What’s in a name?

The names that are the most popular in the 100 years haven’t really changed that much.  Ok if you’re talking about celebrities maybe the names they use are a bit outside the box.  I mean it’s a tad different to name your child after a fruit or a compass point.  It’s a good thing these children go to private schools because I can only imagine how they would fare with other children and the poor teachers struggling to spell or pronounce their names.  Take it from me.  I was named Crystal when it wasn’t popular at all and no teacher, not even my grandmother ever knew how to spell my name.

Me, I’m a traditionalist.  Today is my daughter’s birthday and her name is simple and traditional…Mary.  If she had been a boy (We didn’t know her sex beforehand) her name would have been John.  You may wonder why I chose the name Mary in a sea of Jennifers, Jessicas and Brittanys, Boring, you say?  Maybe, but well used through the last century. The United States Social Security website states that the following names are the five most popular in the last 100 years…

Rank	Name	Number	Name	Number
1	James	4,873,581	Mary	3,696,779
2	John	4,773,654	Patricia	1,566,692
3	Robert	4,676,298	Elizabeth	1,455,480
4	Michael	4,230,343	Jennifer	1,455,078
5	William	3,751,295	Linda	1,446,268

You will notice that Mary and John are both on the list.  John weighs in at number 2 and Mary is number 1.  Funny but I don’t see a Sage, Moon unit, or Maddox on that list anywhere.  Maybe those who want to be different should name their children after Captcha words.  They are unique, many times unpronounceable and most definitely one of a kind!

Diaper changers go home!

Baby ducks, no diapers required

I don’t often comment on current events that are often hot buttons for opinions of all kinds, but I feel this time I must.

I recently read a news article about a woman who changed her toddlers diaper in a Chipotle restaurant on the dining tables!  Can you imagine placing a 16 month old child on a table people where are going to eat? Her husband was furious that the restaurant employees told her it was a definite no-no and wrote a letter to Chipotle chiding them for not having changing tables in the bathroom.  It was much too inconvenient for the woman to take her child out to the car on a beautiful day. 

Let me make this clear.  I am a mother.  While my daughter just graduated college and is no longer in diapers, I well remember those years.  Few if any restaurants back then had changing tables in the bathrooms.  Oh my!  What did I do?  I went to the car and changed her there, or I just didn’t go out. Inconvenient?  Sure, but those are the little sacrifices one makes when one decides to have children.  I also didn’t let my daughter scream and cry in restaurants or stores.  Lets just say I am far from a stern disciplinarian and I never hit her in any way shape or form, I simply took her outside.  After a couple times like that she didn’t do it anymore because if she was screaming and crying for something and that something wasn’t there anymore, what could she do but stop? Yes, it was inconvenient but common courtesy to others made me aware that while my daughter’s cry was not hurting anyone, it could be annoying to others.

Changing a diaper on a dining table is just unsanitary and probably breaks many health laws.  In my opinion, (And it is just an opinion) the woman should be fined and banned from the restaurant.  And shame on Chipotle for coddling her idiot husband to tell him they are trying to install changing tables soon.  Restaurants are not required to install them and if patrons cannot be civilized then they should just stay home…or has she ever heard of carry out?

What are your thoughts on this matter?  Was she right, wrong, or are you as appalled as I am?