H-o-kama

Keana’s been doing funny things with names lately- she’s figured out our first names. The other day she said, “You’re Luke!” and her “Ls” aren’t quite right yet, so it was more like “Yuke”—it was hilarious. And yesterday she was pretending to talk on the phone with “Luke”—having a full conversation inserting my name frequently throughout. She still calls me Papa, but there’s something strange about hearing your first name come out of your kid’s mouth. It always makes me think of those “coming of age” movies where the rebellious teen calls their parents by their first names just to annoy them, and it’s always said with a sarcastic tone and some eye-rolling. Keana’s also been calling Sarah by her first name too—I think slightly before she got my name she realized her mama’s name was Sarah.

But the real kicker is she’s learned her last name! She and Sarah were playing downstairs last week and Keana was writing in one of Sarah’s old checkbooks and as she was writing she was saying, “H-o-kama” over and over. I have no idea how she learned that we write our last names out. Actually, I think it was at the campout because she and Grandma Jennie were writing “papa” and “mama” and “grandma” in different colors. Of course they were all scribbled circles, but I think the connection was made.

(A funny side note on the checkbook thing—as I was picking up some of Keana’s toys in her room, in her little cash register I found some checks Sarah had written. One was made out to Keana Hokama for $2000.00 and the other to Big Bird for $200.00. It made my day.)