Max

I like nicknames. And if you've known me for awhile than chances are I've got some sort of nickname for you. It's not something I purposely sit down and think about. It just happens. Like hiccups and sneezes.

It might be a part of your name like my friend, Jen with one N. Or it could be your entire first name with your last initial. Or it could be some random word that reminds me of you. For example I call my niece Mia Mouse which is a combination of the nickname her parents have given her, and the nickname i have given her(the 'Mouse' part is mine.)

Anyway, I have a special nickname for The Mister.

As some of you know my sweet husband is an active duty officer assigned to areas of high security. As a result he has asked that I not use our last name, nor use his name, show his face or the specific area in which we live. This makes it sound like he is a top international spy doesn't it? Actually it's not that glamorous, but he prefers to remain anonymous. Honestly, even if he didn't have to worry about safety issues, he's the most humble man I know. He kind of likes to be incognito, but I digress.

All that to say I was uncertain what to call him on the blog because I wanted to express my love for him and yet maintain the playful relationship he and I have shared long before there was a romantic notion between the two of us.

Several years ago he told me this story of when he was a boy. He had written a book about a little boy named Super Max. Super Max could do anything. He could leap buildings, he could save people. He was the strongest and he was the best. As a boy The Mister decided he would no longer answer to his given name but was adamant that he should be called Max.

After I heard the story I began to occasionally refer to him as Max. Then it led to sending emails and notes addressed to Max. I really wanted to suggest that I call him Max on this blog, but this was a special name for the two of us and I wasn't certain that he would like me using my special name for him so publicly. So I never brought it up.

I had asked him several times over the last year what name I should give him and he had mentioned that perhaps I could use the trail name given to him by his back packing buddies: Tex. Which, obviously has roots to our Texas days. But it just didn't feel right to me.

Last night we had put the kids to bed, pulled out a great board game called TriBond, and laid it out across our bed (because Cookie had been heating up and it made for cozy goodness.) We had just finished the game (I won, but I think he let me win since it was Valentine's and all...and he wanted to keep the peace), when he said " I've been thinking," (uh oh!) " And I think that you should call me Max on the blog. I think your calling me The Mister is cute but somehow it stops the flow of your writing. I like it when you call me Max and I think it would be better."

Is he not the best!!!???

So, it is on this day, that I officially announce that:

I am going to keep him. I am going to hug him, and squeeze him, and call him MAX!

La Vida Dulce!

PS: Here is a TriBond question. I will give you 3 clues that have a common bond. You can post your answer in the comments section. I'll post the answer tomorrow.
Here are you clues.

Reginald Dwight - John Deutschendorf - Norma Jean Baker