I hope everyone had a spooktacular October 31.  My firstborn led the neighborhood kids in a chant of “Halloween!  Halloween!” as they walked through the streets, accumulating an unreasonable amount of candy.  They grow up so fast …

Aly at Queen Anne Farm, 2009

But speaking of treats, our new neighbors have a son named Ellis and a daughter named Zora.  Plus, a pint-sized Adelaide came trick-or-treating at our house.

Speaking of the nicely named, Jen of Blissfully Caffeinated has welcomed daughter Lila Genevieve.  If you haven’t read her story, you might want to sit down first.  Mom and baby are doing fine, but her birth experience?  Not what you imagine …

Now, onto the name news:

• After defending variant spellings, I’ve found one I just don’t get: Nicholus, spotted by the hawk-eyed Bewildertrix.  This just a week or two after Greysun.  If u is the new y, expect to meet Peigtun, Jaydun and Londun shortly;
• A mother who gave birth on an AirAsia flight has named her son AirAsia.  I guess Jett was too subtle;
• While we’re flying the friendly skies, I’ve yet to see Amelia, the movie, but I loved Nameberry’s Heroine Names posts – Part I and Part II.
• With a hat tip to Julie – new daddy Colin Farrell is, indeed, set to star in a film called Ondine, about a mermaid.  So perhaps Ondine has a better shot at the mainstream than I initially thought.  (We all know about big screen mermaids.)

Which reminds me … Splash’s Madison chose her name from the street, but I’m always excited to discover a street that just happens to have a familiar name.  Did you know there are streets named after each of the Muses in New Orleans?  I didn’t.  But once I spotted Clio Street from the streetcar, I insisted on backtracking a few blocks until we could snap a picture.

Clio Street, NOLA

We used to live near an Aisbet Street – I always thought it sounded sort of like a Scottish version of Elizabeth.  It isn’t – I’ve never come across the name’s origins – but I still think it sounds like a great choice for the middle.

A handful of famous babies’ arrivals were announced this week:

• Mets alum Mike Piazza and wife Alicia have welcomed a second daughter – Paulina Sophia, little sister to Nicoletta Veronica;
• Former Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller and husband John Falconetti have welcomed a son, John Rocco;
• While we’re talking athletes, the New York Knicks’ Al Harrington and wife Michelle welcomed a daughter, Amaya;
• Colin Farrell and girlfriend Alicja welcomed a son, Henry Tadeusz.  (Pronounced tah DEH oosh – the Polish equivalent of Thaddeus.)  Colin also has an older son, James Padraig.

Nancy posed the question: Should older children help choose a baby name?   I was 11 when my youngest sib was born, and I’m quite certain that my mother wasn’t soliciting our opinions.  (Which is, looking back, a good thing.)  Anyone out there tried this at home?

Lastly, ABC revives V as a television series about benevolent – or not – aliens this week.  I vaguely remember the 1983 mini-series, but found myself wondering what you’d name the Visitors.  Looks like they’re pretty ordinary – the leader is called Anna.

Which reminds me … Clio’s ladybug costume, courtesy of Aunt Solange, looked sort of extraterrestrial, what with the drooping antenna.

Clio the Bug

Thanks to everyone for reading!