some people who have done that.
sorry for typos. ipad.
I ddnt for two years but when I did, I changed my middle name to my former last name to keep it with me. My middle name was quite vanilla and highly common fir my first name but my former last name was MY family name. I was shocked that we were expected to part with it. My military uniform held my new name when I chnged it, but my new ssn and oer official docs had both. I dont hyphenate or double-name anyhing…I like the latin culture method of using both parent’s names, actually, and wish we did the same. I would say keep our own until you are ready to part with it…
After my wedding (last year) I changed my FB name that way (maiden name as middle), what a fuss my hubbie’s family made, comments like “typical of her” - to my face! I changed my FB name to my married name (mainly to stop the grief) but have yet to change much else. I’ve actually not thought about it since until reading this post.
Elsie- I find that so odd- Facebook of all places seems like the smartest place to use your middle name (which also seems to be quite normal) because people you’ve lost touch with would never know how to find you with a new last name. That is so unfortunate….
Geez, that sounds a little overboard, Elsie! My in-laws don’t say anything to my face, but I’m sure they’re wondering when I’m going to do it. You should unfriend them on FB - haha
Well, at least you have held on to your name for as long as you’ve wanted to and not because you felt you “had” to. I know a lot of people who love that they’re going to be Mrs. So and So, which is great, but if you’re not - like me - it is not as easy a process. Thanks for stopping by!
I thought about that, Tricia, but then I figured, why am I bothering to hold on to the name anyway? (Like I said in my other post). I completely waver back and forth between well, it’s just a name, and, well, it’s my name! If I change my name, it will probably come in handy when we’re traveling though, since I hear if you have a different last name than your child, you have to have some sort of written consent from the other parent? Not sure about that, but I’d love to avoid any airport extras…traveling with the buggers is pain enough