JACKSMALL!

I remember naming each of the boys--they have a "grown up" name (real name) and then their nickname (daily name). I remember telling lots of people that "Hank" and "Jack" are good "porch-callin' names."  Somehow, though, in the process of all sorts of calling, we started sticking on their last names, too.  So JACK! became JACK SMALL! This must be yelled in a stairwell or out an open door (back door, bedroom door, shower door) and must be said all crammed together: JACKSMALL!  Different inflections are allows.  JackSMALL! JACKsmall! jaCkSmALL!

Beyond a good porch callin' name, apparently, at least Jack is a good bird-calling name.  Now, whenever I leave the room (you'll hear my flipflops in retreat in the video below), the bird starts yelling JACKSMALL! as a way to call to me (as the leader of the flock).  Now the bird is starting to get the inflection variations, too, although you can't hear it in the 30 seconds below.  At the end of the video, the bird says "Cheagle."  This Wa'allah's nickname, because he is a cross between a chicken and an eagle.  Cheagle.

 

God bless the middle child, who must now hear his name called dozens of times per day and who now gets confused, thinking I'm calling him downstairs, when it's really the bird calling me.