WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

Huck.

That's what Brad Paisley calls his son, William. His name is William Huckleberry. They don't call him Will. Brad told me he and his band have dubbed his precious boy Huck, instead.

When I had my first child, Griffin, a logical nickname would be Griff. We use that when referring to him in conversation with someone else. But, when I talk to Griffin directly, I call him...

Bubba Lou. You read it right.

Bubba Lou. One day he's gonna kill me.

Not sure why those words even came to me, either. When he was a toddler, I remember the phrase rolling off my tongue and it just seemed right. I've called him that ever since. Every once in a while he shoots me a look like Mom is off her rocker.

My name is Deborah, and for some reason my father has called me Doober since I was a kid. He still does to this day.

Hayden calls his big brother, "bubby." We affectionately call Greg "Daddio."

Our black lab isn't just "Darby," she is "Darby-dog." Growing up, I called my older sister Michelle "Shelley belly" and I've called my younger sis "kid" for as long as I can remember. Something about being older and wiser, though she'd debate me on the latter. My boys and my nieces call her "Aunt Kiki," since they couldn't say Kristen.

Seems to me my family doesn't much use real names, but that's ok. Loving nicknames are fine with me.

I've been called worse.