Names to Keep Straight These Days

• Angela and me: Mom and Dad. Straightforward.
• The Dadaks, Angela’s parents: Grumpy and Gammy. I think Linda appropriated the latter from her best friend.
• The Middentses, my parents: Oma and Opa, the Dutch for “granparents” and what I called my grandparents on my father’s side. Perhaps a surprise for my mom, but this is a neat story. When I asked them what they wanted to be called, Mom said, “Oh, that’s easy. Oma.” Shocked, I asked, “But Mom, don’t you want to be called abuela or abuelita or something?” She said, “Do you know how long it took you to say ‘ah-bweh-lah’? It’s hard and it frustrated you to no end. Besides, all the kids in your neighborhood are going to say ‘grandma’ or ‘abuela.’ But I will be the only ‘Oma.’” And at that point, my Dad laughed and said, “Well, I guess I’m Opa, then!”
• The Mackeys, Angela’s grandparents: Great-Grandpa and G.G. (for “Great Grandmother”). Nana was so adorable, and also had apparently given it some thought before we asked what to call her.
• Heather, Angela’s sister: Auntie Twinkie. Another great story: after we threatened a loooooong time ago to send our hypothetical children up to Aunt Heather’s for a visit, she said, “No problem. I’ll just get rid of all the food in my house and replace it with Twinkies. I’m gonna be Auntie Twinkie. ‘Here, have Twinkies for breakfast! And lunch! Hungry? Have a Twinkie. It’s good for you!!’ And then they’ll come back so wired, you’ll regret sending them.” This just cracked us up. Sure enough, when Angela was in the hospital, Heather brought a gorgeous potted hydrangea – and a box of Twinkies. We’ll see if the name sticks after all.