What's in a Name?

What's in a name?
  
That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet...


Name discussions with Pallavi have been frequent over the past week.  We've talked about our last name.  We've talked about Joie's name.  We've talked about middle names.  We've talked about Megan's middle name (which is her birth name).  We've talked about everyone else's middle names.  We've talked about nicknames.  We've talked about name pronunciations.  We've talked about family names.

You get the picture.  We've talked a lot about names.

And you probably already know where this is headed.

When name discussions turned to discussions of a name change for Pallavi, we relied on experience to guide us.  Becoming parents to an older child the second time around seems to have less of a learning curve. This time we already know that going through the name quest is empowering, a way to claim a new life and identity.  (Read the story of Joie's name change here.)

In the end...

Is that which we call Pallavi by any other name just as incredible, amazing wonderful, sweet...?

Yes.

So Pallavi would, were she not Pallavi call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which she owes.


Our family has chosen names by meaning, and for a girl who loves the meaning of her old name but wanted a new name, this was important to her also.

After a few days of trying different names, Gabriella stood out as a name she liked with a meaning which fit.

This morning she came to my computer and looked up the meaning again, just to be sure.


"Yup.  Gabriella.  That's it," she said confidently.
(Everything she says is said with confidence.)


Gab-ri-ell-a:  heroine of God; God is my strength.


This is a girl who loves God.

We've been cautious about introducing religion, but have noticed her responses to religion, particularly during this Christmas season when we are surrounded by symbols of religious significance.  Speaking of such symbols one evening, our new daughter described the statues in India that have spiritual significance and power to people there, then confidently stated how she always knew there was another God "with real power."


The idea of God has been growing in her heart and mind for years.

And the meaning doesn't stop there.

Pallavi:  bud; young branch or shoot

Gabriella Pallavi:  a heroine of God who is just starting to bloom.


Perfect.  A combination of two beautiful names with beautiful meanings for a very beautiful girl.

Will there be nicknames?

Most assuredly, yes.

We've tried several.

Gabby seems to be the one that is sticking...

And you know we'll keep you posted!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was quiet (relatively speaking, of course).  Two days later Pallavi is saying, "Next year I want a big Christmas."  We're blaming it on the adoption agency.  They told us to plan small so it wouldn't be overwhelming.

(Maybe they had never lived with Pallavi.)

If you've followed our blog for longer than a year you know we have a fireplace correspondence tradition with Santa in our house.  The kids leave letters for Santa in the fireplace, and he usually responds with treats and a letter to let them know he got it.  Even as the kids have gotten older, the letters continue...

(After all, there's something in it for everyone.  Personally, I'm glad my kids humor me.)

This year Santa heard Pallavi would be here for Christmas.  Maybe it was all the kids asking for gifts for Pallavi in their letters to Santa?

Amazingly enough, the day before we left for Nebraska to meet Pallavi, Santa left a letter in our fireplace for her.

We delivered Santa's letter to Pallavi in Nebraska, and she let us know she already told Santa what she wanted:  an iPod Touch.  Nate, who was with us, immediately became concerned that he had waited until he was 12 to get an iPod Touch, and he had earned the money for it himself by mowing lawns...because Mom and Dad said no to asking Santa.  And even at 14 there are internet supervision restrictions to the iPod Touch.  There was unfair! written all over this one.

Tim and I weren't too worried.  We trusted the magic of fireplace correspondence.

But Nate took matters into his own hands.  I've got to say I was a little nervous when a letter I didn't know about showed up in the fireplace, but Santa scored again (Nate, you'll make a great dad one day), and gently broke it to Pallavi that Mom and had had contacted Santa on the "secret Santa phone..." (Yes, we also have one of those.) ...and according to the letter, we had told Santa that Pallavi could ask for an iPod Touch when she was "eleven or twelve."  

Pallavi was totally fine with this.  Turns out there's nothing like a personally addressed letter appearing in the fireplace to soften the blow.

Within five minutes, Pallavi had written back and changed her request to an iPod Nano (the same thing Joie had asked for) and Santa delivered!

(And today Tim spent most of the day downloading songs for all the kids on their various iDevices which makes him my hero.  Joie and Pallavi were getting bored with their selection of FM radio stations on their iPods, and when the radio stations stopped playing Christmas music, the selections drew even more complaints...  Anyone my age or older remember being thrilled by a gift of any electronic device that could pick up a radio station?)

