LITTLE DANNY BOY

Bryce has decided not to be called well, uh, Bryce. He has, in one day, one hour, changed his first name.

He is the social butterfly in our family and unlike the rest of us introverts, he never meets a stranger. He's had plenty of experience in meeting people and somewhere along the way, he decided he likes the hand-shaking part best! So he often extends his hand to start a conversation.

Chase, who is very obviously the child of two accountants, is much more reserved. But, he goes along for the meet and greets with his brother, mostly because he is very protective of him and wants to be wherever he is; A strange dynamic in the whole sibling relationship, best described as The 'I'll knock the crap out of him but you don't touch my brother!' Syndrome.

A typical stranger-meet starts off with Bryce begging the attention of an innocent bystander by babbling and extending his hand. Chase wanders over, to check out the scene and usually gives a handshake with a shy, barely audible "Hi, my name is Chase." Apparently, Bryce thinks "Hi, my name is Chase," is a scripted line and when asked his name he says, (you guessed it) "Chase." I started working with him to change that.

"Your name is not Chase," I say. "Your name is Bryce." He just looks at me with this silly laugh and hides his face. He will not say Bryce - ever. He calls himself Dani. So, Dani it is, that's how he introduces himself, he answers to it without fail and until he says different, I guess that's what we'll call him. [exhale!] Good thing I hadn't invested too much in my favorite personalized gifts from Pottery Barn Kids.