Nick It Up

I have an interesting habit. Only one you ask? No, but this is the one I'm going to talk about today.
Nicknames.
Most of the people I know and love receive the gracious gift of a nickname--I say most because I don't want people to think I don't like them just because I don't call them some wacky name.
I really do like you Jeff.
At church we have (some of these are not of my making--Larry likes nicknames too),
POAHTAH (always yelled in the hallway at full voice and the comeback is "NOSAH!"), Roo, Peewee Head, Mahwee, Hougs, Billah, Larrinator, Carol Merrill, Brain and Gunnar.
Some of the nicks come from circumstances surrounding the discovery. I had a friend, Maya, who told her name to someone and they said "Mona?" from then on her nickname was Mona. A lady I knew when I worked in the hospital was Lois. Her real name was Lisa Olson, but her X-Ray name badge that she put on the films read "LOls"--looked like Lois to me.
Our family has always had nicknames. My children have had to suffer the embarassment of my silly names. And they evolve. Here are examples of that in my children's nicknames (I'll probably get in trouble for this):
Hannah, Hannah Banana, Banana Rama, Ramalamadingdong, Ding Dong, Dingle Kringle, Ding, Kring. She is also known lovingly as Girl and Chika.
Eli, Eli Beeli, Squeali, Eli Mon, Beel, Beelie, Booga Nooga, Booga, Boog, Schnoogety, Schnoog.
Pretty Fun Huh?