a rose by any other name

I don't think d2b is going to be called Sasha. Maybe. But I'm leaning towards no.

Yes, she's still Alexandra.

When I was visiting her in July, I heard the director refer to her not as Sasha but as Shura (that's the closest I can get in English...it doesn't really transliterate well). Shura is another nickname for Alexandra-- with more "old-fashioned" and "sweeter" connotations according to different friends.

I like it, but it won't work in an English-speaking world. It just can't be properly pronounced.

I asked if she was called Shura or Sasha, and they shrugged and replied, "As you like." When I pressed, they said they called her both.

So, keeping Sasha as her name isn't really keeping her name. She sort of doesn't have a sweet name; which is incredibly sad to me. Names are important! Poor little bunny.

At school, all the Sashas are boys. We've got four of them in our tiny elementary school alone. It's very much like Alex--fine for either sex but certainly more masculine. There is a little boy named Sasha who will be in her class.

So I'm reserving final "calling" name until she's home. I have a pretty good idea what I'll call her, but I'll save posting it until I'm sure!

Just wanted to give you some time to wrap your heads around this. At home I'll continue to call her by the diminutives of both Sasha and Shura for a while. But, I've got another sweet name for Alexandra in mind for what she'll be officially called by the rest of the world.

Until, that is, she's a middle schooler and decides she wants to be called Xan. ;>