Family

Next time when I’m a baby.

Clara wanted to read her new book Clara and Asha before bedtime. As I’m bringing it over to the bed, she says, “Next time when I’m a baby, I don’t want you to name me Clara. I don’t like that name any more. I want you to name me something else.” Me: “Oh yeah? What […]
Dylan Tweney 1 min read
Clara and Asha cover

Clara wanted to read her new book Clara and Asha before bedtime. As I’m bringing it over to the bed, she says, “Next time when I’m a baby, I don’t want you to name me Clara. I don’t like that name any more. I want you to name me something else.”

Me: “Oh yeah? What do you think we should name you?”

“Mara.”

“But there’s already a Mara. Don’t you think we’d get confused if there were two Maras?”

“How about Zachary?”

“That’s interesting.”

Clara (looking at her giraffe slippers): “OK. Giraffe. Because I like giraffes.”

“You want me to call you Giraffe from now on?”

“Yes. And I think there should be a remote control, to make you go from a kid to a baby to a grownup. Bbbbreeeeep! [she makes a remote control sound effect, while crouching down onto the floor] I’m a baby! Bbbbreeeeep! Look, am I big now?”

After that, we read “Clara and Asha” without incident. She loves the book. And who wouldn’t love a book whose main character (with one’s erstwhile name) has a friend who is a giant, silver fish who floats through the air?

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