Back to Christmas...

On Christmas Eve, Pallavi and Joie decided to sleep downstairs.  

Amazingly, they were asleep by 9:30 p.m...

We were in bed by midnight.

Then Joie was awake by 1:00 a.m...

Then asleep again by 2:00 a.m. (ish)...

Then Tim was up by 4:00 a.m.  I was not happy and somehow he knew to not wake up the kids!

Tim had to turn the light on to read, a sacrifice I was willing to make if it meant the kids weren't waking up...

But five minutes later I went to sleep in Pallavi's empty bed since she was still snoozing downstairs.

By 5:45 a.m. the kids were awake.  The goal was 6:00.

Close enough.

Waiting to come upstairs...

A thank you note from Santa...

And I didn't catch the Santa gifts on camera, but we did get a few shots:

The Mythbusters game from Grandma Susan was a hit!

Joie and Pallavi got Zu Zu Pets

Just a side note.  Don't ignore the label on Zu Zu pets that says Caution:  Please keep away from hair.  Somehow when Megan was holding Joie's Zu Zu pet it accidentally found Joie's hair.  (What would a caution label be if you couldn't test it?)  We unsuccessfully tried to detangle Joie from her Zu Zu pet, but eventually resorted to scissors.  You can't really tell.  It was only a small chunk of hair.  

And the best part of Christmas for me (drumroll please).  Present opening was over by 7:00 a.m. and with no assembly required gifts on the list, I took advantage of the kids being lulled into present la-la land and went back to sleep...until 9:30!  Best Christmas present ever!

We spent the afternoon at Tim's parents' house with all the cousins.  Pallavi has been sooooo excited to meet all her cousins, and wasn't disappointed.  She was introduced to the fun of Jarman Nerf gun wars and took her job of guarding hostages very seriously.  I know who I'll be calling if I need a bodyguard.

Then another great Christmas gift:  That night we had planned to go to bed early.  Everyone was tired and we had church the next morning.  

But Megan, Joie, Pallavi and I ended up just talking.  Bedtime?  What bedtime?

I'm blessed with girls who have wise souls.  Their kid bodies are deceiving.  I felt like I was talking to three of my best friends.  I didn't want it to end.  

I've decided my "mom job" is to provide the container in which they'll grow to adulthood.  They need love, safety, and a healthy home, but every day they lead me.

We love all our friends and family, and wish you all a belated Merry Christmas.  We hope your day was blessed!

Pictures from Tim's SD card

Good thing Tim carries a camera with him too.  I downloaded his memory disc the other day and found some fun pictures...

In October Tim had a work trip to Orlando.  I would have liked to join him, but the timing didn't work out.  He did get to meet up with my parents a few times that week.  It was so hard to have him there and not be there myself!

And he kept calling me from Disney World.

Work?  Really?

Hard at work...for real this time, except how serious can you be about work wearing elf ears?

...Then last week Tim stopped to get a haircut while he was running errands with the girls.  

He hadn't been informed that if you stop by a salon with girls they won't leave without some pampering.  Both girls got their hair braided.

Loving the attention...

Ahhhhhh...

Look at me!

Holding so still...

Both girls looked great when they were finished and also talked Tim into stopping for milkshakes.  

(Dad is such a push over.)

Reindeer Food

A neighbor gave us sparkling reindeer food to spread outside so the moonlight would cause the food to sparkle and lead the reindeer to our house.

But the dogs ate the reindeer food!

(So Pallavi made more.)

Start with oats and carrots...

Add sparkles and an apple...

Sprinkles will do if you don't have glitter.

Now pink...

Done!

Just a few more sparkles.

We hope the reindeer find our house tonight!

Welcome Home

After our unexpected delay, we flew home Sunday morning...Nebraska to Utah via Minneapolis.  We're figuring out there are few direct routes between Nebraska and Utah.

But eventually we arrived home.

A welcome home sign from the Jarman cousins.  There's a star for each cousin.  Pallivi, who is super excited to have so many cousins, loved her sign.

The face says:  It's cold out here.  Can we go back inside already?

Pallavi wasted no time unpacking.  She set up her room, then found the TV.  After a few minutes of watching TV she came and asked me if we had white paper.  I helped her find some and she made these signs for her door:

So there you have it.  A room and rules...

(And a very happy family.)

It feels great to be home!