On my newest niece's middle name

I had been waiting impatiently for a colleague to return to work in order to tell her about Maria, as her name is also Maria. Interestingly, one of her questions on my informing her of her namesake was "What is her middle name?" I was slightly embarrassed to admit that I didn't know but that I assumed she had one. (I have since found out that it is "Christina", in honour of Alice's best friend.)

My co-worker's question reminded me of something she has mentionned in the past. She's from Argentina. While she goes by just "Maria" behind the scenes at the Library, she has let it be know that in Argentina, she goes by "Maria Luisa" as being just "Maria" would be "low-class". And she comes a relatively moneyed background from what she says. Hence, why she (and only she) was interested in what my new niece's middle name was.

In the conversation with Alice in which I found out my niece's middle name, I also found out that Mark, my brother-in-law, doesn't have one which rather surprised me. I had assumed "everyone" had one. Shows what I know. Alice had the bon mot regarding this and Maria of: "As I [Alice] had two middle names, and Mark had none, we compromised on one for Maria."

Technically, this isn't entirely true as Alice's "second" middle name (which I share) is sort of an extension to our last name and her "first" middle name is the last name of one of our great-great-great grandfather, namely "Bond". This means my sister could introduce herself as "Bond. Alice Bond." should she so feel inclined. ;-)

Hmm, I just have had the thought that Maria's initials will be M.C. W. which might open up a career for her in hip hop music! ;-)